In this episode of I Am Tourism, host Natalia Rosa sits down with Gillian Saunders, Africa Tourism Adviser to the Tony Blair Institute, for a conversation that travels from five-star hotels in Munich to community conservancies across the continent.

Defying conventional career paths, Gillian shares her remarkable journey from cleaning 17 five-star rooms at the Sheraton Munich to becoming one of Africa’s most respected tourism strategists, currently advising governments in Rwanda, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria, and Zanzibar.

Together they explore Africa’s most pressing tourism challenges – from the disconnect between ‘elite tourism’ and poor communities to frustrating policy barriers hampering growth.

What makes this conversation particularly valuable for industry professionals is Gillian’s candid assessment of what private sector businesses can actually control – from sustainable operations to more meaningful community integration – even when government policies fall short.

Key Takeaways

• Gillian Saunders: “My first job post my degree at nearly twenty-five years old was cleaning seventeen five-star rooms in the Sheraton in Munich. I did it really well – and they noticed.”
• Gillian Saunders: “2010 was a miracle year for us in tourism. It really buoyed us through the global downturn… I believe we should have kept the Commonwealth Games that we gave away.”
• Gillian Saunders: “We have some wonderful examples but not enough – we need to do more to involve our communities to procure, recruit, train.”
• Natalia Rosa: “I always talk about control what you can control. I’m under no illusion that air access or friendly visa regulations are essential – but I can’t control that.”