Dar es Salaam, Mei 26, 2017. Kuzidi kuongezeka kwa watumiaji wa intaneti barani Afrika na kufikia zaidi ya milioni 300 ambayo kiuw...
Dar es
Salaam, Mei 26, 2017. Kuzidi kuongezeka kwa watumiaji wa intaneti
barani Afrika na kufikia zaidi ya milioni 300 ambayo kiuwiano kwa ueneaji wake
ni sawa na 27.7% ni ishara nzuri kwa uchocheaji wa ukuaji wa shughuli za utalii
kwa njia ya mtandao.
Hayo
yalibainishwa kupitia ‘Ripoti ya Utalii Afrika kwa mwaka 2017’ iliyowasilishwa
na Jumia Travel
inayojihusisha na huduma za hoteli kwa njia ya mtandao, ambapo inaelezea kuwa
teknolojia na huduma za simu zimeliingizia bara la Afrika mapato ya ndani kwa
6.7% kwa mwaka 2015 (ambazo ni sawa na dola za kimarekani bilioni 150 kwa
thamani ya kiuchumi), na yanatarajiwa kuongezeka kwa zaidi ya dola za
kimarekani bilioni 210 (7.6% ya jumla ya pato la ndani la taifa) kufikia mwaka
2020.
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| Kaimu Meneja Mkuu wa Hoteli Hong Kong inayotumia huduma ya Jumia Travel akiongea na waandishi wa habari Dar es Salaam leo, wakati wa uzinduzi wa ripoti ya utalii Barani Afrika, ambapo idadi ya watumiaji wa huduma ya intaneti kwa Bara hili imefikia milioni 300 ambayo ya kiuwiano kwa ueneji wake ni sawa na asilimia 27.7 ikiashiria uchocheaji wa ukuaji wa shughuli za utalii kwa njia ya mtandao. Kulia ni Meneja Mkazi wa Jumia Travel Fatema Dharsee na Meneja Uhusiano wa Umma wa Kampuni hiyo Geofrey Kijanga. |
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| Meneja Mkazi wa Jumia Travel Fatema Dharsee akifanya uwasilishaji wa ripoti ya utalii Barani Afrika, kwa wana habari Dar es Salaam leo, ambapo idadi ya watumiaji wa huduma ya intaneti kwa Bara hili imefikia milioni 300 ambayo ya kiuwiano kwa ueneji wake ni sawa na asilimia 27.7 ikiashiria uchocheaji wa ukuaji wa shughuli za utalii kwa njia ya mtandao. Kushoto ni Meneja Uhusiano wa Umma wa Kampuni hiyo Geofrey Kijanga, Geofrey Kijanga. |
Akizungumza
na waandishi wa habari wakati wa kuiwasilisha ripoti hiyo, Meneja Mkaazi wa
Jumia Travel nchini Tanzania, Bi. Fatema Dharsee amesisitiza kuwa takwimu hizo
zinaifanya kampuni kuamini kuwa bara la Afrika lina fursa kubwa katika ukuaji
wa sekta ya utalii kwa njia ya mtandao.
“Jumia
Travel inaona kuwa ujio wa intaneti na kupokelewa vizuri na waafrika, ni ishara
nzuri kwamba sekta ya utalii itakua ukizingatia ina mchango mkubwa kwenye
kuchangia pato la taifa. Kwa mfano mpaka kufikia mwishoni wa mwaka 2015, 46% ya
idadi ya waafrika (zaidi ya nusu bilioni ukilinganisha na idadi ya waafrika
wanaofikia takribani bilioni 1.2) walijiunga na huduma za simu. Hii idadi ni ya
kipekee kwani inatarajiwa kufikia milioni 725 mnamo mwaka 2020,” alisema Bi.
Dharsee.
“Hayo
yote kwa kiasi kikubwa yamechochewa na uapatikanaji wa mtandao wa intaneti wa
4G kwa zaidi ya nusu ya nchi za kiafrika, ambapo mpaka kufikia katikati ya
mwaka 2016 takribani nchi 32 zilikuwa zimekwishaunganishwa na mitandao 72 ya
LTE (Long-Term Evolution). Hata hivyo, bado tunajikongoja kwa namna
tulivyopokea mabadiliko hayo ukilinganisha na sehemu zingine duniani ambapo
ueneaji wake kwetu ni sawa na 20% ya idadi ya watu waliofikiwa na mtandao wa
4G,” aliongezea Menaja Mkaazi huyo wa Jumia Travel hapa Tanzania.
Aliendelea
kwa kufafanua zaidi kuwa changamoto kubwa inayolikabili bara la Afrika kwa sasa
hususani kusini mwa jangwa la Sahara ni ukosefu wa ujuzi kwenye masuala ya
kigiditali. Hivyo basi wao wanaona kwamba kuunga mkono jitihada za utoaji elimu
ya kidigitali kwa wadau wa utalii kuna umuhimu mkubwa katika kukuza sekta hiyo
mtandaoni ndani ya bara la Afrika.
