Being a frequent flyer and guest at hotels locally, that is; has opened my eyes to how the outside world perceives this beautiful country of ours. During every stay in my favourite hotels, I couldn't help but noticed how our foreign visitors have come to love and appreciate South Africa. They come in their numbers every day, many more returning for more than just once; they've been on our shores and can't get enough of our beautiful SA.
I have always made it my business to ask them how they found their stay in SA, something like for how long they'd been sticking around and number of times they've visited in the past. Now foreign guests are the easiest and simplest of all people, when it comes to getting personal and diplomatic for love of one's country; I've never been turned down once. I have interviewed senoir citizens, middle aged, young people and sports people. Nothing thrills like to hear foreign visitors share their amazing experience within the borders of this country, how they saved their last dime in order to afford a holiday in SA.....that makes you think, wow!
I am people's person, I enjoy interacting with my custormers since my backbone is IT business. I believe in getting to knnow my clients in a real way, in a face to face situation. Many account managers hardly know their customers by face, they rely on impersonal things like email, telephone calls, etc; except in person. Now, customers are human too, they are not just money-popping ATM's operating from some mysterious bank vaults; issuing endless bank notes to some faceless Service Providers. Getting in touch with clients on ground zero, always does the trick...APPRECIATION!!
If I was given the tourism job, for starters, amongst many things I'd do: I would visit key hotels along our coastal lines and give surprise, unscheduled, unanounced visits to our hotels, especially during breakfasts and dinner times. I'd walk in there as a normal human without blue lights and all this uncalled for security around me; all acces granted. The hotel manager will introduce me to the house and, I'll freely move about and greet our guests. This will be like talking to a stranger in a park, no cheap publicity, no TV cams and no extreme escourt. I will do my job with a smile, take time with my distinguished guests who came all the way to grace our shores. Imagine what this would do in the mind of our foreig investors, our guests become our sales personnel; they represent where it'd have been impossible to reach.
Sydney, are you serious? Of course, I am dead serious about this job. I have hundreds new innovative ways I'd employ in order to enhance and advance this amazing portfolio. I'm sure you're not expecting me to reveal all my secrets about tourism, the rest is subject to Government offering me this and throwing me the gauntlet. Minister Martinus, don't quake in your boots, I won't get you fired, we can team up and, am willing to report to you as long as I can realize my KPI in this department.
NB: I am not a cadre and don't subscribe or affiliate to any political party; I know this might derail my dream in terms of cadre deployment. I am only addressing this issue as a loyal country man, who loves every bit of our beautiful South Africa!
I remain optimistic,
SydneyG
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