Due to Covid-19 most, if not all, of Southern Africa’s economies are poised for a tough five to 10 years due to issues that include economic shrinkage, job losses and declining export earnings.
Interest-bearing loans may be required to stimulate economic recovery, but from a philosophical standpoint are never a good way to spend taxpayer money. Often governments wind up paying more than they can borrow due to penalties incurred over and above the interest and principal lent. When compared to international visitors, domestic tourists have different spending trends and travel times, and prefer different experiences. This means tourism boards and companies need to first understand then implement solutions that are appropriate to the targeted customers.
But how does the industry please its customers’ hearts? First by being inclusive. Recruitment policies that are pro local community should be considered. As a parent, it would be great to be served at a hotel or restaurant where my children work. There’s also a sense of pride that comes with this upliftment, and it encourages a community to also consider patronising areas where they didn't previously spend their money because it seemed like it wasn’t for them.
In addition to recruitment, inclusivity could be extended to create community hangouts and hotspots. For instance, if a hotel or restaurant is close to the local community’s best traditional cuisine cook, why not invite them to cook a dish or two for the hotel’s guests? Not only does this give them an opportunity to experience cooking for a different clientele, it also puts the word out in the local community, which is then more likely to patronise the hotel or restaurant concerned.
Another way to appeal to the heart is through befitting packages. Understanding the family structure of the domestic customer to develop offerings that are built around this construct is central to making tourism offerings more affordable to local tourists. Offers that cover and entice the entire family and not just benefit the organisation are some of the things that need to be considered.
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