Mbali
na uwasilishaji wa ripoti hiyo ya utalii barani Afrika pia kampuni hiyo imesema
kuwa kwa sasa inaendesha kampeni inayolenga kuwakomboa waafrika kusafiri ndani
na nje ya mipaka yao kwa gharama nafuu.
“Kampeni
hii iliyopewa jina la ‘Democratize Travel’ dhumuni letu kubwa ni kuondoa mawazo
yaliyojengeka miongoni mwetu haswa linapokuja suala la mchakato mzima kusafiri
kutoka sehemu moja kwenda nyingine. Hii inamaanisha kupunguza gharama hususani
za malazi, upatikanaji wa taarifa pamoja na kutoa huduma bora kwa kila mtu. Pia
kupitia kampeni hii tunataka kuwaonyesha wateja wetu uzuri uliofichika kuhusu
bara la Afrika kwa kuwapatia suluhu ya mahitaji yao yote pindi wanapotaka
kusafiri kama vile; hatua au mambo ya kuzingatia, malazi, chakula na shughuli za
kufanya mahali waendapo,” alisema Bi. Dharsee.
“Hatutoishia
hapo bali tunataka pia kuondoa mitazamo tofauti ya kwamba sehemu za kutembelea
zilizopo nchi za Magharibi kama vile Ulaya na Marekani au Dubai ni bora zaidi
ya Afrika. Mbali na kuwarahisishia waafrika kusafiri kwenye maeneo waliyopo
lakini pia tunawawezesha kuvuka mipaka kwenda sehemu nyingine duniani. Hapa
msafiri ataweza kulipia gharama za kusafiri, kwa mfano kwenda jijini London
nchini Uingereza, kwa fedha ya nchi yake anayotokea. Hayo yote yanawezekana na
yamerahishwa kwani kupitia mtandao wetu mteja ataweza kukata tiketi ya ndege na
kufanya huduma ya malazi kwa sehemu anayokwenda kwa wakati mmoja,” alihitimisha
Bi. Dharsee.
Kampuni
hiyo imesema mbali na kuelekeza kampeni hiyo kwa wateja wake lakini pia
itawashirikisha hoteli washirika katika kuhakikisha wanawafikia wateja na kukua
kwa haraka zaidi. Hayo wanayahakikisha kupitia kuwatangaza mtandaoni ili kukuza
muonekana na biashara zao, kuwapatia mifumo ya teknolojia inayoendana na soko
la Afrika ili kuwarahishia uendeshaji wa biashara zao kama vile Extranet, SMS au barua pepe pamoja
na kuchochea utoaji na uboreshaji wa huduma bora ili kuwavutia wateja wengi zaidi.
Akizungumzia
namna Jumia Travel inavyorahisisha ufanyikaji wa shughuli za kila siku za
hoteli, Kaimu Meneja Mkuu wa Hong
Kong Hotel ya jijini Dar es Salaam, Bw. Mganja Suleiman amesema
kuwa, “Kujiunga kufanya kazi na mtandao wa Jumia Travel kumetunufaisha kwa
kiasi kikubwa sana ukilinganisha na hapo awali. Kwanza kabisa kujulikana na
kutangazwa ndani na nje ya mipaka ya Tanzania hivyo kutuongezea soko, kama
mjuavyo shughuli za matangazo na kutafuta masoko zinahitaji mfanyabiashara au
kampuni iwe na fedha ya kutosha. Lakini kupitia mtandao huu wateja wanaweza
kujua huduma tulizonazo bila ya hata kuwasiliana nasi moja kwa moja kwani kila
kitu kipo mtandaoni na pia kuacha maoni yao pale wanapovutiwa na namna
walivyohudumiwa au kitu gani cha kuboresha.”
“Kwa
kiasi kikubwa mtandao huu umekuwa ni chachu kwa hoteli yetu kufanya vizuri na
kuendelea kuboresha huduma zetu kwa ubunifu zaidi ili kuweza kumudu suhindani wa
kwenye soko. Pia ningependa kutoa pongezi kwa kutuletea teknolojia mpya na za
kisasa kabisa ambazo zinarahisisha kazi zetu. Kwa mfano mfumo wao wa Extranet
ambao umelenga kuwarahisishia mameneja au wa hoteli au wapokeaji wa maombi ya
huduma kutoka kwa wateja kwa njia ya mtandao popote walipo. Mfumo huu
unapatikana kwenye kompyuta, tabiti na simu pia, hivyo kupunguza lile adha ya
kumlazimu meneja kutoa huduma mpaka awe hotelini. Lakini pia mfumo huu
unatupatia sisi fursa ya kujua aina, idadi na hadhi ya wateja wanaotumia huduma
zetu hivyo kurahisisha kuwafikia na kuwapatia kile wanachokitaka,” alihitimisha
Bw. Suleiman.
