Hello, hope you are doing well? It has not been an easy season because so many negative things are going on in the world coupled with different challenges we might be dealing with in our personal lives. We trust God to help us pull through this season. I pray for everyone that might have lost a loved one, may God comfort you!I pray for us all that God will convert all our challenges and trials to testimonies.
Yay!! Yipee!! I reached out to some travel influencers (travel bloggers, travel vloggers, tour operators, travel agents) etc. to ask for their permission to feature them in this post. Grateful to everyone that gave their consent to be featured in the post. My reasons for doing this are:
(1) I have been inspired, educated, enlightened, entertained etc by consuming their contents and I would want more people to also benefit from the above and more.
(2) A lot of negative things are going on in the world today,while we must in our own way actively do things better, we must also protect our mental health and look forward to greater days ahead. Consuming these contents will fuel your wanderlust for better days ahead and make you more excited about travelling and exploring tomorrow.
Below are the travel Influencers and some information about them:
Nnennaya Fakoya Smith: popularly known as Ajala Nene, she is a tourism promoter and a tourism business coach. She is the founder of Nene-Uwa Hub Ltd. a tourism company that helps tourism entrepreneurs build a sustainable tourism business through online programs and digital marketing such as: webinars, nene-uwa tourism academy, virtual tourism sessions etc. Offline, she has hosted social media week sessions, women in tourism business luncheon, nene uwa boost academy etc.She is also a travel blogger at nene-uwa.com.ng. She has visited and explored 15 countries.
Priscilla Kolawole: She is a travel blogger at AjalaOnABudget.com. When she first started travelling, a lot of people asked how she could afford it which made her to start blogging on how affordable travel can be. She blogs about her favorite travel budget finds with the hope of helping other people travel smarter. She has visited and explored 19 countries.
TravelStart: An online travel company founded on two basic principles; simplicity and best price.The company was founded in 1999 and operates in several countries around the world with offices in Nigeria, Egypt, UAE and South Africa. The Nigerian office which is in Lagos, opened in 2012 and focuses on making travel simple by providing an easier way to book online. Travelstart has seen double-digit growth and profitability since inception and is backed by Amadeus Capital Partners and HarbourVest. For more information visit: www.travelstart.com.ng.
Diusor Odiakosa: is a tourism enthusiast, a travel blogger at diusorodiakosa.com, she is currently on a journey to visit 25 states in Nigeria before turning 25 in her bid to promote tourism in Nigeria while exploring other countries in the world.She is also the creative director of the Ajala store, a one stop shop for all your travel essentials and more! She is also tour manager at TVP (the world is full of fascinating villages, people and cultures) adventures.
Favour Bernard: is a tourism enthusiast and a professional tour manager at Irinajo. Her love for tourism sparkled during her visit to the northern part of Nigeria. The trip unveiled a different part of Nigeria she had never seen before this causing her to wonder what else she is yet to discover. She has visited several tourist sites in Nigeria and currently working on launching her adventure tourism-company-Onecloudatatime Adventures. Through her brand, she hopes to inspire more people to travel and explore tourism in Nigeria and Africa.She also hopes to get the government attention towards improving the state of tourism in Nigeria.
Naija Nomads: Naija Nomads is a full service travel company located in Lagos Nigeria. They offer a wide range of tourism and travel related services but not limited to travel and tourism. They offer short stay apartments (Airbnb), content creation, scheduled group trip, customized experiences (for individuals, families or corporates), Lagos experiences. travel@naijanomads.com.
