Tanzania, a Pandemic & The Importance of a Great DMC Partner
Working with the right DMC is one of the most important decisions a travel professional can make. The Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic that the world is currently experiencing is an excellent, while extreme, example of when having the right DMC is paramount.
On March 5th 2020, I departed for Tanzania to lead an educational trip (FAM trip) with our DMC partner, Leopard Tours. There were 6 of us in total and while we were aware of the virus spreading around the world, the concern at this point was mostly on Asia and later Italy. That all changed for us at 9pm on Sunday, March 15 when we learned that Kenya had decided to close their border. South Africa announcing that they would follow suit a few hours later only highlighted the need for quick decisions and even faster actions.
I have been face to face with a hippo on land in Kenya. I have been robbed on the streets of South America. I have been lost overnight in the woods of grizzly country, Wyoming. This was the scariest travel moment of my life. Not only was I considering the safety and well-being of the other 5 travelers, but my wife was 8 months pregnant at home and already looking after our 2 year old daughter. The weight of the thought of not being with them during this uncertain time was immeasurable.
This is the point where we reach the heroes in the story – Leopard Tours. Around 9:15pm I asked the property (Lake Ndutu Luxury Tented Lodge) to call our driver guides. Within 10 minutes our two guides, Emanuel & Panda, were sitting and speaking with us about our options. When it was decided that we wanted to get out of Tanzania as fast as possible, the guides went into action. Within twenty minutes we had a plan in place and Leopard Tours HQ was already moving forward with it. The guides then took the time to sit with us, share a beer (at our urging), ease our nerves, and explain everything that was going to happen next. They answered all of our questions and never made any of us second guess a thing.
While we slept, the team at Leopard Tours HQ in Arusha was hard at work. By the time we woke, they had already re-booked us on new flights, organized a hotel in Dar es Salaam with dinner and breakfast, and scheduled airport assistance for both Arusha and Dar es Salaam. Emanuel and Panda had arranged delicious boxed lunches from the lodge and knew that they had to get us from Ndutu to Arusha in time for our 1pm flight. This gave us just enough time to stop for a beautiful cheetah sighting on our way out of the bush - a moment of peace and beauty they made sure to give us amidst the fear and sadness.
From the time we left Ndutu to departing Dar es Salaam about 30 hours later, we were assisted by 7 different Leopard Tours staff in full uniform with positive attitudes and big smiles. Everything had gone just as Leopard Tours planned without any added stress for us. We departed without issue and made it home just in time for the world to really shut down.
Doing the big things such as flight changes and last minute hotels both efficiently and accurately is obviously vital in a situation like this. But it is also the small things… When someone had mentioned possibly getting a mask for the flight home, Leopard Tours assisted in arranging 30 free masks for us in Dar es Salaam. There are times when you need the muscle of a DMC, but also attention to the small details of a traveler – a top-tier DMC has both.
We don’t know the where, when or how things can go wrong or change on the spot. However, it is in those times you need to know you have the right partner for you on the ground with your clients. I know that I have that partner in Leopard Tours and forever grateful for that fact.