Mbonde: How young Tanzanians are benefiting from the new tourism boom

Towards the end of 2019, a pandemic of a scale not seen in a long time devastated the world and brought the tourism industry to its knees. Strangely, Tanzania kept its borders open while the rest of the world closed its airspace.

That decision turned out to be a stroke of luck, allowing Tanzania’s tourism sector to recover faster than most countries.

After the dust settled, a growing number of young Tanzanian travel enthusiasts emerged who spent time exploring the country and soon realized that they could use their love of traveling around their country, and that sharing the stories on social media roles could also be a solution. business opportunity.

The tourism businesses catering to tourists coming to Tanzania have traditionally been reserved for large organizations with significant budgets to support their operations, but there is a growing trend of European and American tourists entrusting young Tanzanians as tour guides.

Fascinated with posting engaging videos on social media, tourists are leaning towards more affordable small tour companies rather than the much experienced ones with decades of experience.

Francis Mbonde is a former filmmaker and professional photographer who has built a small but vibrant tour company in Zanzibar over the past two years.

He is determined to grab a piece of the industry that is flourishing thanks to the Tanzanian government’s enthusiastic marketing to the world.

His change of heart to get into tourism came after he got a contract as a photographer for a travel company.

There he learned the ins and outs of the tourism sector; the expeditions he undertook while photographing tourists fascinated him, and he couldn’t resist sharing them on his platforms.

There, his work caught the attention of the online community, and soon people began inquiring about Tanzania and the photos he took.

“Then I thought to myself: if they want to come to Tanzania, I can give them shelter, show them around and make money from it,” he said.

He puts more effort into creating social media content and has an advantage over others as he can multitask as a photographer, graphic designer and editor.

Although other tour operators had more experience than him, his technical knowledge gave him an edge.

The business challenge for youth in Tanzania is obtaining capital for any venture.

Mbonde had to sacrifice weekend parties and save every coin he could earn to secure his start-up capital while remaining focused on setting up his travel agency.

He emphasized that a young person must have discipline and a vision; the drinking binge is temporary, but building a business is your legacy.

The business network he has built up over time has been very helpful to him; he continuously met Zanzibar tourism stakeholders and shared his vision.

“Most young people are afraid to share their vision and plans because they think someone will steal their idea. But on the contrary, you might find a mentor who will guide you,” he said.

Tanzania’s tourism industry has embraced all kinds of investors, both locals and foreigners.

Francis is not worried about the big foreign investors in tourism because he knows his niche and is committed to the consistency that will help this agency grow.

He had to quickly learn how the industry works and prepare for the high season, while also knowing how to survive in the off season.

Being multilingual is an added advantage; a guide needs to know more than just English. He noted that some hotels would only have Italian or Russian guests, and that if they knew how to communicate with them beyond simple greetings, they would be encouraged to recommend your services to others when they get home.

Most of his income is in foreign currency, which is beneficial when he converts forex to the Tanzanian shilling.

However, he insists on developing a culture of saving money because the tourism market is difficult; sometimes you can be without customers for three months.

During this time, he focuses on posting previously recorded videos to drive more traffic to his page. His Instagram page, ‘lubaacris’, has some truly amazing videos and photos.

For a young Tanzanian who left the unemployment line behind and bravely headed to the Spice Islands to take advantage of the tourism boom, Mbonde has done remarkably well in a short time.

At the moment he is focusing on safaris to Serengeti, Mikumi and Selous, as well as excursions to Zanzibar and photography rentals.

His reputation is of the utmost importance in this industry; Being honest and handling people’s money properly can make or break a tour operator in an instant.

“I give my customers three payment options. Sometimes I make them pay online, while in other cases they pay me after they land and we meet in person,” he explained. He further explained that Zanzibar is known for having reliable guides, but it helps clients feel comfortable and at ease.

With the presence of social media review apps like TripAdvisor, word of mouth is everything. Mbonde is extremely careful in his interactions with customers and ensures that he provides them with the best possible service.

He encourages young people to explore the tourism sector as it has huge potential and will grow as the global economy stabilizes and more people have money for holidays.

He said not having a formal study in tourism should not be a deterrent for young people pursuing a career in the field. Crash courses can be helpful, but volunteering with a tour company to get hands-on experience is the fastest way to get started, he said.

“Tanzania has been actively promoting its tourism in the United States, and we are seeing a focus on strengthening diplomatic relations with China, including tourism and culture. It is a safe bet to predict that more Chinese tourists will flock to Zanzibar’s beaches and venture into our national parks. Tanzanian youth have every opportunity to position themselves and directly benefit from God-given natural resources,” he said.

Mbonde hopes that the government will help young Tanzanians get into tourism as a form of self-employment.

He hopes it will be easier to get a permit to operate as a tour guide, especially in Zanzibar where it can be tricky to get one if you’re coming from mainland Tanzania. He urged young people to be courageous in pursuing their goals and advised them to ‘show, don’t tell’.

“Don’t tell people what you’re going to do; just work on your craft, and they will see the results for themselves,” he said.