Wole Shadare 
The Group Managing Director of Finchglow Holdings, Mr. Bankole Bernard, has highlighted the urgent need for structure, digitisation, and long-term thinking in the travel sector.
He spoke at the recently hosted Lagos Zone of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) business workshop for travel professionals focused on empowering agencies with the tools to grow, scale, and succeed in today’s evolving market, with theme, “Strategic Business Development for Travel Agencies.”
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 stated. His presentation highlighted how operational efficiency and technology adoption are no longer optional, hinting 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.
Through 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.
He 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, where the NANTA Membership Identification Card, a legacy initiative from his presidency in 2016 -2020, was re-launched as a symbol of accountability and industry standards.
