Pesapal rallies hotel sector to adopt new technologies for post Covid-19 prosperity

Zanzibar’s Minister of Trade and Industrial Development, Mr Omar Said Shaaban (center) listening keenly to Pesapal Tanzania Country Manager Bupe Mwakalundwa (2nd  right) and Pesapal General Manager Emmy Rono (3rd Right)  on how to make cashless transactions using Pesapal payment solutions during the first 'Adapt & Thrive' conference held in Zanzibar. Left is Pesapal Business Development Manager Abdul Hatibu and Zanzibar Business manager Sufii Yusuf.

By A Special Correspondent

 

Pesapal Tanzania held the inaugural hospitality industry engagement forum yesterday in Zanzibar where it called on tourism stakeholders to embrace smart technologies for quick recovery from the ravages of Covid-19 and propel a prosperous sectoral future.

Government ministers who officiated the event commended the company for promoting digitalization in the local hospitality industry and emphasized the need of investing in the security and safety of digital payment platforms.

The regional leading payment services provider organised the meeting in conjunction with Oracle Hospitality with which it partners to offer the local travel and hospitality sectors expertise and tech-based solutions.

Themed "Adapt & Thrive: Harnessing technology in travel and hospitality", the event explored ways in which sectoral players can harness and optimize technology to streamline operations and generate new revenue streams.

Addressing the forum, Pesapal officials challenged the hospitality industry to embrace technology as part of their growth plans and strategy to shake off  the severe consequences of the Covid pandemic.

In his remarks, Zanzibar’s Minister of Trade and Industrial Development, Mr Omar Said Shaaban, said Pesapal’s technological innovations and digital investments are in line with the digitalization agenda of the isles’ government.

Mr Shaaban said they fully support what the company was doing for the hospitality industry technology-wise because it supports the digitalization strategies and vision of the government for the Zanzibar economy, which greatly depends on tourism.

“Technology and hospitality are two sides of the same coin. Tourism stakeholders should embrace digital technologies to be able to cope with innovations in the sector and new demands of the market, which are changing very fast,” he noted.

On his part, the Deputy Minister for Finance and Planning, Mr Ali Suleimani Ameir, challenged technology investors to ensure that their services boost government coffers instead of becoming sources of revenue leakages.

He said both the union and Zanzibar governments have embraced digital finance systems in order to simplify and enhance payments and other transactions in the national economy.

According to him, the Pesapal forum should be used to explore ways to consolidate gains made in the digital payments realm and how to expand the scope of electronic payment platforms in the country.

Pesapal Country Manager Bupe Mwakalunda told the forum that the company has formed strategic partnerships with global players to provide innovative solutions that accelerate the path to value for the hospitality and travel sectors post-pandemic.

"Building technological ecosystems that allow quick innovation, drive profit, and increase efficiency will be a key priority for hospitality to recover from the Covid-19 crisis and achieve digital resiliency," Ms Mwakalenda said.

"To achieve this, we have partnered with Oracle Hospitality to offer tech-based solutions and support flexible infrastructure with numerous integration that delivers consistent and tailored services to players in the hospitality sector,” she added.

The first  ‘Adopt and Thrive’ conference to be held locally brought together leading players in the tourism, travel and hospitality sectors in Tanzania, including hotels, restaurants, entertainment spots, bars and tour operators.

Principally, the one-day gathering shared insights and actionable takeaways as the tourism industry, which suffered the harshest impact of the Covid pandemic, picks momentum locally and across the world.