Rob Hetem has left Tamrich Tours and has decided to focus on T-Cubed Consulting (PTY) Ltd as Director of Business Development.

Hetem is the founding member and owner of T-Cubed Consulting (PTY) Ltd which was founded in 2007. The company is named T-Cubed (T3 or TTT) as an abbreviation of Transformation Through Tourism. “The founding of T-Cubed follows on from and speaks to a vision which I hold for my sphere of influence in tourism since my experiences with SME participation at Indaba just over 10 years ago,” said Hetem.

Hetem has transferred his shares to Madeleine Hetem, his wife and co-founder of Tamrich Tours, “I believe in real transformation and in the power of women to shape and form our society, so transferring my shares to Madeleine was my way of putting my money where my mouth is and supporting 100% “Women power” in her ownership of Tamrich Tours,” he said.

Tamrich Tours afforded him “an excellent platform to build a solid business but also develop relationships and a reputation in a non-traditional market,” said Hetem. Using this, his plans involve creating opportunities for growth and time to nurture projects that he had begun whilst at Tamrich Tours. “My ongoing participation at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai since 2002 and my more recent development of the exhibition platform for South African companies since 2015 and wanting to expand that area is the second major motivator in the decision to provide more focus on the work at T-Cubed,” says Hetem.

Hetem believes in the work that he does regarding transformation. “My work with my 13 mentorships under the SME Market Access program with Satsa and SA Tourism, whilst time consuming, has given me a lot of satisfaction and confidence that my utopic ideas on transformation do have great potential. Whilst I might not be able to help everybody, I have been able to make a difference to a few and I’d like to be able to do more of that.”

When asked what his plans are with T-Cubed, Hetem said he plans on expanding his tourism development work in the Middle East as an opportunity ambassador, by continuing to participate in ATM. Doing this he will continue to introduce more Southern African product and “help to lead the charge in real transformation through my mentorships, supporting the I Do Tourism campaign which I love and exposing more of our youth to the benefits of tourism,” he says.

In the short to medium term his plans include “providing feedback to the National Department of Tourism that will encourage their continued support of the Tourism Incentive Programme (TIP) Market Access program in the Middle East, the continuation of the SME mentorships and the growth of participation for ATM 2018 across Southern Africa,” says Hetem.

“I will work at creating a framework which encourages other stakeholders I work with both locally and internationally to become involved in the development of tourism as a mainstay of the South and Southern African economy.”

In the next five years, Hetem hopes to create a workable blueprint for T-Cubed Consulting’s development in transformation through tourism and grow the Middle East inbound market to the region. He also hopes that future ATM’s will support twice as many participants from the market.