Premier Attractions

Frank knows the tourism industry inside out. He’s worked in tourism for well over a decade, as a tour guide, travel agent, logistics consultant and all-round Mr Fixit. He knows the inbound foreign market as well as he knows the domestic market.

The owner of Premier Attractions travel and tours, 43-year-old Frank is based in Cape Town but regularly crosses the length and breadth of South Africa, sharing with visitors a country he is obviously passionate about. “We have an incredible product in South Africa; one of the best in the world,” says Frank. “We have amazing natural beauty and fascinating people.

“One of the selling points of Premier Attractions is that we believe it’s the people who represent the country. Without the people, we wouldn’t have the country, so we always try to let our guests experience the culture of the communities they’re visiting. For instance, if they wish, we don’t just take them to a Malay restaurant but we give them the opportunity to meet a Malay family in their home, maybe help them cook a meal, get to know who these people really are.”

At his offices in Woodstock, Frank employs three people full-time and uses a wide network of freelance guides and drivers. He believes that tourism is about empowering not just the few but spreading the benefits as widely as possible. “We identify people in the community who need work; we train them to become drivers and many of them go on to become guides. Several of the people we’ve brought into the business have gone on to work overseas.”

The Fifa football World Cup in 2010 is, Frank believes, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put South African even more firmly on the world travel map. “Technologically and in terms of other infrastructure, this country has come a very long way in recent years. We have everything in place for a great 2010. I believe we are going to make it work, that hundreds of thousands of people are going to visit South Africa and be amazed. As a country, we’re going to move forward after the World Cup. We’re going to be proud of our World Cup. I feel proud to be a South African, and proud to be a businessman in this country.”

Eight or nine million tourist arrivals is a fair achievement but, Frank believes that what South Africa has to offer is so attractive that it should be rivalling the numbers attracted by countries  such as France and Australia. “With the right marketing, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be aiming for 30, 40 million. Even more.”

As much he is focused on the foreign market, Frank reckons that domestic tourism has enormous scope. “Local people are only now starting to experience what their country has to offer them. There are millions of people who have never done the Garden Route, or Kruger. The middle class is growing all the time. Already it’s 26 to 36% of the population. This is a huge market.”

If South Africa is to meet its full potential, says Frank, the local tourism industry needs to move out of its comfort zone. “Everyone, restaurants and hotels included, need to lift their standards. We’ve got all the attractions; we need to make sure that every aspect of our service is prompt and professional.”

Frank’s own focus on quality led him to TEP which has helped him not only with brochures and marketing strategies but in “training me as a person. Most of the training has been in tourism management, skills which you have to have. They’ve also trained my staff to be as good as they can.”