Jumia
Travel unveils 2017 Hospitality Report for Africa
Dar
es Salaam, May 26, 2017. Increasing number of internet users across the African
continent which reaches over 300 million, representing a penetration rate of
27%, shows a good sign regarding the growth of e-tourism.
That
has been revealed through the 2017 Hospitality Report for Africa presented by Jumia
Travel,
Africa's No.1 hotel booking website. The report claims that mobile technologies
and services generated 6.7% of GDP in Africa in 2015 (around USD 150
billion of economic value), and is expected to increase to more than USD 210
billion (7.6% of GDP) by 2020.
Speaking
to the press while presenting the report, Jumia Travel Country Manager for
Tanzania, Ms. Fatema Dharsee emphasized the company’s confidence in Africa’s
potential for growth in terms of e-tourism.
“Jumia
Travel sees the invasion of internet among Africans as an opportunity to the
growth of various sectors including tourism, which plays a great role in the
contribution of national GDP to most countries. For instance, by end of 2015, 46%
of the African population (more than half a billion people) subscribed to
mobile services. The number of unique subscribers is estimated to reach 725
million by 2020,“ said Ms. Dharsee.
“All
those have been a result of the extension of the 4G network to more than
half of the African countries, with 72 live LTE (Long-Term Evolution)
networks in 32 countries by mid-2016. However, its adoption still lags behind
the rest of the world with only 20% 4G population coverage,” added the Tanzania
Country Manager .
She
went further to explain that currently, the only challenge facing Africans
especially in Sub-Saharan Africa is the low level of digital skills which slows
the process to mobile internet adoption. As online travel agents, supporting
digital literacy among tourism stakeholders in the continent is therefore an
essential element in promoting e-tourism in Africa.
Currently,
apart from revealing the 2017 Hospitality Report for Africa to Tanzanians,
Jumia Travel is running a campaign dubbed ‘Democratize Travel’ aimed to provide
Africans freedom of travelling within and out of their destinations at
affordable rates.
“Our
main focus is to break travel barriers including lowering costs especially for
accommodation, access to information and better quality services to everyone.
Also, through this campaign we want to showcase and expose the hidden beauty of
the African continent as well as provide solutions to all needs for our
customers such as the procedures, accommodation, food and activities to go
where they want to go,” said Ms. Dharsee.
“The
campaign also wants to change the attitude that destinations in Western world
(Europe and America) and Dubai are better than Africa. Apart from facilitating
Africans with easy accommodation and travel services within their boundaries,
we are going also to open-up the outbound destinations to them. In this case a
traveler will be able to book and pay for his/her flight ticket, for example
from Dar es Salaam to London, via local currency. All those are possible with
our website whereby a travel can book a hotel and flight
ticket
at the same time without a hustle of searching from one company’s website to another,”
added the company’s Country Manager.
However,
the campaign will not only benefit customers but also hoteliers as well through
the visibility of their hotels which they are going to receive to enhance
business growth. Hoteliers will be benefited from the massive visibility
through the company’s website and social media platforms, provide them with
technology to simplify operation of their businesses such as Extranet, SMS/Emails as well as
encouraging provision and improvement of quality services to obtain better
review scores.
Explaining
on how Jumia Travel facilitates easy operations of hotels, a Deputy General
Manager of Hong
Kong Hotel of
Dar es Salaam city center, Mr. Mganja Suleiman said that, “Joining Jumia Travel
has benefited our hotel a lot. First of all, the marketing and visibility
activities of our property has increased within and outside the boundaries of
Tanzania. Hence, increased coverage of our services as you all know, marketing
and advertising need a substantial capital in terms of execution which I am
quite sure a few hotels can manage that. Apart from that, through their website
our customers can visit, browse and book rooms without contacting us directly
as well as leaving comments and reviews on our services.”
“To
a greater extent this online platform has been a pushing force for us to keep
on providing quality services and keep on doing regular improvements so as to
stay competitive. All in all, I would like to also commend on the good job they
are doing especially by introducing to us technologies which help in
facilitating easy operations of our hotel. For instance, Jumia Travel’s
Extranet plays a great role in simplifying hotel or reservation managers to
receive bookings wherever and whenever they are. This system is not only
accessed through our computers but also on tablets and smartphones. Now I don’t
need to be at the front desk at the hotel to receive customers’ bookings, I can
do that right here via my phone. Lastly but not least, this system provides us
an opportunity to review the number and type of customers who regularly use our
services, hence to know what and where to improve our services so as to meet
their expectations,” concluded the Deputy General Manager of Hong Kong Hotel.
Below is the link for 2017 HOSPITALITY REPORT
COMMENTS