How to Realise Your 2017 Travel Goals

Pick a place.
Sometimes the problem is we are waiting to be rich enough to travel to the most exotic places all at once, or we have this fantasy of round the world trips all at once. In reality, it doesn’t really work that way. Just pick a place, a state you have never been to. Or a nearby country within the continent you have never been to. Start with the ones your country shares a border with. Once you have your mind set on where you want to go that is close and affordable, you are one step closer to meeting your 2017 travel goals.

Get a travel Buddy.
Traveling solo has its perks. But for a first-time adventurer, you might want to have someone to tag along with. This move has safety and economic advantages. You get to split the bills with someone as well as have someone look out for you as well on your adventure. A travel buddy also makes the trip twice the fun.

Research your destination.It is important for you to research your destination as the first part of planning your trip. Know what transportation options are available, know what the weather is like. Find out what the currency is and where to change if going outside the country. Know about points of interests that deserve a visit.

Use Social Media to find new friends in your destination.
As part of researching your destination, you could also use Social Media to look out for friends who are at your destination. Looking forward to meeting new people in your destination can be a motivation for traveling. Be careful though and make sure that these aren’t new persons you are only beginning to talk to, the older and more verified these people are the better. Also, do not meet them alone. Ever. Public places serve a good meeting point for meet ups.

Cheap HotelsSome of the heaviest cost for travelers are incurred on hotels and accommodation. Skip this barrier by searching for cheap hotels in Abuja, cheap hotels in Lagos, cheap hotels in Kaduna or wherever your destination is. As expensive as some of these cities could be, there are really decent hotels for the budget travel with top services that would give you a comfortable stay. Use the filter on the hotel booking portal to select cheapest first. You would be amazed by the results you would find.

Packages.
Hotel booking portals like Jumia Travel have designed and created Nigeria Vacation Packages for different purposes that you can take advantage of. From Easter Family Holiday Packages to Couples Retreat, Resort Packages to Honeymoon Packages, from Weekend Getaways to Safari Packages. There is something you can take advantage of. Simply book, pack your bags and hop on your flight. Travel in 2017 can be amazing. I am excited by all the prospects.

Discount. Vouchers. Promos.
Look out for hotel and flight promos, hotels discounts codes and vouchers. This would help reduce cost and get you great deals on luxury services you may otherwise not have been able to afford.

Travel off Peak Period.
Peak period in Nigeria for travel is the 2^nd week of December through the 1^st week of January, the weekend of Easter, between July and September, as well as, every other weekend all year round really. To avoid the hike in prices on bus tickets, flight tickets, hotel rooms and food, it is best to travel during the periods out of the window listed above.

Travel Light
One of the biggest deterrents for many on making the trip they have always wanted to make is that they do not know how to travel light. And when faced with packing for a trip and not going at all, they would rather not go. If you want to achieve your 2017 travel goals, learn to travel light. Have a small bag that is a dedicated travel bag and endeavor not to pack anything beyond that and a small handbag for personal effects. He who travels light travels far. Some wise person said that.

Collaborate
Another way to achieve your travel goals is to collaborate with individuals and corporate bodies. Have an idea, look for people who are willing to work on it with you. From photographers to writers to environmentalists and NGO’s if there is something you can offer to these people on your trip, they would be no doubt willing to work with you and offset some of your bills as long as you are bringing something of value to them in return.

Travel with Expedition and Tour Groups.
There is a lot of travel and tourism small businesses organizing trips for Nigerians and foreigners within and outside the country. These groups visit some of the exotic tourist locations in Nigeria and around Africa from time to time. Among them are Social Prefect, The Village Pot Adventures, The DARE Experience, Irinajo, Naija Nomads, Unravelling Nigeria, Globe Jaunters and a couple of others. Trips are planned all year round for exciting places like Bauchi and its amazing Forest Reserve and natural green landscape, Kajuru Castle in Kaduna, Obudu Moutain Resort in Calabar, the ancient Olumo Rock, The epic Erin Ijesha Waterfall and so many similar places around the country. Going with a group helps you past the barrier of having to plan the trip and take care of the finer details of your adventure.

Career Opportunities in the Hotel Industry.

