The national president of NATOP, and Chief Executive Officer of Remlords Tours, Nkereuwem Onung, has lamented the crash of the Dana Air plane in Lagos penultimate Sunday, describing it as a calamity for domestic tourism.

“Boko Haram had created huge image problems for tourism in Nigeria and the improved aviation records we have been touting globally in recent times have taken a huge bashing with this,” he said.

Condoling with the bereaved families and the nation, he commended the international marketing efforts of NTDC at the different travel markets.

He encouraged the Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Chief Olusegun Runsewe, to take heart as his efforts will bear fruits soon.

Onung lamented that just as tour operators were putting together package tours for the Seven Wonders of Nigeria project, the crash had come to complicate things.

The NATOP president enjoined all practicing Tour Operators to embrace the registration programme of NTDC.

Tour operators can register directly at any NTDC office across the country or at NATOP.

NATOP is the National Association of Tour Operators in Nigeria, and is at the forefront of promoting Domestic Tourism in Nigeria.

Recently, NATOP endorsed the result of the Seven Wonders project, which was presented to members of NATOP at its monthly meeting held in Lagos in February.

In addition, the NATOP members were presented with plaques as registered tour operators.

The president of NATOP said that as NATOP was reorganising by issuing certificates to registered and licensed tour operators and it is appropriate to use the seven wonders to drive the domestic tourism agenda of NATOP.

According Mr Onung, “NATOP members have built successful businesses selling foreign destinations and the Seven Wonders and its nine clusters offer them an opportunity to become masters of Nigeria tourism.

On the NATOP certificates, he said that, henceforth, only registered tour operators would be allowed to operate in Nigeria as Tour operators will receive two certificates from NATOP and NTDC.

He further enjoined tour operators operating in Nigeria to register both with NTDC and with NATOP as the emerging environment will not tolerate quacks.

However, 10 tour operators received the plaques, while five more will receive theirs at the next meeting.

The 10 are Tour Brokers International, Leisure Afrique, TTL Tours, Speedy tours, Remlords Tours, ATQ Tours, Jethro Tours, Dvine Tour Brokers, Mactee Tours, Global Link Tours.