The challenge of rebuilding, resilience in uncertain scenarios.

Tourism Management

The challenge of rebuilding, resilience in uncertain scenarios

The biggest challenge was to be able to support the team emotionally, I am convinced that companies are made by people and that is why so much effort on this issue. The economic factor was very tough, but it was handled with intelligence and decisions always consulted with the Company’s board of directors.

Federico Ochoa

Argentina will open its borders for the first time since the beginning of the Pandemic for tourists from all over the world. For 18 months Socompa, tour operator based in Salta, NW Argentina, was one of the many companies affected by this unprecedented pause. From SocompaLab, we interviewed Federico Ochoa, one of our founders and also Manager of the Socompa Travel Agency, to talk about how the company undertook this process of reconstruction and reinvention during the months of uncertainty, especially for tourism sector.

Federico, an extraordinary multifaceted person, has a degree in Tourism and he is an accredited Adventure Tourism Guide, in addition to his role as the head of the Travel Agency, he is President of ADOPTA (Association of Alternative Tourism Operators and Providers), on the other hand he is also a Professor at the School of Tourism of the Catholic University of Salta (UCASAL). Tourism is clearly his passion.

Could you describe in a sentence why you chose this profession?

I chose my profession when I understood my calling for service and the desire to meet people from other cultures.

What was the biggest challenge you had to face when assuming the Management of Socompa during the Pandemic that affected the tourism sector so much?

The biggest challenge was to be able to support the team emotionally, I am convinced that companies are made by people and that is why so much effort on this issue. The economic factor was very tough, but it was handled with intelligence and decisions always consulted with the Company’s board of directors.

During these difficult months, there has been a lot of talk about the term Resilience. One of the characteristics that have been studied regarding this integrity in the face of adversity is related to the ability to organize strategies and know how to do the most with what is at hand. Does this definition somehow identify your experience, in the procress of rebuilding the Company?

Undoubtedly it was, talking about hard or complicated times in the tourism industry, had to do with an absolute cessation of operations / trips, financial reorganization, and the intermittent opening of certain weeks or seasons in summer, for example, this means that every decision had to be well thought out, we had to act fast, measure and take some risks, while at the same time keep encouraing the team to act that way at that particular time, always giving clear answers to our clients. We managed to get through this hard storm thanks to reconciling opinions with a Board that is always open to listen and act firmly.

What are the moments that you enjoy the most as a Guide? What gives you the most pride and satisfaction on a day-to-day basis?

Being a guide for me means being an ambassador for my place, for my land. When I share time with travelers, I really enjoy the moment that people feel the place, when they interpret the environment and to facilitate that experience fills me with joy. Somehow one fulfills a teaching role and collaborates with the sustainability of the destinations. And because I consider myself “an iron man”, in the sense that I also like driving in the Desert, at the end of a day with several kilometers traveled when we recapitulate the trip with our clients, I always value how important the work of the company team is, from Sales to Logistics and Operations that accompany us with their actions and monitoring, so that we can enjoy not only an amazing experience but a safe one as well.

From your role as President of the Salta Association of Adventure Tourism Providers and Operators (ADOPTA), what do you think should be the priorities for the reactivation of the sector and the boost for the Adventure and Nature Tourism?

Planning and Competitiveness in each of the undertakings, but always articulated with the State, that regulate us and that must give the guarantees of operating with clear and fair regulations for all. All providers and operators that are enduring the shock must be encouraged and supported with even more tax flexibilities and we need to take care of our supply chain. In ADOPTA we have the clarity of being the voice of our sector, as well as good companions for adventure tourism projects to consolidate the offer.