Making memories on the high seas

The face of Lady Victoria Tours, Johanna Tomas, said she got into tourism because she has always wanted to travel the world and see the lovely landscapes of her hometown and the rest of the world.

Tomas, who is the company's operations manager, handles the day-to-day operations on the boat in a professional manner to ensure the highest quality service to their customers.

“This is accomplished through being an excellent team leader," she said.

“What drew me to tourism management is my passion for travel, which allows me to see new places and meet new people while also enhancing my communication skills and capacity to give great service to my potential and current clients,” she said.

She previously worked as a tour consultant with Manketti Tours and Travel.



Unrivalled potential

Tourism, according to Tomas, provides additional job prospects, such as tour guiding, operating, acting as a booking agent, hotel, restaurant personnel and transportation. Tourism has the unrivalled potential to transform the lives of countless Namibians and the country as a whole, she added.

According to an industry overview, tourism is Namibia's fastest growing economic sector, employing over 100 000 people, many of whom come from rural areas. This makes it an important employer that contributes to the reduction of rural poverty. Furthermore, Namibia's tourism sector is one of the most competitive in the world, the report said.

Additionally, it "preserves Namibian culture and heritage while delivering a daring yet uplifting story of Namibia's past and present. As we all know, culture is slowly dying out as a result of global developments".



Worthwhile

Lady Victoria is distinct in that the boat is child-friendly and has a large surface area for customers to wander around, sit, dance and enjoy a thirst-quenching drink while waiting for the in-house chef to cook up a fresh meal.

The company caters to an array of events, including weddings, team-building activities, end-of-year functions, engagement parties and private parties, and it is the only boat cruise in Walvis Bay licenced to accommodate 55 persons.

Tomas admitted that competition in the tourism industry is fierce, but added that in order to survive, you must believe in your own talents, employ individuals with positive attitudes and build a great team.

This personifies the Lady Victoria team, she said.

"I'm not the owner of Lady Victoria Tours; it's owned by a young entrepreneur named Boas Naanda, who named the boat to honour his loving mother."

She added that Naanda excels at creating amazing marketing techniques and that he constantly diversifies and improves his service delivery.

She also values their clientele, as the company's mission is to leave a lasting impact on its customers.



Impact of Covid

The tourism industry was only one of many that felt the impact of Covid-19 in 2020 and beyond. Lady Victoria Tours was one of many that suffered significant losses as a result of the restrictions put in place to mitigate the impact of the virus that transformed the entire globe.

During lockdown, the company was forced to adapt to the pandemic and pivot its existing strategy in order to survive in business. "We advertised and focused on our clients within the country, which allowed most of our local Namibians to join because we had a low charge that was affordable to the local people," Tomas said.

At the moment, they promote abroad through agencies in Germany and China as well as in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, among others.

According to statistics, tourism businesses suffered a 97% drop in demand and a 93% decline in revenue during the pandemic.

Although the loss seems to have been larger for businesses dependent on foreign tourists, local tourism has not been strong enough to offset the losses incurred by almost all businesses.

Tomas believes passionately in the development of the tourism industry, emphasising the critical necessity for government participation to guarantee that the industry reaches its full potential.

"They must encourage tourism since our country relies on domestic tourism to alleviate poverty, build infrastructure, create jobs, and, most importantly, drive economic progress.

"To make a significant contribution to tourism, we must all work together and unite to make Walvis Bay the number-one tourism destination in Namibia," she said.