Photo caption : From L–R: Group Managing Director, Finchglow Holdings, Mr. Bankole Bernard, and Vice President, National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mr. Yinka Olapade, at the recently held NANTA Lagos Zone workshop.
The Group Managing Director of Finchglow Holdings and former President of National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mr. Bankole Bernard has advocated for digitisation, strategy, structure and long term thinking to ensure the growth of travel industry in Nigeria.
A statement signed by the Public Relations Manager, Finchglow Holdings,Temilade Adu, informed that he advocated for these when the Lagos Zone of the NANTA hosted a Business Workshop for travel professionals which focused on empowering agencies with the tools to grow, scale, and succeed in today’s evolving market recently in Lagos.
The session featured a keynote presentation by the Finchglow Holdings GMD, who facilitated a practical and insightful session on “Strategic Business Development for Travel Agencies.”
Drawing from over two decades of experience, Bernard highlighted the urgent need for structure, digitisation, and long-term thinking in the travel sector.
During the session, Bernard emphasised the urgent need for digital transformation as the backbone of growth for modern travel businesses.
“Intuition has limits. Growth today is driven by data, powered by automation, and sustained by strategic partnerships,” he shared.
In his presentation the former NANTA boss stated that operational efficiency and technology adoption are no longer optional, that they are the blueprint for survival and scale.
Bernard, whose journey from a modest office in Falomo to building one of Nigeria’s most respected travel groups offered credibility and practical insight on how the travel business can grow
Using the Finchglow Holdings case study, with its six subsidiaries spanning business & corporate travel, tourism, education, and logistics, he demonstrated how combining structure, strategy, and smart execution delivers long-term impact.
Bernard, a respected voice in Nigeria’s travel and aviation space, also used the opportunity to reinforce the importance of professionalism, a principle he has championed throughout his leadership journey.
This same philosophy was recently underscored at the 49th NANTA Annual General Meeting(AGM),where the NANTA Membership Identification Card, a legacy initiative during his administration as the President of NANTA between 2016 -2020, was relaunched as a symbol of accountability and industry standards.
Concluding his presentation, Bernard said, “The best growth doesn’t come from reacting fast, but from thinking ahead and leading strong.”
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