South African learning solutions specialist, New Leaf Technologies, is advising hospitality establishments to be at the top of their game, as the country is on the brink of a tourism boom with international travel expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year.

Figures released by Stats SA show that in December, 3.5 million travellers were recorded at the country’s ports of entry and exit. This was significantly higher than the 2.9 million visitors recorded during the corresponding period in 2022.

With a boom imminent, hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses will be racing to prepare for the influx. But with so much competition for bookings, these establishments will need to ensure that the guest experience is unrivalled throughout – from the minute travellers look at their offering to the time they check out.

For this reason, it is imperative that staff are trained to keep up with demand and growth of a tourism business.

“There’s a variety of training that a tourism business needs,” says Michael Hanly, MD of New Leaf Technologies. 

“Typically, this would relate to customer service excellence – training for communication, empathy and problem-solving. There also needs to be cultural awareness training, as there are different cultural cues when it comes to international tourists. Language is one that immediately springs to mind.”

Furthermore, tourism employees need to have detailed information about what their business offers. This can extend to local attractions that staff can recommend to guests.

Where an entity can bolster revenue is through upselling and cross-selling, so employees need to be knowledgeable about every service offered. It is also handy to have connections to tour guides who can show travellers around, Hanly says.

He points out that these days technology plays a significant role in tourism, with guests using online booking systems and apps to browse local attractions and restaurants. Hanly advises that staff need to be knowledgeable with these technologies themselves so they can offer guidance to guests without delay.

eLearning

eLearning is increasingly being leveraged for tourism training as it can be accessed anywhere and at any time by staff. It also offers flexibility to adapt content easily.

One of its biggest benefits is that it can be accessed across multiple business locations. For hotel chains this is a major boon.

While some aspects, such as food and beverage training, will need practical demonstrations, others are ideally suited to eLearning. One example is informational knowledge relating to food safety. Another is train-the-trainer programmes, where participants are taken through a course and then teach others about aspects of the business.

Hanly says short, focused sessions are best suited to tourism as removing employees for days at a time will impact productivity levels. 

“You need to offer staff something you can learn on the fly. A tourism business should offer cross-training, as this helps when demand fluctuates. It’s very hard to onboard employees during peak season, so it’s important that staff can perform multiple roles.

"A food and beverage specialist, for example, should understand the internal booking process and specials, identify upselling opportunities, offer guests guidance on various amenities, and have knowledge about the different business or holiday experiences the organisation has to offer, both internally and regarding nearby attractions."

Hanly says tourism businesses that use eLearning and microlearning should always measure training effectiveness. Clear goals and metrics to gauge the impact of training delivered is crucial if customers are to be kept satisfied.

“If you address these areas, you can create a scalable training programme. But a return on investment must be showcased,” Hanly concludes.