[Interview] Paul Midy, CEO, Jovago.com
Paul Midy, CEO of Jovago.com, talks on how Jovago.com makes the process of finding and booking hotels in Africa easy and the need to boost the culture of travel within Africa.
His interview with Africa Business Communities:
Can you tell us what it is to be part of a fast growing company like Jovago?
We are very proud for what we have built in two years. Being Africa’s No.1 online hotel booking portal is a great achievement for us. It is exhilarating to watch the company continuously expand and grow across countries and the African continent.
What needs did you identify that motivated the move into an online business like Jovago?
We recognised the need to ease up the process of finding and booking hotels in Africa. There was also a need to boost the culture of travel within Africa. With Jovago, we have managed to create a website that serves as a one-stop solution for customers - they enter the destination, check out our list of hotels and the services they offer, and book them online in few clicks. But we are not only online, we have local offices with a local customer service to support the clients during booking and travel.
What are some challenges that a company like Jovago deals with?
One of the major challenges we face is convincing hotel owners to believe in the power of the internet. Apart from this, since Jovago is steadily expanding we also have to get a good understanding of the specifics of the markets we decide to launch in. To adapt our payment solution, we have provided options for payment on arrival and mobile payment as well as translations of our website in several languages (Yoruba, Ibo, Hausa, Swahili amongst others). This is quite the task as markets differ from state to state and the culture and behaviour of the people has an effect on this.
What do you think about online hotel booking movement in Ghana?
I think there is such a potential for the online hotel booking movement in Ghana. There’s a greater accessibility to internet services which would allow customers get familiar with Jovago. Through our website, we give a lot of visibility and connect hotels to the world, 50 % of hotels have their first online experience with Jovago. Our team in Ghana is also quite solid as they ensure to build the Jovago brand and boost awareness in the minds of potential customers. Ghana is also home to a number of tourist attractions which are not explored enough, we hope that boosting the online hotel movement in Ghana would have a positive effect on Ghana’s tourism.
What makes Jovago different from other hotel booking companies?
Firstly, we are proud that we have Africa’s largest inventory of hotels on our platform. We are not the cliché company that operates away from Africa and based in Europe or America. We have 12 local offices spread across strategic cities in Africa where we can better reach out customers. Since we are passionate about this, we have even made our customer service and website available in several local languages in order to be more inclusive. We also provide different payment options which allow customers book regardless of whether they can pay immediately or not.
What is the criteria for choosing which hotels to work with?
The desire for a larger platform of opportunities is a key element. Jovago basically brings hidden accommodations to the fore through its platform. Another criteria would be good reviews and sufficient star ratings. We aim to connect all the hotels in Africa ranging from 1 to 5 stars, even in the most remote parts of the continent.
It’s barely a year in Ghana, what are the strategic plans and vision you have for your business?
Our vision is to make travel easy and affordable. Jovago plans to improve the number of Ghanaian hotels listed on the inventory. Boosting of the brand in Ghana, host interesting and innovative training with hotels to boost knowledge of the increasing potential of ecommerce in Africa and the importance of customer service amongst others. We also look forward to significant partnerships.
What has the reception been so far?
The reception has been very good, I believe Ghana has been waiting for this time and the people have been waiting for a company to fill the service gap of hotel booking. Ghanaians are quite welcoming of the idea of Jovago. We want to promote the destination in Ghana for Ghanaians but for foreigners as well.
How do you ensure that fair practices are observed between customers and hotels?
Since we plan to have training's aimed at enlightening hotel management and staff, we intend to use this as a tool of education on fair practices. Our team is also available to ensure a flow of information of the ethics of the business to the hotels.
Where do you project Jovago in the next five years to come?
I see Jovago continuously expanding. The opportunity is limitless. We recently launched activities in Bangladesh and Myanmar, I see us launching in more countries and increasing the accessibility to our services.
Africa Business Communities is conducting a series of interviews with CEO's and high-end professionals from Africa. Are you interested in an interview? Please send an email to : linda@africabusinesscommunities.com