Sam Adeleke: He is the chief explorer at TravelwithSamGlobal a 3-year old company based in Lagos, Nigeria, which is a boutique travel company dedicated to providing travel solutions to discerning travelers across the world. They provide flights,visas,hotels,tours and travel advisory services. He is the country lead of travel massive(the worlds largest community of travel professionals and insiders). The aim is to unveil Nigeria, starting from Lagos, one hangout at a time, this is done by organizing knowledge sharing events at little known tourist destinations and hangout spots within the city. Sam Adeleke loves travel because: it opens his eyes to the world beyond is immediate environment, amplifies his appetite for curiosity to discover and explore the world, priceless education on the road, interacting with people from different cultures, languages, nationalities,religions and races have brought joy to him, travel has taught him contentment, love, empathy and ambition,travel makes him live for now and work towards a more adventurous tomorrow, travel has inspired him to live for now and look towards an adventurous tomorrow. To seize every opportunity and make lemonades out of life’s colourful lemons. Travel made him discover newer things about himself: resilience, persistence,courage,desire,adaptation and collaboration. Travel is Life. He has visited 13 countries but still looks forward to a lifetime of adventures around the world.
Wayfare Travels: A travel company in Lagos, Nigeria. They organise corporate travel, tours, visa processing, flight, hotel, group tour, custom travel etc. On their Instagram page: @wayfareng they share a lot of travel related contents. You can also visit: linktr.ee/wayfareng for more information.
Jumoke Smiley: She is the founder and lead advisor at The Smileys Place Travels, a travel and tour company (flights, tours,vacays, cruises and more). She creates easy and safe travels for the African millennial’s. I have enjoyed her Instagram posts which includes: virtual waka tour with Jumoke, strengthen your green passport series which features visa free and visa on arrival countries and more.
Funke Ogunkoya: known as Sassy Funke, what inspired her love for travel is that she wanted to show Africans a different side of the world, far from what we were used to (London,Dubai,USA), give Africans a different perspective/lens through which they could view the world. Her YouTube channel is: www.youtube.com/sassyfunke. She birthed TravelToNaija out of frustration- unable to find a reliable resource for those with an interest to travel to Nigeria. Especially with the circumstance where Covid left many Nigerians stranded abroad; where can they find useful information, communicate with one another and be calm. TraveltoNaija is now a community of over 650 followers in just over 3 weeks.
Kemi Onabanjo Joseph:Is a management consultant by day and a world travel enthusiast and lifestyle blogger by night. Currently, she works as an associate partner of one of the leading global management consulting firms (Mckinsey and Company) in Nigeria. She is a lover of theatre and she actively explores the world through travel. While travelling all over the world on her Nigerian passport, she exceeded her goal of visiting 30 countries by age 30, has visited 41 countries to date and continues to nurse big plans to conquer more ground. If you want to know more about her travel adventures, lessons learned and other musings, visit her website: www.kemionabanjo.com or subscribe to her weekly newsletter using this link: http://bit.ly/SubscribeToKJ
Countlessmiles (CM): is a travel start up that aims to solve the inequality and discrimination issues that African travelers face by raising the profile of African travelers. The mission is to establish the value narrative of African travelers globally by encouraging them to travel consciously, travel more and travel beyond. This is done by leveraging technology to allow African travelers to easily plan their trips. CM also educates Africans, through focused travel events, on the benefits of conscious travel and how it can positively impact their lives and communities.
Amarachi Ekekwe: is an author and travel blogger. She is the founder of Travel with a Pen, a blog that highlights the value of local and international travel to her readers. There, she encourages them to seek out new adventures and unique experiences while providing practical tools to enable readers do so. She has visited over 20 states in her home country Nigeria and over 20 countries around the world. You can follow her adventures on her blog and on Instagram at @amarachiekekewe and @travelwithapen.
Amaka Amatokwu-Ndekwu: She is a US based award winning hospitality professional with a proven history of tenacity, strong drive, passion and leadership for over 10 years.She is the founder and president of Women in Hospitality Nigeria (WHIN) an association established with a vision of being the voice of assistance for all females in the hospitality and tourism industries and also leading the paradigm shift in gender equality and governance in the hospitality and tourism industries. She is a board member of some hospitality and tourism organisations.She established the first hospitality and tourism awards in Nigeria: The Pyne Awards which has taken place 2 years in a row and is expanding to other sub regions in Africa. Her Instagram handle: makii_amatokwu.