The hotel industry offers an amazing array of exciting job opportunities. What do you need to work in the Hotel Industry? Like every other industry. The Hospitality industry is vast and takes on people in different career paths, offering job opportunities to top level managers and low level support staff. So what do you really need to make it in the Hotel Industry? Here I would try to highlight the different skill sets that you may need to possess. What is amazing is that you can work from home in some of these job descriptions. The basic skills you need in the industry is a people skills. The hospitality industry is about taking care of the needs of others. People pay good money to be attended to in an efficient, respectful and amiable manner. If you do not have the skills to respond to people in this way, you may not even bother. Also, the biggest cities are where the hotel chains are mostly concentrated. Hotels in Lagos and Hotels in Abuja get the biggest patronage than anywhere else in the country. If you want to get in on a fulfilling career, 5 Star Hotels in Lagos would be a good place to start.

Tour Operators
As a tour operator you would be involved in taking people on sightseeing trips to the interesting places within your reach, and if possible you can organize trips out of your country and continent even. This comes with knowing the places people want to visit, where they want to go to have fun, designing different tour packages for families, couples, and solo travelers. Your destination would range from wildlife safaris to theme parks, hiking and camping to honeymoons and family vacations. Whatever the destination, you and your travelling vacationers need a place to stay. Some of the ways to make extra money is to take advantage of hotel deals. Get into partnerships with hotel booking portals or with the hotels directly.

Digital Marketers
The world is all in the mobile nowadays. Digital Markers can work in virtually any industry and the hotel and tourism industry is well one of them. From airlines to hotels, from hotel booking sites to destinations and theme parks, businesses are trying to get their brand out to the people who need them and are constantly engaging with one screen or the other, either via mobile phones, tablets or desktop computers.

Travel Agents
Travel agents are a special breed. They have been around for so long and new technology has seen them adapt to the growing demands of the industry. You can run your travel agency from the corner of your room, all you need is an active phone line and internet. You can book hotels and flights for thousands of people in a year, they just need to know you are out there and call on you to sort out their travelling and accommodation issues.

Customer Service
Customer service is a culture and while it emanates from everyone in the business it particular rests on the shoulders of the men and women tasked with dealing with the issues and enquiries of customers who call to understand what is going on with a service they have paid for, or are interested in paying for. Customer service people must know everything about the business, they cannot give false information out, and they cannot promise what the company cannot give. They are responsible for assuaging the fears of customers and clients, knowing what the issue is with their hotel room booking. Why their flight is being delayed, why they do not have the complimentary champagne the vacation package promised. Customer care people are the human linkage that the company has with their customers and they have to get it right all the time.

Fitness Instructor

Many hotels are eager to have facilities within their establishment that satisfies a broad range of clientele needs. From Spa and Wellness Rooms, to Business centers, to Gym and Fitness rooms. As a spa and body wellness expert, yoga instructor, gym and personal fitness trainer, you can build a career working for a hotel by managing these facilities for them. Of course this might mean that you would have already built your reputation as an expert in that field before a big hotel brand.

Casino Operator
Like gyms and spas, some hotels recognize the need to service a special clientele base who are looking to spend on chips and the dice. One of the ways you can make an entry into the hotel industry is as a Casino Manager, or operator of a table or machine.

Spas and Body Wellness Operator
Like already referred to above, hotels hosts some of the best know spa houses, providing luxurious treatment and hospitality to guests on a vacation, honeymoon, or those who just want to relax from long periods of work. The advantage of attaching yourself to a hotel is, they spare no expense on the best machines, soaps, perfumes and body spices that you may need to treat your customers.

Event Management
From wedding receptions to business seminars and conferences, hotels provide halls and conference venues for hosting a variety of events. As an event planner or an event management company you would be working with hotels to secure top notch venues for your events, in the long run, where the relationship builds you may find yourself getting more involved with other businesses with the hotels such as bringing over guests for a fee or a commission, or even a reduction of rates when you book a hall for an event.

Chef
What is a luxury hotel without great dining? Some of the greatest attractions to 5 star hotels in cities and destinations like Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt is the dining facilities and world class rated chefs that they keep in their kitchen, serving guests and treating their palates to exciting experiences. Chefs who work with world class hotels have the opportunity to feed celebrities, rock stars, politicians and statesmen, and all sorts of famous people, giving them a taste of their signature dishes.