How leveraging tech can boost Nigeria’s travel industry

Globally, the travel industry has evolved over the years, relying on technology as it helps businesses with day-to-day operations while improving the customer experience.

As a result, hotels, airlines, restaurants, and other players in the travel industry invest in the latest technology trends within.

It is in this regard that Bayo Adedeji, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Wakanow, emphasised the significance of using technology in the travel and tourism industry during his speech at the 19th Akwaaba African Travel Market.

He drew attention to the connection between travel and technology, highlighting two main aspects: its digital transformation, which showcases how technology has transformed the travel industry, and data-driven insights, which demonstrates the utilisation of data for personalised experiences and predictive analytics.

“Technology serves as a means to enable seamless booking, navigation, and enriched travel experiences, leveraging data for personalised experiences and predictive analytics, enhancing customer service and decision-making, ensuring secure and trustworthy transactions, and promoting eco-friendly and responsible tourism,” Adedeji said.

He further highlighted the significance of AI and machine learning, blockchain and security, and sustainable travel tech. He said due to technology’s rapid advancements, there has been a focus on achieving high accuracy, convenience, and minimising human errors.

“It is essential for businesses to stay updated with the latest trends in tourism technology to remain competitive and continue providing top-tier solutions,” Adedeji said.

“Wakanow adopts a customer-centric approach that prioritises mobile optimisation, offers local content, seamless navigation, personalised recommendations, swift performance, real-time support, and transparent pricing. This approach has significantly elevated user experiences.” he said.

Businesses operating in the travel industry were reminded of the critical importance of staying up-to-date with the latest travel technology trends. Failing to do so could potentially grant competitors a significant advantage in an industry where technology continually enhances customer experiences.

Also at the 19th Akwaaba African Travel Market, Mary Egbas, CEO of Okhma and Serial Entrepreneur, in her presentation, related that modern technology is key to building sustainable cities through tourism and travel.

Citing an example, she said “Dubai has invested a lot in infrastructure to encourage more visitors to the city including the development of gorgeous beaches and the best hotels to cater to accommodation, fast technology, and communication facilities. As one of the world’s leading tourism destinations, tourism in Dubai is a major source of revenue. The city hosted 14.9 million overnight visitors.”

Further, she said in 2020, the revenue generated by the tourism and services sector during the Carnival season in Brazil was forecasted to be the highest since 2015. Carnival contributed around 7.91 billion Brazilian reals ($1.47B)to the Brazilian economy in 2019, and this value was expected to reach 7.99 billion reals in 2020. The largest share of this revenue would be generated in the state of Rio de Janeiro.