PERSONALITY PROFILE
Level-headed Phelisa Mangcu encompasses a quiet strength Professional Phelisa Mangcu, 53, chief executive officer of Ugu South Coast Tourism, has over 26 years of strong tourism experience, including having worked at Trump International Hotel & Tower in New York.
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er experience encompasses all areas of tourism and business events, from destination management to marketing, development and visitor information service. She joined Ugu South Coast Tourism as chief executive officer in August 2018. Ms Mangcu is passionate about taking the benefits of tourism, directly or indirectly, to all areas in the district. Part of her vision is the visible transformation of the tourism industry and to integrate SMMEs into tourism. Her qualifications include a master’s certificate in destination management from George Washington University and a master of arts degree obtained at the University of the Witwatersrand. Where did you grow up? I was born in Ginsberg Township, King Williams Town, Eastern Cape and I am the second youngest of nine siblings. I obtained my primary education at Brownlee Lower Primary and Charles Morgan Higher Primary School. I obtained my high school education at Thubalethu High School, a boarding school in Fort Beaufort, Eastern Cape. Where did you begin your career? When I registered for my junior degree, I did not know exactly which career path to follow, but I did not want to be a teacher or a nurse. My mother was encouraging me to study social work. I just did not fit into any of those, so I studied a BA as I wanted some time to think about my career. Over time, through studying sociology, it became clear to me that I had a keen interest in economic development/sciences. How did you get involved in tourism? Just after completing my BA degree, I travelled to the United States with my boyfriend (later husband) who was studying there. Through this travel experience I was exposed to the tourism industry. I remember seeing people holding maps in front of their faces, walking around in New York
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and seeing long queues of people at tourist attractions in Washington DC. We would notice kiosks selling maps, beverages and snacks; and I remember analysing this economic value chain, linking everything from how the person arrived, where they slept, ate, how they moved around (transport), visited attractions, etc. My strong interest in tourism began and I never looked anywhere else. In 1995 I enrolled for a master’s certificate in Tourism Destination Management at the George Washington University, where I met Professor Joe Goldblatt, who exposed me to the importance of the business events market in growing tourism in a destination. What was your first tourism position? After completing the programme, I was employed as an assistant (basically an intern) at the Washington DC Office of Tourism and Promotions, a municipal entity tasked to attract tourists to Washington DC. Working with experienced professionals in tourism, I was exposed to the developmental aspect of introducing youth to the tourism industry. Family reunions are an important aspect in African American communities. They become big events. I was also fortunate to work in a programme that was aimed at promoting Washington DC as a family destination, to
attract the African American market to hold their family reunion events there. When did you join Trump International Hotel & Tower? In 1996 I was fortunate to be employed at the newly opened and luxurious Trump International Hotel & Tower in New York. Located at Central Park, the hotel catered for the high-end market. This is where I got to meet many American (including international) celebrities and experienced the importance of service. Servicing the high-end market meant that the hotel was providing personalised service as guests had their own unique requirements. Such service requirements had to be seen to before and after they arrived. I still laugh about some of the strange requests that we had to attend to. One celebrity singer wanted his room heated to a high temperature and darkened before he checked in; another one would not be booked above the fifth floor, while another one wanted his clothes pressed in a specific way. When did you return to South Africa? Back in South Africa in 1999, I joined the Tourism Business Unit at the Industrial Development Corporation as a business analyst where I learned a great deal about www.businesseventsafrica.com
