Loremi Travels' boss learns from COVID-19

BUSINESS | TOURISM 

Gloria Adyero, 26, owns Loremi Travels, a tour and travel agency based in Gulu city.  

She started her company in 2018 with only sh3.5m and has since broken even, though it has been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a business that partly relies on foreign tourists, the company was unable to continue generating revenue when airports were closed as a measure to curb the spread of COVID-19.

In addition, potential local clients were also rendered immobile because everyone was mandated to stay home with restrictions on public and private transport means.

After ease of the lockdown, many potential clients were still reeling from the financial hit of the pandemic as employees lost jobs and businesses had to close.  

Lessons from the lockdown 

According to Adyero, tourists need to travel to destinations where tourism products are, in order to consume them.

"But COVID-19 has interrupted the business and the services we had on offer perished since they could not be stored for future use," she said.

She however, admitted that the pandemic has taught them the importance of having a strong online presence since the tourism industry is an information intensive business.

"We have launched marketing efforts and campaigns on our social media platform to maintain our engagement with customers and to let them know that we are still in operation," she explained. 

She said, "Tourism products cannot be examined prior to their purchase, meaning the sale of tourism products depends on the presentation and interpretation of the products."

Adyero revealed that they have learnt to be more creative with the products and packages they offer so that they stand out to potential clients. 

However, it's not all doom and gloom. Adyero has taken advantage of the lockdown to improve in other areas.  

"I have been increasing my knowledge on the industry, applying for grants and developing new tourism products," she said. 

Genesis of Loremi Travels 

Having graduated from Makerere University Business School in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, Adyero began work as an accountant at a civil society organisation in her home district of Kitgum.

She worked in close proximity to Kidepo Valley National Park, which partly lies in Kitgum. And she realized that there were no active tour and travel companies in the district at the time.   

She seized the opportunity, left her job and began Loremi Tours in January 2018. 

Find out how she has built her business, turning point, achievements and other challenges beyond COVID-19, only in your copy of Pakasa, this Monday.