In a historic gathering of travel enthusiasts, diplomats, creatives, and business leaders, the inaugural Heirs Insurance Travel Festival drew thousands to Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Saturday, highlighting the urgent need for an inclusive and borderless travel ecosystem in Africa.
Under the theme “Promoting Cultural Diversity and an Inclusive Travel Ecosystem,” the festival combined cultural celebration with advocacy, urging reforms in visa policies, bilateral agreements, and travel systems to ease the financial and bureaucratic burden on African travellers.
A high-profile panel, “Passport Power and Diplomacy,” featured Brazilian diplomat Ambassador Manuel Innocencio de Lacerda Santos Junior, Angola’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Jose Bamóquina Zau, and Stephanie Busari, CEO of SBB Media and former CNN Senior Editor. The panellists stressed easier visa processes, stronger border controls, and harmonised travel frameworks to enable seamless movement across the continent.
The festival also featured a session led by popular travel creators, including Zim Erobu, Adenike Tejuoso, and Steven Ndukwu, who called for fewer travel restrictions within Africa and refunds for rejected visas, highlighting how current policies increase costs for African travellers.
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The Chief Marketing Officer of Heirs Insurance Group, Ifesinachi Okpagu said the festival provides a platform to address critical challenges in Africa’s travel ecosystem.
She said: “Access, safety, and empowerment should be for everyone. We are building partnerships and platforms that make global mobility attainable, while uniting travel enthusiasts under one roof.
“The festival cements Heirs Insurance Group’s commitment to social impact, innovation, and financial inclusion. As the insurance arm of Heirs Holdings, the company continues to champion digital insurance adoption and equitable access to financial services across Nigeria and beyond”, she noted.