References

Thompsons Africa has enjoyed a very beneficial relationship with David Frost over the past nine years. David was called in to consult on evolving the sales drive globally in 2003 and from the first project we have seen results. His style of positive and knowledgeable intervention is powerful and effective. My staff have all enjoyed working with David very much and have grown their capabilities as a result. David has an intuitive knowledge of tourism, not only within the Southern African context, but globally as well. He is able to understand the forces that bring people together and what makes the sale.
Linda Pampallis, CEO - Thompsons Africa

I can recommend David Frost to any company or organisation that needs an effective and sustainable sales and marketing program that will deliver meaningful results - especially during these hard times. David has many years of experience in developing successful sales strategies for small, medium and large companies and organisations and can transform your tourism enterprise.
Colin Bell, CEO, founder and former CEO Wilderness Safaris / former CEO The Great Plains Safari Company

On behalf of ILIOS Travel I would like to thank and commend you on the services, advice and guidance you have provided me with over the past six years. Our engagement on both a formal and informal basis has had a profound impact on the growth and success of ILIOS Travel as well as my personal growth as an entrepreneur. Your assistance has spanned across all areas of the business, including but not limited to, business strategy and growth, marketing and sales strategy, and product development. The fact that we have turned an unprofitable business into a profitable one is testimony to your exceptional skills, insight, perceptiveness and straight-talk. I look forward to many more years of service from the Tourism Strategy Company and reaping from your outstanding knowledge and experience.
Mohamed Baba, Managing Director - Ilios Travel

David's guidance helped us tremendously during our sessions with him. The whole market mapping concept is so obvious, yet we tend as hospitality companies look in the wrong places. This concept has changed the way we think and has helped us to be a lot more strategic in our day to day planning . It has taught us to fish where the fish are as opposed to throwing all our lines in the water and hoping the fish are going to swim by.
Neil Markovitz, CEO - Newmark Hotel Group

Through David's rigorous analysis and observations we were able to gain valuable and practical insights into key markets and consumer patterns that enabled us to develop appropriate strategies for our business.
Monwabisi Fandeso, CEO - Thebe Tourism Group

Having made an invaluble contribution towards building Namibia Tourism Board's institutional capacity during its foundation stage for the period April 2003 to October 2005. Your strong interest and love for tourism development in Africa have been evident through your dedication, commitment and professional service. In your role as NTB Strategic Executive for Sales and Marketing, you helped lay a solid foundation in the formulation and implementation of the Namibia Tourism Growth Strategy, enabling Namibia to become an aggressive player and reposition itself successfully in key global markets. Through your constructive involvement and advice, Namibia Tourism Board restructured its entire organisation successfully into a lean and focused institution with a vision to make tourism the number one job creator in Namibia. Through your relentless efforts, bridges have been built between the public and private sector tourism industry, enhancing co-operation and synergies to the benefit of our motherland.
Gideon Shilongo, CEO - Namibia Tourism Board

David Frost is the most professional, intelligent and capable person with whom I have ever worked. I am absolutely aware of David's knowledge of markets, strategy for increasing profits, industry requirements, assessment of strengths and weaknesses of products, and his uncanny 6th sense about what sells and what doesn't. He knows how to package products with an eye for value for money. He has the ability to focus on quality issues and knows how to match the expectations of the marketplace. His advice is informed, not emotional. His personal strength inspires people to follow his lead. His ego doesn't override his need to 'do the right thing.' I've worked with many male executives in my career and find this latter talent, a rare trait.
David and I worked closely together when he was the Strategic Executive for Sales and Marketing at the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) in developing our country's national marketing strategy. David educated an entire tourism public and private sector in Namibia on what tourism marketing should yield, could yield and then how to manage that yield. This is a remarkable feat that probably will never be repeated in Namibia. He single-handedly introduced the private sector to updated marketing strategies and tactics. He literally 'taught' many of my members how to invest their marketing dollars smartly and increase exposure. His work with the NTB was instrumental in the rise of this Government agency to the pivotal role as the driver for the growth and development of the Namibian travel and tourism industry.
David Frost's tourism marketing plan for the Republic of Namibia has succeeded in spite of the low budget allocation from the Government for the NTB. One major success is that David taught us about the concept of 'evening out' Seasonality. When David's plan was put to work in 2004, Namibia's peak tourism season was roughly July - September. After the implementation of the plan, our peak season in 2007 has spread to end of May - end of November, with some of my operators expressing exhausted surprise at occupancies and bookings during the usual low season months of December - April (when they used to close their lodges to go fishing in Cape Town!) David showed us how to do it and with the NTB, we executed his plan. My members are smiling all the way to the bank.
In recent years, David and I have worked together as he consulted with the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and they assisted Namibia in developing our Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) showing that travel and tourism generated over R5.2 billion for the Namibian economy with nearly 72,000 jobs generated by the tourism economy. David convinced us of the importance in pursuing a TSA for Namibia; we took his advice and have used the TSA as lobbying ammunition to leverage increased Government investment in the sector. He leads by example and with conviction. Personally, I look forward to a time in the future when I would have the pleasure of working with David again.
Jackie Asheeke, CEO - Federation of Namibian Tourism Associations (FENATA)

David Frost worked for the Namibian Tourism Board and was a major driving force in gaining market share for the country using innovative and collabrative marketing strategies. From a private sector perspective he was able to grow the national tourism pie, which added value to all lodges and tour operators.
Dave Van Smeerdijk, Sales & Marketing Director - Wilderness Safaris

The Tourism Strategy Company was contracted by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of the Republic of Namibia to develop a National Tourism Growth and Development Strategy for Namibia. The final output was a commendable forward looking and implementable strategy. I have no hesitation in recommending the Tourism Strategy Company for tasks within their field of competence; I have found the team to be very accommodative and responsive to the needs and guidance of government in the interest of ensuring that the process and protocols to reaching the Strategy were mutually supportive and balanced. This allowed for open constructive dialogue and excellent working relationship.
Sem Shikongo, Director Tourism - Ministry of Environment and Tourism of the Republic of Namibia

David's expertise is giving the direction and guidance of where to focus Ð and not a generic user manual for instant success. This empowers those responsible to still do the legwork, but legwork specific to the needs of the company, and the direction it needs to follow. His impressive tourism background provides for a functional platform from which to broaden the sales and marketing strategy.
Russel Binks, Former Director - Pezula Resort Hotel and currently CEO - Tswalu Game Reserve