Konga Travel and Tours, the travel agency arm of Konga, has shared some important tips for pregnant women and intending mothers willing to travel to another country for the purpose of giving birth.
In a knowledge-sharing piece circulated to its customer base, Konga Travel emphasized the importance of women choosing the right time to travel as it is crucial in averting complications in pregnancy which may harm the mother and unborn child. It said that the best time to travel during pregnancy is between week 14 and week 28.
The company made known that the first trimester and the end of the third trimester are associated with problems that a pregnant woman would do well to avoid, hence it not advisable to travel during these periods.
Referencing facts from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Konga Travel said, “Peak pregnancy problems occur in the first and towards the end of the third trimesters. During mid-pregnancy, your energy has returned, morning sickness usually is gone, and it is still easy to get around. Paying attention to the way you feel is the best guide for your activities.”
Why this matters: It is no longer news that thousands of Nigerian women engage in birth tourism for the purpose of either obtaining citizenship for the child in a country with birth-right citizenship or to seek better health care services. Statistics from the Medical Tourism Association show that 23% of pregnant Nigerian women have their children abroad. This has boosted birth tourism into such a big business that rakes up to $28 billion annually.
[READ MORE: Konga’s CEO discloses secrets of firm’s huge growth)
The advice from Konga Travel is important for women who usually engage in birth tourism as well as women whose jobs involve a lot of mobility and who may find themselves having to travel a lot.
About Konga Travel: Konga Travel is Nigeria’s foremost omnichannel travel booking company. The company, which was founded less than two years ago, was recently named the Most Innovative Agency by global airline, Virgin Atlantic.
Within a short space of its existence, the company has grown nearly 25% on a month-on-month basis, acquired all the requisite and major travel certifications and rolled out multiple physical store locations nationwide.
