There is need for tourism operators to network and collaborate in order to effectively thrive, Chobe MP, Mr Simasiiku Mapulanga has said.
While he appreciated participation of some citizens in the tourism sector, he said it was critical for them to work closely with well established firms to learn best practices to remain competitive in the industry.
He expressed his views in an interview recently following the official opening of the revamped DumaTau camp operated by Wilderness Safari.
Mr Mapulanga said networking was important in the tourism industry as it allowed businesses to collaborate, share information, access new markets and eventually provide a better overall experience for visitors.
“Tourism is an expensive undertaking hence operators should increase collaboration with their internal and external environment in order to achieve better firm performance,” he added.
Mr Mapulanga was of the view that in order to survive in the market, firms had to establish networks since only collaboration enabled resource exchange and firms’ access to opportunities.
Furthermore, he appreciated that Batswana were capable to run tourism enterprises but pointed that at times, some were faced with limited internal resources.
By networking, he said they could access external resources.
Building strong relationships with other businesses, he said, was advisable as that also allowed for the creation of attractive package deals combining various tourism products, which could be more appealing to customers.
Mr Mapulanga advised locals to exercise patience when met with challenges, especially lack of resources such as fund to expand their businesses.
“Some apply for financial assistance but along the way, their projects end up collapsing because they lacked knowledge and expertise on how to run such businesses,” he said.
He, however, urged them to avoid quitting because to be successful, they needed to be patient and face challenges head on.
On other issues, Mr Mapulanga emphasized the need for employers in the tourism sector to take into consideration issues of staff welfare and safety.
Good employer-employee relations, he said, was paramount as it could lead to increased employee motivation and loyalty and thus contribute to the growth of the business.
He thanked Wilderness Safari for making efforts to address issues of staff welfare and improving working conditions to ensure they survived the environment noting that employees spent most of their time in camps, which were far from their loved ones.
“Most of the workers in the camps are females who have left their children to work in the wilderness and I am impressed to learn that management is considering establishment of a kindergarten in camps to cater for children below the age of compulsory education,” he added.
Furthermore, Mr Mapulanga said employees needed such support because they spent more time in the workplaces detached from their loved ones and could not provide parental guidance and play a role in the upbringing of their children.
He challenged other safari companies to up their game and ensure that they improved the living standards and working conditions of their staff saying there were reports that employees’ relationship with employers was sour.
He stressed the need to thoroughly engage each other and find amicable solutions.
He also called on employees to unionize so that their voice could be heard.
Trade unions, he said, were mandated to discuss, negotiate and protect the interests of their members.
Lastly, Mr Mapulanga said government would revisit some tourism laws and ensure leases were renewed on time so that investors could be at ease to do business.
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