The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has announced a partnership with the Oyo State Government to eliminate unregistered and fraudulent travel operators in the state.
Speaking at a joint press conference at the state secretariat, NANTA’s Deputy National Vice President, Dr. Olatokunbo Dagunduro, commended Governor Seyi Makinde for his administration’s commitment to improving the tourism sector. He also praised the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun, for his proactive efforts in restructuring the industry.
NANTA expressed concerns over the rising number of unregistered travel agencies in Oyo State, warning that fraudulent operators were taking over roles meant for licensed agents.
“Travel and tourism is a noble business, but we have seen many agencies in Oyo State that are neither registered with NANTA nor the state government. Integrity is our watchword, and we will not allow fraudsters to continue deceiving the public under the guise of NANTA,” the association stated.
To tackle the issue, NANTA and the Oyo State Government will enforce stricter regulations, conduct sensitization campaigns, and implement sanctions for violators.
Tourism Boom and Regulatory Measures
Speaking on the need for regulation, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun, emphasized that tourism is a key pillar of the state’s economic development under Governor Makinde’s Omituntun 2.0 agenda.
“A recent economic and business survey conducted in December 2024 showed that the number of daily visitors to Oyo State has increased from an average of 1,604 in May 2019 to 18,459 as of December 2024. This surge in tourism has led to an increase in tour operators from 96 in 2019 to 1,704 in 2024,” he said.
However, he noted that many of these operators are unregistered, leading to non-compliance with industry standards and raising security concerns.
“As a result, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in partnership with NANTA, will embark on a sensitization and enforcement exercise to ensure all travel and tour operators in Oyo State register with the government,” he added.
According to him, the registration initiative aims to create a government database of travel operators, enabling proper monitoring, evaluation, and compliance checks. It will also help the public verify legitimate operators and enhance security by providing law enforcement with access to relevant industry data.
“We will begin sensitization next Monday for one month, after which enforcement will commence,” Dr. Olatubosun stated, urging all stakeholders to cooperate for the success of the exercise.
