By Adedapo Adesanya
Providus Bank Plc has joined forces with a travel retail platform, Travelport Nigeria, to support a travel tech company, TravelTank, which is well-positioned to revolutionise the travel industry in the country.
TravelTank, a highly innovative best-in-class online travel agency, was established by a young entrepreneur, Mr Yemi Smith, to make travel planning and booking quick, easy and affordable for everyone.
At the launch of the platform recently, the Managing Director of Providus Bank, a Nigerian financial services provider, Mr Walter Akpani, stated that, “Today, we are witnessing the launch of a product that we believe is going to change a whole lot in how travel business is done in Nigeria and I am happy to say that I am proud to be here as a partner. I strongly believe that TravelTank’s innovative products will support and assist us all in how we plan and book our travels.”
“For us, as a bank, we believe in entrepreneurship. TravelTank and its Founder are examples of what we believe in and why as an institution the bank is willing and ready to support young entrepreneurial minds in the country.
“As Mr Yemi Smith is a young entrepreneur, we know we have many more like him in this country and you can rest assured that Providus bank is here to support you,” Mr Akpani further stated.
Also speaking, the Country Head, Travelport Nigeria, Mr Samuel Akinola, described TravelTank as an innovative disruptor in the travel space whose product offerings are unmatched in Nigeria, assuring that Travelport Nigeria will go the extra mile to support TravelTank.
In his remarks, the MD of TravelTank, Mr Yemi Smith, disclosed that, “TravelTank is a product of exhaustive research on a sector which showed very clearly that even with the array of online travel agencies in Nigeria, end-users still had reservations in purchasing online travel products.”
Buttressing on TravelTank’s smart offerings set to be presented in a highly competitive industry, he submitted that, “As a company, and by God’s grace, we foresee strong growth especially on our B2B platform which allows TravelTank affiliates to sell travel products in a more personalised manner.”
He stated further: “You know initially when the world was hit by the pandemic, demand for travel halted. Thankfully, we are now seeing a gradual month-on-month increase in the demand for travel products and travel in general.
“This coupled with the multiple approved vaccines now available in many countries around the world including Nigeria, makes us more positive for the future. Testament to this is the lessening of travel restrictions around the world. This makes us very excited as we begin our quest in creating travel opportunities for everyone.”
Aduragbemi Omiyale 
Modupe Gbadeyanka