“Africans do not travel within Africa because other continents are just more reachable and easily accessible”–Ayomide Babashola speaks the hard truth on Intra-Africa Travel
Ayomide Babashola is the CEO and Lead Travel Consultant at Luminous Voyage Travels & Tours, a personalized-service travel agency in Lagos, Nigeria. Having gotten into the travel business because she yearned for a better travel experience, not just for herself, but for fellow Nigerians, Ayomide Babashola is seeking to help more Nigerians, at home and in diaspora, explore the world.
She has strong opinions concerning the ease of travel that Nigerians and Africans in general experience, and this why she is creating these travel solutions. Fueled by this drive, she decided to start her own travel business to solve problems commonly faced by Nigerians. Leveraging her extensive travel knowledge and keen business acumen, she founded Luminous Voyage in 2020, a Lagos-based agency specializing in crafting bespoke travel solutions and experiences for discerning clientele.
With her at the wheels of the agency, Luminous Voyage offers a variety of travel packages and caters to domestic getaways, family vacations, honeymoons and exciting adventure tours within Africa and beyond. However, like any worthwhile quest, this one is not without its challenges Can you introduce yourself briefly? “My name is Mrs. Ayomide Babashola, and I am the Lead Travel Consultant and the Founder of Luminous Voyage and Tours Limited.
I am an IATA-certified and award winning travel consultant (Best Graduating Student: IATA, Foundation in Travel and Tourism, 2014) I love Jesus, I love traveling, I love cooking, and I love curating the best travel experiences for people. My personal mission and that of my travel agency is to empower more Nigerians to explore the world, especially Africa.
What do you think about Nigerians exploring Africa? Let us even look beyond Nigerians. The ironic struggles of African travel for Africans within Africa is a burning topic and we can no longer afford to ignore it.
It is very disheartening that traveling within Africa as an African is not encouraged. There are many obstacles that discourage Africans from traveling within Africa, and one of them is the issue of obtaining visas. While ECOWAS countries are relatively easier, traveling to East, North, and South Africa poses significant challenges.
Cape Verde and Mauritius are notable exceptions, but other countries have rather stringent visa requirements that, of course, do not apply to non-Africans. Zimbabwe, for instance, offers visa applications, but the process is quite vague, and even countries that boast “visa-free” claims may deny you entry at the border. Reaching The Gambia requires multiple stopovers and rigorous flights.
Take in contrast, how having a Schengen Visa allows Nigerians to access 26 European destinations with ease and affordably too because of trains and the transport system. It automatically becomes so easy to explore Europe when you’re a Nigerian with a Schengen visa, and surprisingly even easier to travel within Africa than with your own Nigerian passport.
It is depressing. Another factor that makes traveling within Africa such a struggle is ight connectivity and costs. To get to certain destinations within Africa, prepare to pay more than usual, or suffer lengthy layovers. Nigerians really traveled to Cape Verde without hassle just seven years ago, and now the difficulties with flight prices and flight connectivity has made it way too stressful to do at a whim.
Relevant bodies at the continental level should really do something about fixing this; there are so many examples of how our individual policies as African nations affect the continent and ourselves so negatively. It is almost as though we do not see the importance of our connectivity and the economic possibilities that Intra-Africa travel holds.
Africans do not travel within Africa simply because other continents are just more reachable and easily accessible. In this struggle, travel consultants and companies deserve recognition for their efforts in making Africa travel more accessible.
It was the travel industry and the private sector that worked tirelessly to make countries like Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia and others more accessible. I give the people in my industry their flowers. We must acknowledge these serious challenges and continue to push for easier intra-Africa travel.” What advice would you give anyone who is interested in seeing more of the world? “If you can, travel now! I have been saying this a while and would continue to.
Don’t wait until you have money for a luxurious trip. Consider your budget and opt for something that doesn’t leave it wrecked. The more you wait, the less likely your chances of traveling to that dream destination are, because the exchange rate is so volatile. Travel to Ghana is now 5 times what it used to be 4 years ago.
If you don’t go now that you can, you’re increasing your future expense. Another thing I stress on is to not look down on the tourism potential of Africa and other emerging economies. Budget travel can be just as rich in experience as luxury travel, and you know what they say about a bird in hand. If you can travel now, please do.” What would you say is your biggest frustration or concern as an operator in the Nigerian travel industry? To be honest, my biggest frustrations in business are rooted in our government’s policies, actions and inactions. Just in January of this year, Arise News reported that the federal government paid $61 million as first installment to offset the $800 million owed the international carriers trapped in Nigeria. These issues are a nightmare for operators on a micro level because we are the ones who bear the brunt for it in favorable companies exiting, and increased costs.
These airlines are removing lower inventory classes that are affordable, and leaving us with only expensive options. Traveling anywhere is no longer as affordable. We’re forced to sell these pricey flights to our clients, who have to bear the cost. Ironically, my clients in the diaspora can access cheaper classes than me, their consultant, simply because I am a Nigerian operator. I can’t, in good conscience sell them overpriced flights just because I’m based in Nigeria.