Sammyvagabond: He is a digital creator, inspiring to see the world since 2017, also a health and diet coach. Please visit: linktr.ee/sammyvagabond for more information.
Fisayo Olayinka- Bello: an award winning travel blogger (thefisayo.com) focused on promoting African Tourism. She is a tourism development advocate, content creator(youtuber, podcast host), big dreamer,she teaches travel blogging courses and an innovator who thrives at the intersection of tourism, technology and advocacy. Her vision is to change the African narrative. ”Africa is rich in a lot of resources, culture and beautiful travel destinations that is yet to be explored”,” Africa is a safe place to visit and not a jungle”. She writes on beautiful destinations in Africa and also includes development plans for the improvement of Eco- tourism and other forms of tourism that will lead to a positive impact on each country’s GDP in Africa.
Funmi Oyatogun: She is the lead experience designer at TVP adventures. SMOT (Show me one thing) is TVPs digital platform that shares stories about fascinating people and places around the world. The YouTube channel explores topics on travel, geography and culture and makes sure that if you are curious about the world, you get answers to help you explore it.
Ogundele Oluwatoyin: is an experience curator at NaijaNomads, an online travel brand in Nigeria. She is interested in exploring the world and sharing her travel experiences while she enjoys taking Nigerian travelers on group experiences outside the country, she also enjoys receiving and showing visitors in and around Lagos state.
Eromosele Emmanuel: He is a Lagos based blogger at ericotips.wordpress.com who is enthusiastic about tourist destinations, travel tips and travel experiences across Nigerian and beyond.
Diamonds and Pearls Travels: A travel company located in Lagos, Nigeria. They organise holidays, cruises, honeymoons, destination events, groups, MICE,visas, flight hotels etc. For more information please visit: linktr.ee/dandptravels.
Pelumi Nubi: known as black.kintsugi on Instagram is a world traveler. She has been to 61 countries, she loves science, she is currently doing her PhD, she loves educating people to be the best version of themselves by exploring new places,sharing meaningful travel stories and show that travel is safe, easy and do-able. To know more please go to: linktr.ee/black.kintsugi.
Oto Tom: She is a full time corporate lawyer with a renowned Litigation and Commercial Law Firm in Lagos Nigeria. She is a travel blogger at: wakaholic.com. She is a travel enthusiast with an insatiable impulse to travel the world, discover hidden tales, share what she finds and encourage people to travel more. She has traveled through 5 continents in the world and her ultimate goal is to explore all 7.She is purpose driven, creative,loyal and consistent. She also describes herself as Multipotentialite. She hopes her blog inspires us to travel more.
TravelwithTolu: Tolu is a London based travel content creator whose main goal is to inspire people to experience new cultures and places. She does this in a number of ways whether it is through her blog posts www.travelwithtolu.com or through visual storytelling on Instagram. In addition to this, Tolu also provides helpful travel tips and advice and offers a holiday planning service for those who need help with booking a trip and are not sure where to start.
Lara Okungbure: known as chroniclesofwakawaka on Instagram is an aspiring world traveler trying to document her journey and experiences as she combs through the universe. The more she sees the more she wants to see! For her, travel is education. She is also keen on exploring her home country and seeking out places and experiences where people can relax and unwind without breaking the bank when they choose to. She shares useful tips and travel inspiration on her page.
Nancy Nsofor: Also known as Thewakagirl, @wakawakanation is her brand name and its all about creating the best travel experience. She is a professional tour operator/ tour Guide and she is contributing to one of the SDGs.
Phillips Tunde: He is the brain behind Nomadic Negro a brand popularly known to produce some of the most immersive travel stories in Africa.
Oluwabunmi Bankole- Akinyemi: She founded Travel Begins at Home (TBAH) an indigenous start up in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industry. The number one mission is education and rejuvenation for the whole populace,.”we look forward to people seeing travel as the shortest distance from their house”Thus every opportunity to step out of our homes can be used to see and learn something new.The goal is to see other areas of tourism grown and fully developed in Africa until the much deserved attention is gained globally.
