Beyond the Borders

Published on 31st October 2006

Following his determination to do what he liked best, in his own style, Bob Njuguna, left his previous job as Sales Representative in Silverbird Adventures late last year and established his own tour firm together with Esther Mwangi. Wild World Safaris Ltd, which has been in operation since January this year, has gone beyond Kenya and offers its service in Tanzania. The African Executive talks to Bob Njuguna - the Managing Director.

A.E: Why did you leave Silverbird Adventures

Njuguna: I wanted to go on my own and specialize in tours. Since I had saved enough money, I took up the challenge.

A.E: Tell us about Wild World Safaris Ltd

Njuguna: It is a tour firm. Our activities entail site seeing, mountain climbing, beach holidays, camping safaris, birding safaris, horse riding, and trekking safaris. In Tanzania, our focus is in the Northern circuit where we have Mt. Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro crater, Tarangire, Mt. Meru, Lake Manyara and Serengeti. We also provide hotel bookings and transport services.

A.E: Comment on Tanzania’s business climate 

Njuguna: Well, I would say Kenya is more business friendly than Tanzania. Starting up a firm is too costly in Tanzania. For example, acquiring a license costs approximately US$5,000 per year. One must be fully established to do this. That is why we deal with an agent, who gives us discounted rates. However, in tours and travel, Tanzania has more to offer than Kenya because it hosts Mt. Kilimanjaro, which is the highest Mountain in Africa and the largest unbroken caldera in the world called Ngorongoro. Tanzania’s legislation allows hunting safaris unlike in Kenya where hunting has been prohibited since 1997.

A.E: What is your take on this ban? 

Njuguna: It should be done away with. Hunting can be done with new rules and regulations on animals that can be of other benefits like food in the case of antelopes. This will definitely improve the economy. There is need for determining animals that one can hunt, at a higher cost. However, unregulated hunting can be of much danger as this is what leads to poaching. There is a policy review looking into this.

A.E: How did you identify your Tanzanian agent? 

Njuguna: I worked with him in my previous job. I handled his clients and he handled mine too. Sometime this year, I visited him and worked with him for six days. I realized we had similar activities and he also worked towards offering quality services. We then entered into an agreement. 

A.E: What challenges do you face? 

Njuguna: Competition is stiff from firms that have been in operation for a longer time. Some customers quote low prices for the services offered. We often decline and this saves us from incurring extra expenses and offering poor services. Managing one’s own upcoming firm can be challenging as many mistakes are made. Marketing and advertising can be quite expensive, posing a challenge. 

A.E: How do you outdo your competitors? 

Njuguna:  We deal honestly with our customers, give them the right information and advice them accordingly. There are cases where customers are conned by some firms. The firms quote Five Star hotel prices and take them to Three Star. We do not do that. Tourists visiting Kenya, for example, will most likely have read a lot about the country and Africa in general. To save them from outdated information we always update them and offer the best options. We give personalized services. We pick our customers from the airport, keep communicating with the client and driver when they are on safari and ensure we get feedback from them once their visit is over.

A.E: How is your firm doing so far? 

Njuguna: As every day passes I am attaining my initial objectives of maintaining a good reputation for the company and selling our country. We are getting known and more people are engaging our services.

A.E: How does the tourism industry contribute to the growth of the economy? 

Njuguna: The tourist sector is one of the most important sectors in Kenya’s economy. It provides employment to thousands of people directly and many more indirectly. Other than that, it is the second highest foreign exchange earner after agriculture.

A.E: When are the peak and off peak seasons? 

Njuguna: Peak seasons are in July to October while off peak seasons are from November to June.

A.E: What other activities do you engage in especially in the off peak season? 

Njuguna: We organize trips for local Kenyan and Tanzanian residents, not necessarily safari tours but fun days. However, we get some clients during the low season who like it when there is less congestion in the game drives and hotels. 

A.E: Any comment on the government? 

Njuguna: I must applaud the efforts of the Kenyan government especially when it comes to the tourism sector. It has not only begun repairing roads but also marketed Kenya a lot. We now have more tourists from the Middle East, Japan, and China among others. Security has been beefed up by Tourist Police who visit hotels, get to know the tourists and monitor their movement.  

A.E: What changes would you like to see in the tourism sector?  

Njuguna: Some hotels are poorly maintained and do not meet the required international standards. Some do not have clean beddings, hot showers and quality menu among other essential requirements, but they still charge high prices. I would ask the Kenya Hoteliers Association, Kenya Tourism Board and Kenya Association of Tour Operators to pull up their socks and ensure all those in these industries provide good services. We also need to identify other tourist attractions besides the existing National Parks, Game Reserves and the Beach. This will extend the length of stay of tourists in Kenya.  

A.E: Any other comment on this? 

Njuguna: Yes, we need to develop inland resorts situated close to the national parks and game reserves as this will deal with the problem of congestion being experienced today. For example, look at Lake Nakuru; it has only two lodges which cannot accommodate all our tourists. These are areas Kenyans can invest in. To add on that, hotels and lodges should consider giving fare rates for accommodation to Kenyan residents so as to promote local tourism. In Tanzania, many hotels do not recognize East Africa residents. They should consider having special rates for East Africans just as Kenya has done.

A.E: Why are most tour firms populated by foreigners? 

Njuguna:  Because most of the tourists are from their countries and they have a greater influence on them than Africans

A.E: What is the future of the tourist industry? 

Njuguna: Very bright. I believe by identifying other tourist’s attraction, improving infrastructure and having a peaceful country, we shall attract more tourists and this will have an effect on our economy. 

A.E: What advice would you give upcoming entrepreneurs? 

Njuguna: To be focused, identify themselves from other competitors and deliver what they promised. They ought to learn from past mistakes and never give up.


This article has been read 1,734 times
COMMENTS