Passionate Tourism Update reader, Sharon Gilbert-Rivett, responded to our recent article on the “high demand for tourism jobs but skills gaps remain”, saying she is concerned that “the captains of this industry are not getting any younger and that the experience they have amassed over the last 30 years is going to be lost when they eventually retire”.

She said the backbone of the industry in South Africa all came up at the same time, building successful businesses out of an industry that exploded post 1995.

“These are our ‘elders’ – our founding mothers and fathers – and they're not getting any younger,” said Gilbert-Rivett.

She said there seemed to be a sad lack of dedication and commitment to the things they worked so hard to build – professionalism, outstanding service, can-do attitudes, exceptional trade and client relationships.

“Finding those to pass the torch on to is really hard because the work ethic is not the same. Those coming into the industry with tourism qualifications expect to walk straight into top jobs rather than work their way up. Those starting their own businesses expect business to be handed to them rather than having to work hard to get it. Skills count for nothing if there is no real drive to be the best and provide exceptional service to both trade partners and clients.”

She admitted that this might be a generalisation, but that it was also the rule rather than the exception.

“How do we galvanise the aspiring captains of this industry? How do we mentor those who don't believe they need mentorship? Attitude is just as important as skill, as is the drive to excel and be exceptional.

“We need a proper mentorship programme that selects businesses and individuals who really want to understand this industry and all of its nuances and take advantage of the vast well of experience provided by willing mentors who want to ensure their legacy is not lost.”

She went on to say that businesses could outsource social media, website development and tech, which are things that are not absolutely essential for a tourism business to do in-house, but they could not outsource experience.

“And at the end of the day if job seekers don't want to work long hours then they must go somewhere else and stop wasting our time. We didn't build this industry working part-time,” Gilbert-Rivett concluded.