Travel blogger Fisayo Olayinka-Bello is changing the way we see Africa — Interview with Lagos-based content creator Fisayo Olayinka-Bello

Meet Fisayo Olayinka-Bello, a Lagos-based content creator passionate about promoting Africa’s tourism and keen to change the “African narrative”.

Fisayo is an award-winning travel blogger, founder of TravCP Company and Travel Massive Lagos member. Fisayo helps travel bloggers to start and grow a sustainable travel business online and develops sustainable marketing strategies for travel destinations, tourism boards, and tourism organizations.

Read more of Fisayo’s story.

How did you get in the travel industry?

There are two things that made me get into the travel industry.

The first being the love for discovering new places. I have always loved to travel and visit new destinations, I also love to share and inspire people based on my experiences and the resources I consume. This led me to start blogging about my travels.

Secondly, I channeled my passion for problem-solving, to use tourism as a tool for growth and development in Nigeria’s economy after noticing the not so good publicity that was getting from press conferences that mostly highlighted problems being faced in the industry.

This also led me to focus on promoting Nigeria’s wealthy tourism resources on my blog and through my new company known as TravCP.

TravCp‘s (www.instagram.com/travcp/) main focus is to position Africa to be the number one tourist destination in the world. We have developed several strategies to do this and help other travel businesses grow as well.

Share your vision of changing the ‘African narrative’. My vision to change the “African narrative” was birthed when I got tired of the pictures painted of Africa by the mainstream international media, “Africa is not a country” I said.

I knew this was not so and I knew an African in Africa needed to tell the right stories about this destination. This one of the reasons I decided to expand my scope from Nigeria to Africa by writing articles on my travel blog (thefisayo.com) and creating YouTube videos (youtube.com/channel/UCZj4zoASpnGzw3A7y_n2Ggw) featuring beautiful destinations to visit in Africa while including development plans.

How can the travel industry be more inclusive?

The best thing about the tourism industry is that it opens the minds of travelers to new cultures and philosophies. Travelers learn about new cultures through historical tours, movies, arts, and entertainment.

Arts and entertainment are tools being used to shape pop culture today. If we want to reduce the negative impact of racism or perhaps help international travelers be more open-minded, we can start this with the tools they are already familiar with – this is arts and entertainment. We need to tell our stories more through digital media, movies, music, and more. This would spark interest in the minds of international tourists and foreigners and perhaps reduce any racial bias.

How has the pandemic changed your perspective on tourism?

I believe that tourism stakeholders need to collaborate more to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Tourism boards and government agencies need to focus on training travel and tourism stakeholders. This will help travel businesses learn how to better position their brands for the “new normal”.

We have developed a master class (masterclass.thefisayo.com/courses/travel-blogging/) for travel and tourism promoters to help them understand how to implement travel blogging in their brand strategy.

For the industry to grow, all sectors must be kept into account, including local communities. Their growth can be achieved through staycations, local tours, booking of local guides, and more.

When local communities grow, employment increases, females and youths in these communities gain financial independence, and this reduces crime rates. Little or no crime rate in a community will recover the confidence of both local and international travelers.

It is also worth knowing that recovered confidence results in increased travel interests, then bookings increase. This way the cycle continues and the industry grows.

What tips would you give to new travel bloggers?

It excites me that you are choosing to be a problem solver by taking this decision to be a content creator. Remember that every content you create solves a problem. Or rather, it should.

One has to decide the problem they plan to solve with the contents they create today (if you have not). It could be creating travel guides that would help travelers navigate from point A to point B. That alone is a huge problem solved. Back in the 60s, I would have to rely on a compass and a vaguely designed map.

The other tip would be that whatever you do, always make sure you have a “Why”. In most cases, your “Why” is the problem you chose to solve because you are passionate about it. Your why is what will get you through trials and tribulations. It is also what will set you apart from others.

After that has been determined, always prioritize excellence in the work that you do.