THE GUARDIAN, Sunday April 28, 2013
SUNDAYMAGAZINE 19
SPOTLIGHT
Fehintola And Her Love For Travellers
OLULANA Fehintola Olulana loves making people comfortable and happy. She felt helping them solve their travel and tour problems is one key area to show this. Since embarking on this venture, the CEO of Fentinee Tours located in Festac, has ensured that her clientele, which cuts across all strata of the society, are being accorded top-notch professional services. The versatile corporate woman is also an actress and a writer. She recently went down memory lane with GERALDINE AKUTU to narrate the genesis of it all. OING into the travel and tour business was not a bed of roses for Fehintola but it has been worth her while. Her passion and concern for people’s welfare, especially when they are away from home, has enabled her weather the storm when the going got tough. Her many clients are thanking her for the professional services she offers, which always make their travels memorable. She is particularly happy the outfit is achieving the goal for which it was started. Of the company, which opened shop to clients in 2006, she says: “Fentinee Tours is a destination management company (DMC) that specialises in the planning and management of holidays and destination events be they corporate or social. We do worldwide hotel reservations, tours and logistics. We look at our clients’ needs and make sure we give them the best service.” Fehintola did not actually set out to go into the travel and tour business. In the beginning, she was only a wedding planner but along the line, she noticed that clients were always eager to sound her out on their honeymoon ideas and
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were quick to buy whatever solutions she proffered. She soon found herself having to also plan their honeymoon alongside the wedding. Since she discovered she greatly enjoyed planning such holidays, it was not long before it dawned on her she was cut out for it. Shortly after, Fentinee Tours was born. And ever since, she has not looked back. Although she has found her footing in the industry and loves what she does, she acknowledges it can be quite challenging. Over the years, however, she has been able to develop unique ways to cater to the taste of the different categories of customers that patronise her. “We work within the client’s budget because they cut across different age and class. Anyone that travels or plans to travel is a potential client. We serve individuals and corporate bodies alike. We also organise individual and group travels, offering regular and luxury travels as well,” she says. Tracing the probable source of her love for this line of business, Fehintola links it to her closeness with her father, who used to regale her with stories of different places and peoples as a child. “My dad was fascinated with different places and was always telling me of the cultures of such places. I guess I caught on to his fascination. I love places and I’m fascinated by different peoples and their cultures,” she says. With her experiences on the business over the years, what does she consider as factors threatening the development of tourism in Nigeria? “The problem facing tourism is the same as is being experienced in other sectors of the economy. This is primarily lack of development.We have a lot of tourist attractions but some have not been developed to international standards. Others are not being well managed. Some have been abandoned altogether and this is not good at
all. “Security is another major threat to tourism in Nigeria. People won’t go where their safety cannot be guaranteed,” she says. Towards developing the tourism sector to the level where international tourists are attracted, she suggests that all the natural reserves and tourist sites such as Osogbo, Idanre, Ikogosi, Abeokuta and Yankari among others should be upgraded. “Some of these palces do not even have a website where potential tourists can get information. How can people know what we have to offer when there is no information,” she queries. Building and rehabilitating major roads leading to these sites is another solution to the problem. “When you consider the strenuous journey to get to Osun Osogbo or Ikogosi Warm Springs for instance, and the possible hazards on the way, you will give up on the idea of taking foreigners to such places. The government needs to pay more attention to the tourism sector. “People all over the world love to travel. And there is a general interest in other cultures. Tourism can fetch us huge revenue if only we take time to develop that sector,” she says. Over time, Fehintola has dabbled into other areas of endeavour. She has featured in movies such as Choices, Tango with me and the Tango soap opera among others. She has laso attended trade conferences in Dubai and France. Recently, she undertook a course in film making at the New York Film Academy in the United States. What prompted this? “As a little giirl, I was fascinated by the TV and I decided I would like to be on TV someday. I started acting in school plays and I absolutely loved it. I wanted to study Theatre Arts in the university but my dad wouldn’t hear of it. So, I left it, knowing I will revisit it at some time in the future,” she says. For women wanting to establish their own business, Fehintola says it is a good idea but that they should do their home work thoroughly before venturing into it. “Women are very thorough and meticulous in whatever they do. Whatever women do, they try to do it well. So, they should be encouraged to bring out their talents and put such to good use,” she says. For women to be able to hold their own and stand out in wahtever they do, she urges them ‘to rid their minds of the notion that they are second class citizens’. “I see a lot of women who have already placed limits on themselves and what they can achieve because of their gender. Being a woman is not and should not be a disadvantage, though the society attempts to tell us otherwise. We need to be passionate about what we do and get the required training so as to excel in our area of business.” To her, the first step towards achieving succeess in any endeavour is in identifying in what area one’s passion lies. “I have found that it is easier for people to excel when they love what they do. If the individual enjoys what s/he does, it will be easy to do it and even make money in the process. Thank the Lord the days are over when you had to be a doctor or lawyer or an accountant to make it. These days, people make money from almost anything. However, education shouldn’t be taken for granted. People need to learn to be the best at what they do because anything worth doing at all is worth doing well.” She has developed her philosophy along this line, too, as she says: “I have learnt that nobody owes you anything. So, you shouldn’t expect anything from anybody. And if anyone does something for you, it is a privilege and not a right. “I have also learnt that life is not always about what you can get, sometimes, it is about what you can give. I’ve learnt that relationships are valuable because no man is an island. So, I always try to make friends and not enemies. And while it is not possible to please everybody every time, it is important to have a check and balance to be sure you are on the right track.” She is convinced her personality was moulded by her strict parents who ensured their children imbibed all necessary values for a good life. “Growing up was fun for me. Being the first girl after three boys, I was practically a boy because I played a lot with my brothers. My strict parents ensured that we went to school and brought us up to be together as a family,” she reminisces. The fourth but first girl of five children, Fehintola attended Federal Government College, Ogbomoso in Oyo State for her secondary education and then proceeded to the Lagos State University for a degree in Philosophy. She also holds a diploma in French Language from Alliance Francaise, Lagos. For leisure, she says: “I have always found ways to relax. Time for relaxation is as important as time for work because relaxation is key to good health. That’s part of the message we preach at Fentinee Tours.”
I have found that it is easier for people to excel when they love what they do. If the individual enjoys what s/he does, it will be easy to do it and even make money in the process. Thank the Lord the days are over when you had to be a doctor or a lawyer or an accountant to make it. These days, people make money from almost anything. However, education shouldn’t be taken for granted. People need to learn to be the best at what they do.