Nigerians are sentimental travelers —BA Survey

A British Airways’ survey of over 2,000 respondents in 10 countries has found that on average, nearly half (47 per cent) travelers regard travel as one of the most important things they want to achieve this year.

According to the survey, while Nigerians are less inclined to consider travel an essential objective compared to other nationalities, 41 per cent of Nigerians and 36 per cent of their South African counterparts consider it a priority.

“Indians are the most keen to travel, with 70 per cent setting it as an aim this year, followed by Chinese at 61 per cent and Emiratis at 58 per cent. Celebrities don’t have much influence when it comes to travel trends, with nearly half the respondents saying the doings of the rich and famous aren’t a factor in choosing a destination. South Africans are less impressed than most with 61 per cent paying no heed to where the who’s who holiday. By contrast 32 per cent of Nigerians say celebrity affirmation is a major factor in choosing a destination and 27 per cent saying that it is quite important.

“There is some consensus about which cities feature on their 2017 to-do list, with South Africans citing Paris (34 per cent), London (32 per cent) and New York (29 per cent). For Nigerians New York tops the list (37 per cent), followed by London (36 per cent) and Paris (33 per cent).”

“Fifty one per cent of respondents said they will learn a new language to facilitate their travels, although only 38% of South Africans feel this is necessary compared to 63% of Nigerians. Travelers from the UK are least likely to expand their linguistic skills with only 16% saying they’d be interested.

According to the survey: “Nigerians are particularly fond of their travel memories, with 69% of them citing these as a motivation. Fifty eight per cent of Nigerians say fond reminiscences is why they travel.

Commenting on the development, the BA Commercial Manager, Nigeria, Kola Olayinka declared: “Who knew that Nigerians were so sentimental?. I’d assumed that sightseeing or enjoying a family holiday would’ve topped the list of reasons why we travel.

“These occasional surveys help us test our assumptions and can provide some helpful customer insights. For example South Africans generally aren’t interested in celebrity destinations, but it is more of a consideration for Nigerians.”