Think you’ve got it bad?

I picked this up on ioltravel: “Consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers in December forecast U.S. demand for hotels in 2009 would fall by 2 percent which, when coupled with an increase in supply, would reduce occupancy levels to 58.6 percent — their lowest since 1971.”

And this from the New York Times: “From the lush Tiger River Valley in the San Diego Zoo to the rocky coast of Maine, the travel industry is having its toughest summer in more than a decade. Travel officials see tourism as a sensitive barometer of consumer confidence and say its decline is an early warning of economic troubles.” (Oh, waidamminnit, that was from the New York Times of August 13, 1990…).

The thing is, we’ve become used to good times, and so many of us complain bitterly when the downturn comes - although that’s exactly when the really good guys float to the top.

Remember Beks Ndlovu? I published an interview I did with him last July (African Tour Operator Beks Ndlovu. Zimbabwean. Human) - and, of all things, Beks is making a go of it in … Zimbabwe.

Yip - Zimbabwe (although his company, African Bush Camps, does operate in other countries, too).

His secret, I think, lies in his attitude - and in diversity. Here’s what he had to say when I mailed him last weekend:

BEKS: With the global crunch, tourism in Africa is an area of concern, and I think the next two months are really going to be the telling times.

Having said that, though, since the new year we’ve been receiving some great enquiries - and it’s only been 2 weeks. So who knows? We are cautious but positive and excited about our new products.

We’ve also been increasing our marketing efforts and spending more resources on our marketing efforts.

ME: How do you go about marketing a destination that’s received such bad press?

BEKS: We have multiple destinations to market - not just our Zimbabwe Camps in Hwange and Mana Pools, but our Botswana Camps and private guided safaris that go all over Africa. So we’re able to achieve great results into the destinations that are selling, at the same time raising tourism awareness in Zimbabwe.

“We rely almost totally on recommendations from loyal agents who love Zimbabwe and are committed to supporting the country’s tourism industry for the future. Tourism is trickling into Zimbabwe, but in tiny drops - but the people who visit Zimbabwe now become great ambassadors for its beauty and wildlife. Our ideas are not based on the principle of heavy discounts or offering cheap and cheerful safaris and holidays, but rather aiming at increasing our levels of service and adding greater value to our existing camps, so that our partners in tourism and their clients get even better value for their money.

ME: What’s the situation with your airlift - how are guests accessing your products? What percentage of guests are African and how many are foreign?

BEKS: In Botswana we have private airstrips in our concession and we also use the airstrips in other parts on private charters or seat-in rates, which make it very affordable. However in Zimbabwe it’s all by private charter and road transfer.

I would say 90% of our guests are foreigners (not African), but we are developing our local and regional markets and trying to find ways to make the camps more affordable for locals.

ME: Please tell me about your new products, and I believe you’re looking at new products for Zimbabwe. Isn’t it strange to be launching new products in the face of such adversity?

BEKS: We opened two new camps last year in Botswana: Khwai Tented Camp on the border of the Moremi Game Reserve, and Saile Tented Camp in the Chobe area on our private concession in the Linyanti.

We are looking at developing two small tented Camps in Zimbabwe over the next 12 months - Kanga Bush Camp at Mana Pools (which is a World Heritage area) and Maronga Bush Camp at Matusadona along Lake Kariba.

Yes it is crazy and yes these new developments in Zimbabwe in these times are going to be a challenge, but these are efforts to get involved and help National Parks and Wildlife to maintain a presence in those remote areas and so help with protection and conservation efforts through local community involvement.

We see this as the perfect opportunity today to start afresh at coming up with the perfect African role model safari camps, which are built and designed with low impact, and operate with the use of the latest available green technology, which will allow us to become one of the world leaders in responsible travel.

This is the only way we can save and conserve these amazing places for the future, and we’re looking to develop these over time in partnership with like-minded people who have a passion for Africa and conserving the wild places with a focus on tomorrow.

ME: What is the humanitarian situation in the regions of Zimbabwe here you operate?

BEKS: It’s quite bleak in most highly populated areas and in some of the rural communities, but it’s been very encouraging to see a lot of NGOs get stuck in and help on the ground. With the recent rise of cholera, the humanitarian groups and NGOs have had more access to communities and have become very active in providing medical services and implementing food programmes with very little interruption from local authorities.

We still have a long ways to go and with a collapse of some of the infrastructure, it will become harder until the economic and political crisis is resolved.

ME: What’s the outlook for the game and wildlife?

BEKS: The private game farms and conservancies that were resettled heavily have taken a huge knock in wildlife numbers and some of the natural forests have been destroyed. The National Parks and Wildlife areas in the control of the state have remained very good and in some cases wildlife numbers increased with the help of conservation groups, private safari operators and donors. However the black rhino and elephant poaching over all remains a concern in the marginal areas where state and private resources are not reaching to render the necessary protection.

The country still has amazing numbers of pure wilderness areas and wildlife and we need to stick around as much as possible to help save them.

ME: Is there hope for Zimbabwe? I assume you must have hope, otherwise you wouldn’t be doing what you are.

BEKS: There is definitely hope. I do not look at myself as only a Zimbabwean or only an African. The Zimbabwe problem is a global one and we all need to play our role in being the custodians of these last remaining wilderness areas, no matter how small or insignificant that role may be, it contributes to the bigger picture.

My hope comes from the historical patterns painted by other countries such as Zambia, Mozambique, Angola and many more, who today are on the path to recovery and have been successful at re-building tourism industries that were completely lost.

ME: What are the lessons for the tourism industries in South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique?

BEKS: The real benefits of the tourism income needs to be more than just lip service. The security of wildlife and the tourism around it, lies in the very communities that have lived alongside these areas for many generations.

ME: And finally - boy or girl? (Beks and his wife, Sophia, had a baby in September)

BEKS: My beautiful baby girl’s name is Zenzele.

ALL OF US: Congratulations to all three of you, Beks, and thanks for inspiring us as you do.

Have a GREAT Tourism Week!
… and here’s a tour of Botswana, courtesy of Goldfish: