Susan Akporiaye no doubt is an Amazon in the travel and tourism industry. A Microbiologist-turned Travel Consultant, and the Managing Director of Topaz Travel and Tours Limited, is also the 1st Deputy National President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies [NANTA]. In this interview with Lucky Onoriode George, Editor, African Travel Times, the Oron, Akwa-Ibom State indigene, but born in Lagos and married to an Urhobo, Delta State, bares her mind on several issues in the industry in.
You are a travel agent, how did it all start?
Yes, I am a travel consultant. I graduated from the University of Calabar as a microbiologist, but my passion for entrepreneurship and the fact that travelling and discovering people and their culture, is a hobby and fueled my eventually becoming a travel agent/consultant.
After my National Youth Service Corp [NYSC] at the School of Nursing Obangede in Kogi State, I was offered employment at the National Agency for the Control of AIDS [NACA] to resume in 6 months time. I asked myself what will I be doing in the mean time as I don’t like being idle; it was during this period that a family friend that just started a travel agency asked me to come work with her for the mean time, considering my passion for travelling, I jumped at the offer.
It was while working there that I realised I have found my vocation and my pathway to becoming an entrepreneur, my dream indeed!
What is the story behind Topaz Travel and Tours Limited?
Four months into working at Luxury Travels and learning the ropes of this line of work, my passion further grew in my new found profession. I believe what is worth doing is worth doing well, as a result I dedicated my efforts, time and energy to expanding my knowledge of the profession.
This desire and determination drove me beyond the sphere of my then employer, as I searched for and undertook further training in order to grow my knowledge in this job and sharpen my skill for what lies ahead. Unknown to me, I was been driven by the unseen hand of Almighty God in preparation for the future He had planned for me.
About eight months into working at previous employers, an opportunity came in terms of funding for me to start Topaz Travels and Tours Limited. I was just too excited to nurse the thought of failure as per I had no experience in the corporate world, talk of starting a company.
My passion for my new found profession outgrew my short comings as it would be called then, I could not wait to start. We started Topaz Travels and Tours Limited in August 2004 and the rest is history.
Why travel and tour business?
My hobby of exploring new places, getting to meet and make new friends, learning their ways of life [culture], which I have been doing right from when I was in secondary school, made me developed a strong passion for the Travel and Tourism Industry.
How long have you been in the business?
I have been in the industry for 15 years.
Now, you are in the politics of the industry for awhile, what was the motivation?
Yes, my passion for the industry, I believe I needed to have a say in decisions that affect my profession and the industry as a whole, and there’s no better way to achieve this than to be involved.
As 1st Deputy National President, NANTA, what is your role?
As the 1st Deputy National President of the Association, I am part of the governing council of the association. My roles are to represents the national president and preside over council meetings in the event of his absence; I am also in charge of planning and executing the association’s AGM and events as a whole.
How has NANTA performed?
I have been in NANTA for over 10 years now functioning in different capacity. I must say we have come a long way, and there has been massive improvement from the NANTA I joined over 10 years ago, Just to mention a few of our remarkable achievements for its members and the industry as a whole; we have been able to establish very strong mutual relations with partner airlines and IATA, and we have also created a lot of visibility and presence for the association both in the public and private sectors.
Other aspects are, we have consistently encouraged and organised professional training to help improve and encourage professionalism among our members, and also in our bid to separate the wheat from the shaft, we have initiated a means of identifying genuine travel agents from the frauds, and we launched NANTA membership ID card called Nigeria Travel Practitioners Identity Card [NTPIC].
The issue of a national carrier is a necessary controversy, what is your take?
I support the national carrier project of the government. I believe it will help create competitiveness in the industry and help to build our image in the aviation space.
Should Nigeria have a national carrier like Ethiopia, South Africa, Egypt and even Rwanda?
Yes, Nigeria should have a national carrier.
What is the best way to go about it?
It should be government established and funded, but privately operated with the best hands and experience in the airline industry.
How would you rate the tourism industry?
The tourism industry in Nigeria is not there yet, notwithstanding, a lot of efforts and awareness is being created from the operators’ angle by the private sector. Government is yet to fully embrace the enormous potentials in the industry, considering what other countries are doing, like South Africa, Kenya, Dubai, Malaysia, London, just to mention but a few.
We the private sector, will not relent until we get the government’s full attention and interest to grow the industry.
Recently, the president refused to sign into law the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation [NTDC] and had earlier also rejected that of National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism [NIHOTOUR], what is your take?
To the best of my knowledge, I believe the NTDC and NIHOTOUR bills were rejected by Mr. President because some sections were in contradiction to the Nigerian Constitution.
What do you think of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria [FTAN] of which NANTA member is the President, would you say he has performed well?
The President of FTAN is doing his best.
What would be your suggestion(s) to him to better handle the federation?
My suggestion would be to look at programmes that will better unite all her member associations, creating the required synergy which will further improve the efforts from the private sectors in promoting tourism; like the popular saying “ United we stand divided we fall”.
You are a wife and mother, how do you balance your busy industry politics and the home front?
I must say it’s not an easy task balancing the two, but for the grace, strength and wisdom of God. This has also been made possible because of the 100 per cent support from my husband and children, they have been very supportive, especially my husband that so much believes in me, and his words of encouragement keep me going even in the face of the practice of ‘bad politics’.
What is your suggestion for a better travel and tourism industry in Nigeria?
Let’s stop playing bad politics with the tourism industry, it should be left for technocrats that are result driven.
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