Industry stalwart Caroline Ungersbock, has relinquished her role as president of the National Accommodation Association of South Africa (NAA-SA), a position she has held since May 2011. “It is the right time to re-focus my energy and role in the industry on the broader sustainability of small tourism businesses and the critical part they have in the growth and development of the industry”, commented Caroline. Caroline will continue to make a significant impact by being an active member in as many as thirteen forums, doing what she does best: speaking up for small business.
In her capacity as the president of the NAA-SA, Caroline represented the association on the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) CEOs Forum. As a result of her passion for sustainability and her determination to raise awareness of the crucial role of small business in the industry, she became an active committee member in more than thirteen forums, most notably – the Tourism Grading Council’s Awards Committee; National Tourism Sector Strategy – Growth and Development (Chair); Karoo Development Forum, Service Excellence Forum, Universal Access Forum and the BRICS Business Forum.
Caroline also co-founded the Sustainable Tourism Partnership Programme (STPP) with Niki Glen in December 2012, as a measure to ensure that all small tourism businesses in South Africa can benefit from the value and insights created from their activities. The STPP has gained good momentum in its first year of operation, and is climbing to new heights through the appointment of Heidi van der Watt to its board (read more Heidi’s appointment here). “As a collective we believe in collaboration, information gathering and developing insights. We also share what we have with as many stakeholders as possible, and as a result we now have a more aware and empowered small tourism sector than ever before”, says Caroline.
