Doing their bit for SA’s image

IT’S repeatedly been said that this country needs more tourists and that we must all be nice to them, from officials at the airport down.

So who are the tourism ambassadors for SA?

Obviously, it’s the people who deal with them daily in hotels, game lodges, guesthouses and B&Bs. The first two have staff trained to be polite and helpful, we hope. The last two play a silent role as real ambassadors for South Africa.

Any reader who runs a small business such as a B&B will know that its growth depends on good service and word-of-mouth.

I have some insight into this from a friend, who runs a small B&B in a platteland town.

He has learnt how much to interact with guests and how much to leave them in peace. Each one is different.

He has learnt the idiosyncrasies and tastes of different nationalities, so no two meals are the same.

People from the Middle East like bread, olives, cheese and fruit for breakfast. So do the French, but they just love fresh, hot bread, so he gets up at 4am to make it. The French eat bread off the tablecloth, not side plates, so there is no offence in crumbs.

Many are happy with bacon and eggs, but the French always cut the fat off bacon, so buy lean. Israelis may say they don’t mind bacon, but many will set it aside under a napkin to be polite. South Africans and Americans like meat in greater volumes than Europeans.

Europeans dislike electric blankets, presumably because they have excellent central heating and do not use them at home. They prefer a heater in the room.

Most foreign guests will leave a room spotless with towels hung back on the rail; South Africans think they have paid for it so some of us leave a post-tsunami wreck.

Then there is the advice that has to be given. Foreign guests may arrive traumatised after hitting a pothole at speed on a country road and having had to change a wheel.

Some have meticulous plans; others want to know what to do in the area. You provide.

There have been men who confide in the intention to propose, so in come the red roses to replace the usual flowers. A birthday always deserves a chocolate cake.

I have told him that much of this is overthe-top but he enjoys it. Yes, it’s about reputation but it also comes from a genuine desire for people to enjoy this country.

I’m sure there are thousands of B&Bs doing the same — unsung heroes in tourism.