Quality service in tourism brands Botswana � Khama
Boitshepo Majube | Wednesday April 16, 2014 11:18
Speaking last week in Gaborone at a customer care training workshop organised by Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB) in association with Bambino Training College, the minister noted that, “if not curbed, poor service will continue to make our tourism industry to lose a lot in revenue as compared to countries that are making more because of their competitive advantage, due to quality customer service delivery.”
He said it is upon Batswana to build a culture of service excellence. “Quality service creates a conducive and enabling environment for visitors. The experience of each tourist, becomes their interpretation of us as a nation,’ Khama stated.
Khama pointed out that as Batswana we must find it in each one of us to aid this experience so our international tourists can fly our flag high. “Hospitality is a friendly, welcoming behaviour,” he said, further noting that it’s the values that guide our nation that we must uphold with pride.
Khama further noted that quality is key to enhance relaxation, recreation and business, which most visitors are in search of.
“More and more initiatives are required and as people we need to agree to stand by these principles that can do no harm but build us and help us forge forward as an industry,” he said. Both the Global Competitiveness and the Travel and Tourism (T&T) reports last year, ranked Botswana very low in the key indicators that demonstrate the country’s preparedness. Batswana’s attitude towards foreigners, and the degree of Customer Orientation were ranked 103 out of 140 and 120 out of148 countries in the respective rankings.
At the launch the customer training for tourism industry personnel, Khama stated that an analysis carried years back pointed to major gaps in service delivery and other key hospitality competencies.
“These gaps include knowledge about tourism, service attitudes, managing service breakdowns, lack of the right attitudes and skills, and a general lack of capacity to deliver,” he said.