From 1975 to 2026: Bon Voyage Travel Enters a New Era After World Travel Awards Recognition 

More than five decades after it began providing travel services in Nigeria, Bon Voyage Travel Agency Limited (BVT) has been named Nigeria’s Leading Travel Management Company 2026 at the World Travel Awards Gala Ceremony, held on 28 August 2026 at Diamonds Bijoux in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The recognition marks a new chapter for the company, with a renewed focus on its people, technology and international partnerships. 

Founded in 1975 by Mrs Loretta Smith and now led by her son, Managing Director Mr Yemi Smith, Bon Voyage Travel has adapted to sweeping changes in the travel industry, from traditional ticketing and travel arrangements to sophisticated corporate travel management, digital booking systems, global distribution platforms and increasingly complex traveller requirements. 

Today, supported by more than 100 trained travel professionals, the company serves over 200 corporate clients across sectors including oil and gas, banking and finance, telecommunications, government and non-governmental organisations. Its services span corporate, marine and energy travel, as well as leisure, hotels, visa advisory, corporate events and round-the-clock traveller support. BVT also acts as a consolidator, giving other travel agencies access to itsinfrastructure, technology and global network. 

For Mr. Smith, the award is also a tribute to where the company began. “My mother laid the foundation for this company in 1975,” he said. “Our job is to build on that legacy, not just preserve it.” 

Smith said the company has more developments ahead for corporate clients, including new tools designed to simplify business-travel booking. 

“Corporate travel has become more demanding,” he said. “Travel managers need speed, visibility over spend, and confidence that their people are supported wherever they are. We are building a corporate booking platform to give clients more control and fewer steps, while keeping the human support that has always set BVT apart.” 

The company has strengthened its institutional capabilities through IATA accreditation and certification to ISO 9001:2015 for quality management and to ISO/IEC 27001:2022 for information security. 

Through its partnership with ATPI, an international travel management group, BVT gives its clients access to a global network, competitive airline and hotel rates, and international standards of duty of care, traveller tracking and spend reporting. 

“Our clients don’t just travel within Nigeria; their people are in Houston, Aberdeen, Dubai and London,” Smith said. “Being part of an international network means that when a traveller needs help at two in the morning in another time zone, there is someone local who can act. Our clients get a Nigerian partner that understands their business, backed by global reach.”

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Beyond technology and global connectivity, however, the company’s leadership believes the next phase of travel management will depend on people. “Technology can make booking faster, but when a flight is cancelled at midnight, or a crew change goes wrong offshore, what clients remember is the person who picked up the phone and solved it,” Smith said. “Investing in our people is investing in our clients.” 

Bon Voyage Travel was recently certified as a Great Place To Work organisation. All employees surveyed said they consider the company a great place to work, with 100 per cent positive responses in areas including professional development, management appreciation and feelingwelcomed. 

Human Resources Manager Oyinlola Elewa said the recognition matters because of what it says about the company’s internal culture. 

“Being recognised as a Great Place To Work is meaningful because it reflects how our people genuinely feel about our workplace,” she said. “It is rewarding to see the culture we have built around respect, support and growth being recognised, and it encourages us to keep doing better for our people.” 

According to Elewa, that culture is built through team-building activities, skills development, knowledge-sharing sessions, employee recognition and workplace wellness initiatives, all aimed at making the office a home away from home for staff. 

“Our vision is to be Nigeria’s travel management company of choice,” Smith said. “This award is a milestone on that journey, not the destination. We will keep investing in our people, our technology, our partnerships and, above all, the experience we deliver to every client.” 

Corporate organisations and travel agencies can request a free Corporate Travel Audit at  www.bvtng.com. Each submission will receive a callback and a proposal tailored to the organisation’s requirements.