Chidera Jacqueline Echedom: She is a travel blogger at: explorewithdera.com, an Economist who found tourism as her first love and is focused on budget adventures, journeys, cruises and experiences. She believes people can see the world while on a budget.
Lola Daniyan: She is the chief curator/ owner of unravelling Nigeria( www.unravellingnigeria.com) a travel website telling Nigerian stories, unraveling Nigeria’s gems, online travel resource, travel curator, private trips etc.
Nigerians Travel Too: A Nigerian travel company that deals in multi dimensional travel,tourism and trade company, leisure travel( group, custom trips and visa support), special interest travel, business consultancy etc. Please visit: nigerianstraveltoo.com for more information.
Kalejiaye Olawale: known as waka_journals on IG He is a travel content creator and co founder @beyond_afrik a travel and tour company based in Accra,Ghana.What inspired his love for traveling, initially was escape from work stress and other family affairs. But over time he discovered that it was deeper than that, the passion grew for travel so he could explore, network, create memories that make him feel alive, learn from diverse groups and cultures and most importantly ignite his creative juice.This inspired his brand because he wanted people to have same first hand experience as he did. The brand is there to take care of travelers need and curate tours, budget friendly itinerary item, book cheap flight deals, book affordable and luxurious accomodation etc.
Alarinka of Africa: (thattokelady.disha.page). Her passion for local tourism in Nigeria led her to tour all 36 states in Nigeria as a solo traveler challenging the negative narrative. She wants to change our mindset about tourism in Nigeria and also inspire us to see Nigeria. She is a vlogger at TOKETRAVELS on YouTube.
Makanjuola Ibrahim: founder of IBM tours. The company aims at taking group of people( friends, families, schools etc) on tour to places within an outside Nigeria to enlighten and educate them about such destinations and its environments in the process of giving them unlimited fun. Also, encouraging them to be promoters of their culture and tradition. The company usually goes on a pre-tour to make findings and produce quality itinerary for all clients. They also market destinations in other to showcase and encourage potential clients to come explore, position it to generate revenue in the long run with minimum amount of risk. They are also the initiator of Nigerian Tourism Lovers and the aim is to basically promote Nigeria to Nigerians online and offline. Blog: www.ibmtourlimited.blogspot.com.
Wakanowdotcom: Africa’s largest travel agency giving flight to your dreams. Looking at their Instagram feed(post pictures and captions) makes me feel like going to the destination at soon as possible.Captivating, intriguing and enlightening.
Dee Olateru: A travel blogger at: www.wellwornheels.com, she created her blog to be what she wish existed when she first started travelling as a Nigerian woman travelling on a Nigerian passport while maintaining a full time job. On her first backpacking trip to Greece and Turkey, she hardly ever saw anyone that looked like her and in some instances, she found people staring at her. She did not start a blog till 7 years later ( as a result of Impostor syndrome), but on that trip a seed was sown. To show that the world awaits us as Nigerian travelers, black travelers and to show how it can be accomplished. She started the blog for women, professionals, for travelers from countries with visa requirements and for the African diaspora. Her blog is not about being a perfect traveler, if you are looking for someone with a full time career and finds ways to travel, that is Dee! Her blog is a travel blog for the ambitious career woman of African descent (but everyone else can read). If you are considering solo travel because no else can come, Dee can be your inspiration for tips and encouragement (She has visited over 25 countries solo and over 50 countries in total). She also shares travel tips, destination ideas and real travel stories.She had always been curious about the world before she started travelling, so are curiosity about the world was the original source of inspiration.
There you have it! Please note that this list is not exhaustive as there as still a couple of other travel Influencer’s that i love their contents! Also, you can search for them on social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter etc using the various brand names displayed above. I trust you will be glad you did.
As always, i will love to hear from you: which of these Influencer’s did you know about prior to know? Which travel Influencer’s do you love their contents that are not in the list above?
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