Boomtown up-skill in tourism management

Through the University of Cape Town's, Get Smart Learning Co, Boomtown's Luvuyo Bangazi, Director and Stuart Innell, Brand Strategist, completed an intensive ten week Tourism Management course. The course covered the relationship between government and private enterprise, transportation and accommodation for tourists, the role of travel agents and tour operators, managing a tourism business and tourism marketing. It focused on sustainable and responsible tourism and quality customer service. Both Bangazi and Innell have already played significant and leading roles in the establishment of major regional tourism brands including the Cacadu 7 Wonders and the repositioning of the Eastern Cape to Adventure Province. Though focused on regional tourism, the agency is also responsible for country tourism brands like Namibia and Dubai tourism though it's international links.

"It was great for us to acquire the technical knowhow and gain new and deeper insights into this pivotal economic driver. The course enabled us to refine our skills in order directly impact some of the brands we are working on and increase our effectiveness. Tourism marketing and development has always been a passion for our agency and we look forward to putting our newly acquired understanding of the tourism industry to practical use for our clients," said Luvuyo Bangazi.

The course was designed by Dr Richard George, an authority in tourism management and author of Managing Tourism in SA and Marketing Tourism in South Africa, published by Oxford University Press.

"The fact that the course was designed by an expert in the field who has been consulting to the South African tourism industry role players over the past month adds value and credibility to it. His wealth of knowledge was obvious in the interactive learning methods of the course," added Bangazi.