Our Reporter
The Managing Director of a US-based travel outfit, JetBlack Travel Group, Dr. Alexander Oladele has prescribed ways Nigeria can become a travel destination of choice as against the current status of the country as one of the least visited countries of the world.
JetBlack Travel Group, which has curated travels to Ghana and South Africa and other countries of the world had never curated travel to Nigeria, despite the founder of the Group being a Nigerian.
“Nigeria can become a travel destination of choice with ease. There are two things that can drive this, which we believe involve media activity as well as improvement in some of the logistical challenges in the country, Oladele said in a WhatsApp chat with our reporter.
Continuing, he said, “Artists have made their mark in the US and abroad and have significant influence on people. If they started promoting tourism in Nigeria, there is no question that the interest levels will rise immensely.
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“The second thing is to improve the logistical challenges, which begins at the airport. Having systems in place to increase the efficiency of airport navigation, engagement with customs and even baggage claim would be a significant step forward.
“Nigeria, already has a wealth of things to do and places to go, so the issue is not necessarily the excursions. It all comes down to the logistics. Improving road conditions would also dramatically shift the experience. I believe a big opportunity awaits if the government prioritizes something as simple as better roads as tourism can truly help to stimulate an economy and bring positive exposure to a country. Because the truth is Nigeria can take over tourism like any other country. We have too much things to do. We would just need support from artists and the government to improve things like roads and airport experience. It would bring so much money into the country.”
JetBlack Travel Group was primarily founded with a view to provide more opportunity to African Americans to gain exposure to countries all over the world by way of group travel. The company was founded in 2018 and now curates trips and life-changing experiences for anyone interested in immersing themselves and learning about cultures outside of the US. The vision, was primarily for Black Americans but it has been bought into from people all over the world.
On why Nigeria has not been on their itinerary after visiting countries like Ghana and South Africa. Oladele explained thus.
“ I think there are logistical things that travelers have to be mindful of when traveling to Nigeria as against traveling to a country like Ghana. The airport for example. Oftentimes, just obtaining your luggage upon landing can prove to be difficult in Nigeria as opposed to Ghana.
“This can create frustration for many people and as you can imagine travelers. Ghana on the other hand is a bit different from what I experienced. The airport is very efficient and I didn’t notice too much of a difference compared to my domestic travels in the US. Another thing is interaction within the airport. I can get through with no problem because I know what to say and how to conduct myself when stopped in a Nigerian airport as a Nigerian. Travelers coming from abroad may not understand how to navigate that space so they can be stuck going back and forth with customs and other people within the airport. This isn’t the case for Ghana. Ultimately, I’m not saying it’s impossible to curate trips to Nigeria. With everything it’s all about knowing the right people so you can navigate easier,” he said.
JetBlack Travel Group was founded in September 2018 with a group of 52 minority professionals taken on a culturally immersive travel experience to Havana, Cuba.
“This was done with the help of Mr. Nicholas Owen who helped connect us with key contacts both in Cuba as well as Colombia. Following Cuba, we visited Medellin, Colombia with 45 professionals in early 2019 by working in close collaboration with Reseau Docteur, a well known minority professional network where most of the travelers came from.
“To date we have organized trips to Cuba, Colombia, Jamaica, South Africa and Ghana For 2020, we have countries we are visiting with half of those trips being sold out. Some of those countries include Bali, which to our surprise sold out in four days, France, Morocco, Spain, Thailand, Brazil, South Africa and Ghana. The goal of JetBlack Travel is to curate life changing travel experiences for members of the global community. We have a team dedicated to helping us execute our trips. The beauty of everything is that many of these individuals don’t live in the States,” Oladele added.
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