Travel agents operating in Nigeria say Emirates’ ticket bookings have slowed on the back of the airline’s dollar charges and stringent visa rules by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Emirates recently announced its resumption on October 1 after two years of suspending its services in Nigeria. All fare inventories on the Emirates website are priced in dollars, but prices are competitive when compared with other airlines.
The airline, which airlifts most passengers whose final destination is Dubai, is facing the brunt of effects of dollar charges and a stringent visa regime, as bookings begin to slow, according to travel agents.
“Right now, the bookings are still a bit slow on Emirates to Dubai and onwards. The stringent conditions for visas and the dollarised ticket rates are affecting sales,” Susan Akporaiye, managing director and CEO of Topaz Travels and Tours and former president of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), told BusinessDay.
