Make Mozambique your go-to for millennial staff

With more than 16 years in the MICE business, Dana Tours said Mozambique is becoming even more suitable for the ‘new and now’ Millennial generation.

Lost on which incentive travel destination will motivate your millennial staff the most? Look no further than Mozambique.

With millennials calculated to make up half of the global workforce by next year, as predicted by global management consulting firm Boston Consulting Group, designing incentive travel programmes for the market’s evolving preferences is a smart strategy for any business. “If you are at the helm of planning an annual meeting, a team build or the leisure and business segment of a ‘bleisure’ trip, Mozambique ticks all of the right boxes and is ‘millennial-friendly,” said Natalie Tenzer-Silva, director of Dana Tours based in Mozambique.

“Offering a suitable and fast-developing infrastructure that’s supportive of business travel, Mozambique is also a marine and wilderness wonderland, brimming with meaningful travel experiences.” With a preference for experiences over things, this is precisely what Millennials want when they travel (see Eventbrite’s 2017 Millennial study).

“From the ebb and flow of the culture-rich capital, Maputo, to the shimmering beaches of Pemba and Bazaruto, delegates and dynamic sales teams can take hold of an opportunity to try something new, step out their comfort zone and truly connect with those around them,” Ms Tenzer-Silva said.

It’s more accessible than you think It is time to dispel the rumours that Mozambique is hard to get to and even harder to travel in, says Ms TenzerSilva. “It’s visa-free for South African passport holders, with Vilankulo just a two-hour flight from Johannesburg. To and from Maputo, it’s only one.”

Shuttle and boat transfers will whisk Millennial staff to any part of the country. But, if that sounds like too much hard work or more than you budgeted, Ms Tenzer-Silva suggests staying in the capital. “Maputo is right on the coast and, within a three-to-four-hour scenic drive, Millennials will be wiggling their toes in the powdery white sand and gazing out over the Indian Ocean.” Based in Maputo, Ms Tenzer-Silva and her team speak Portuguese and are on hand to assist visitors with allinclusive services, such as air charters, accommodation, orientation sightseeing, and tailor-made transport services.

It’s everything they could want Mozambique is bursting with activities for millennial teambuilding. They can swim, scuba, snorkel, sail and paddle to their hearts content before flopping on the beach for a dose of sunshine and chillout time. “It’s almost as if Mozambique was made for a true digital detox,” Ms Tenzer-Silva said.

When planning a trip for your company’s millennial staff, she suggests heightening the local focus and upping the level of engagement around food and beverage. “Apart from our beaches, in Mozambique, these elements are the real winner.”

Dana has developed new local experiences for 2019 that specifically encourage immersive incentive travel. The Maputo Art and Culture Tour is ideal for culture-vultures, while the Flavours of Mozambique Food Tour highlights traditional street food, such as Badjia (fried bean dumplings), Matoritor (a coconut sweet), and, of course, that fiery Piri Piri.

Incentive travel with a purpose According to Trekksofts 2019 Travel Trends Report, the UNWTO believes 73 per cent of millennials are willing to pay more for sustainability compared to 51 per cent of baby boomers.

“Ecotourism, a segment of sustainable tourism, has become pivotal for engaging this generation who have a deep interest in their natural environment,” says Ms TenzerSilva. “In Mozambique, it’s easy to tailormake once-in-a-lifetime experiences that focus on contributing to and encouraging impactful conservation principles.

“Many of the lodges and resorts we work with and support, place a high value on marine and wilderness sustainability, and we can steer you in the right direction to meaningful experiences to inspire millennial staff,” she said.

While it is easy to think that Mozambique is all about beach destinations, Gorongosa National Park offers a unique safari experience where visitors become a part of its restoration project. “Gorongosa epitomises what a true conservation comeback really looks like,” Ms Tenzer-Silva, added “and its places like these that can prove highly appealing to millennial staff.” Ultimately, concluded Ms TenzerSilva, the goal of an incentive travel programme is to motivate, recognise and reward workers. “Millennials, however, also want to be engaged, and creating incentive travel opportunities to exciting destinations can prove a smart and sustainable strategy for retaining young talent among your workforce.”

Who is Natalie Tenzer-Silva?

Natalie Tenzer-Silva was born in South Africa and moved to Mozambique in the early 90s where she learned Portuguese. Natalie has worked in the tourism industry since 1994, first managing a large travel agency and then becoming Mozambique’s largest inbound tour operator.