People are the key to African Sun’s success

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (2010) more than 235 million people are working in and for our sector at present. It is in fact, one of the world's most important sectors generating 9.2% of the world's GDP in 2009. What is more, Travel and Tourism is expected to increase by 4.4% per annum in real terms between 2010 and 2020 which means that it will grow to represent 9.2% of total global employment or 1 in every 10.9 jobs. A pretty compelling argument for the hospitality sector to invest in human capital now!

We at African Sun see this as a clear validation of our strategy of partnering with educational institutions, as well as investing in our own hospitality training schools, to ensure that our people deliver the best service (and thus African Sun experience) possible. Renowned hospitality educator, Dr John Hogan, once said that service is the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life, which means that our employees are – and always will be – the difference between an excellent or poor guest encounter.

Tourism is the fastest growing industry on the planet, and with that rapid growth comes the need for workers at all levels. African Sun believes that it is also a vital enabler for the continent's development. However, in order for it to achieve fruition, sector leaders must invest in skills development so that we can execute on that potential flawlessly. People are the key to African's Sun's success and we are committed to investing in them, just as they invest in us.