Loxtion Tours founder and creator Gcinokuhle Kenneth Dube, admits that he never imagined that he would one day host tourists or share stories about his Durban home town.
His love for the industry began at a young age and he even chose travel and tourism as a subject while he was a learner at Bonela High School in Cato Manor.
But the 33-year-old admitted that his first love was the arts and he initially thought that he would end up in radio.
“I took tourism basically as a fill-up subject. Tourism was not on my mind. What was in my mind was media and being on TV and particularly on radio,” he told Independent Media Lifestyle.
“So I did dramatic arts, but if you had to dramatic arts, you had to do history and tourism and I fell in love with the subject and what it can do for me, economically.”
Dube’s love for all things tourism saw him open up his own company seven years ago.
As his knowledge of the industry grew, he realised that selling Cato Manor’s rich history and heritage would have a positive impact in his community.
The area, which is located near Durban’s city centre, is known for its turbulent history where forced removals, riots and even assassinations were rife.
Dube describes Cato Manor as Durban’s version of District Six in Cape Town and Joburg’s Sophiatown.
“It came to me that you know what, you live in a community that is so rich in history, yet you have a qualification in tourism, you did study tourism in school so why not? When I started the business, it worked for me, hence I am where I’m at,” said Dube.
Dube will be showcasing alongside Tourism KwaZulu-Natal at this year’s Africa’s Travel Indaba.
The three-day trade show is scheduled to be held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre in Durban from Monday, May 13, to Thursday, May 16.
Dube has also previously showcased at the World Tourism Market (WTM) Africa in Cape Town.
He has attributed his success to these events, which he believes helps him promote his business and informs international visitors about what he does.
“There are a lot of challenges, but one that stands out is the difficulty sometimes in getting jobs,” he admitted.
“Tourism is a white dominated field and it is these trade shows such as WTM that makes us known, because without those programs like Africa’s Travel Indaba, WTM Africa, you are not known. So part of those challenges is that you need to be known, you need to be trusted.”
He added trust is one of the biggest challenges to overcome as this is often the foundation between the foreign investors and tourists who want to work with him.
“Usually, it is white tourism business owners that would actually have this sort of partnership, but having WTM and all these big role players coming into the country and seeing what is unique and what they can sell and they see a person like me, they know that there are Africans doing this,” said Dube.
He also highlighted that these events balance the scales by having tour operators like himself showcasing alongside their white counterparts.
And when it comes to inspiring young South Africans to take up space in the tourism industry, Dube said that one thing he realised as a small business operator is that the tourism business needs perseverance.
He explained that although he started his business started in 2017, it actually took four years for it to grow into the enterprise that it is today, as he provides local and international tourists with safe and reliable tours as a tour operator and a guide.
“One of the things that I’ve mastered in tourism is that you cannot work alone. Tourism is interlinked. You need another person,” he said.
“When I (first) entered the space, I started with nothing, but I started with what I have. I didn’t have money, I didn’t have vehicles, but I worked in terms of partnerships to get access to these (things) for my business.”
He added that he also introduced himself to accredited shuttle owners, hotels and B&B’s in the industry. He then consolidated his packages and would sell them to clients.
Dube believes that by doing this, he came to the realisation that he could be successful.
“You start with what you have and build from that,” he advised.
“Be confident, stand up and know about the industry. What you study in the books in school is a totally new phase (compared to) when you step into the industry.”
“It has its perks, but its a major industry that is here to change South Africa’s economic landscape and you should be part of this. In tourism, you don’t have to necessarily work for someone, you could build your own empire,” he strongly believes.