Jibola Oluseye: We are building a movement of African travel storytellers

Jibola Oluseye, Founder iTravels & Tours and Taste of Africa Vibes, is preparing to host a one-of-a-kind gathering of African travel content creators in Lagos. Ahead of the conference, scheduled for 1 June 2023 and supported by Meta, I wanted to know how he came up with the idea that has grown to a community of 50K members

Thanks for accepting the interview request. First, how did you come about the Taste of Africa Vibes platform, which continues to showcase the best of African heritage?

Jibola Oluseye: Thanks for the opportunity given. First, Taste of Africa Vibes was created doing the Covid-19 lockdown, when people couldn’t travel and the tourism sector was affected. So my team continued to keep peoples’ appetite for African tourism alive throughout the lockdown.

The Taste of Africa Vibes online community now has an impressive 50K members. What has it been like managing such a large community, and what’s the reception like?

Oluseye: I thank God for the growth and yes it has been interesting managing a community this diverse, but one with the common goal of promoting and changing the narratives about Africa for good. We try to remind our community to think more about love for Africa ahead of love of self.

The platform is surely going to keep expanding. What’s your plan for it in the near future, and beyond its existence on Facebook?

Oluseye: The platform has really helped a lot of travelers plan successful trips to Africa. It has become a one-stop place for people to get reliable information about Africa. The future is to continue to network, connect and build a community of African travel storytellers and narrative-changers about Africa for good.

You’re planning to host the African Travel Content Creators Conference (1st June 2023). How’s preparation going, and what should stakeholders in travel and tourism expect at during and after the event?

Oluseye: Our community depends more on travel content creators and storytellers so it is appropriate for us to host such an important event to appreciate, encourage, network, and connect content creators across Africa. Our primary target is our members to be part of the community activities as content creators.

Could you mention some of the travel creators and influencers participants expect to see at the conference?

Oluseye: We’ll be having guest speakers from Nigeria, Germany, Belgium/Burundi. And they include Mr Pelu Awofeso, CNN-award winning travel writer and author; Amb. Ikechi Uko, Founder Akwaaba Africa Travel Market; Amb. Nneka Isaac-Moses, Co-Founder Goge Africa; Michael Runkel, the second most travelled person on earth, along with a host of others.

And what should attendees expect at the conference?

Oluseye: Attendees should expect to learn new methods of creating travel content, and the value of collaboration and networking to build the tourism industry in Africa through content creation.

[Register — and get a virtual link — for the conference here.]

Is Meta supporting the conference in any way?

The idea for the Africa Travel Content Creators Conference came as part of Facebook’s Community Accelerator Program project supported by Meta.

You’ve just returned from a visit to South Africa. What and what did you get up to while you were there, and what are your main takeaways — in terms of how South Africa organises its tourism management and promotion?

Oluseye: I was invited as a Jury of a panel at the International Tourism Film Festival Africa in Cape Town. I also participated in the Africa Travel Indaba in Durban, which opened my eyes to a lot of activities that could be deployed in building tourism-related events. South Africa really is the number one tourism country in Africa: the citizens understand their role in protecting and appreciating their tourism heritage. I’ll say that Cape Town is the number one tourist city in Africa.

You started in the tourism industry as a tour guide/ tour operator, and you won awards for your efforts. What was that experience like, and do you still plan and take tours?

Oluseye: I thank God for the successes — so far so good. The awards motivated me to do more and I appreciate all who believed that I deserved the laurels in Nigeria. I still take tours and it is interesting to see that referrals have really helped a lot. It is the reason I will tell everyone in the industry now to not focus on making money at all costs: build your network first, and the money will come.

Which are your Top 3 African travel destinations?

Oluseye: Nigeria. South Africa. Cape Verde.

There is a recent surge in travels by Nigerians across some countries on the continent, especially in West Africa. What do you think needs to be done to promote more intra-Africa travel?

Oluseye: the biggest challenge traveling within West African countries are the immigration officials and the expensive flight fares. Stakeholders need to collaborate more, and immigration officials need better training to help grow tourism in the ECOWAS region and on the continent.