The Dutchman whose dreams came true in Tanzania

Dar es Salaam. For almost ten years, Mr Denis Glibic was dreaming to work for Kilimanjaro Hotel until the opportunity knocked his door just eight months ago.

Mr Glibic was born in 1983 in the Netherlands but grew up all over the world since he started travelling at an early age when he developed his adoration for the travel industry.

He completed his first degree home but went to Sweden where he acquired a Master’s degree in marketing management from University of Karlskrona with specialisation in International Business and Management.

At his early age he took decisions that changed his life for good after he moved out to live and study in Sweden.

“At the age of 23 again I had permanently moved to Dubai and started my career. Both scenarios took me back to the beginning. I had empty pockets, in fact still in debt of paying university bills, but I knew what the way forward was. So I pushed,” he narrated.

The Dutch holds a position of director of sales and marketing at the hotel managed by Hyatt.

“‘The Kilimanjaro has been on my wish-list for almost a decade,” he says.

Mr Glibic is fluent in Dutch, English, German, Bosnian, basic Arabic, Spanish and now kidogo kidogo (gradually) in Swahili language.

For just eight months he’s been in the country, he thinks Tanzania’s hospitality industry is safe, sound and holds bright future.

“Travel and tourism are among the biggest industries in the world and are growing fast. Tanzania remains a best destination where more and more people are able to travel to. If planes are full, those people need to sleep somewhere. That is usually in hotels,” he stressed. However, he says hat the competition among the hotels is not strong enough basing on their number and way of doing business.

“I’m grateful for having worked for some of the most exclusive brands in our industry before this new post (without naming them) but the competition is tough out there compared to here,” he says.

“My vision is fairly simple, being better in what I do. Hopefully I’ll stay a little longer around Africa. It’s such a beautiful continent. Tanzania tops my preference of countries in Africa to work and live at,” he adds.

He is also persistent to be a better person than he was yesterday in his career.

“The courage comes from my parents who provided me with essential lessons that I will keep for life. Respect, humility, hard work and to take care of people around me,” he notes.

Personal life

Mr Glibic likes travelling, reading and has developed a passion for extraordinary secrets of commercial managements. He believes in his courage and education background to survive in all kinds of struggles be it in his personal or professional life. His greatest motivations and ambitions are to work with his team on a daily basis working on how to impact (positively) lives of the customers and guests.

He strives towards absolute perfection and absolute dedication in what he believes together with his team is a joy.

Kilimanjaro is managed by the US company Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) and is known as Hyatt Regency Dar Es Salaam, The Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

The 180-room hotel is located on Kivukoni Front in the heart of the city. Originally it was built by the government of Tanzanian in 1965. The hotel was purchased by its current owner - ASB Tanzania Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Albwardly Investments - in 2002 and underwent a renovation then officially re-opening in 2005.