The African Tourism Board (ATB) started as a project for members of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) and is turning out to become the new African Tourism Focus for cooperatives and private-public partnerships in Africa and wherever there are friends of African Tourism. The African Tourism Board is about friendship, peace, education, investment, tourism, and development, but after all, it’s about business under professional leadership.
As of today, the African Tourism Board has 121 members in 32 countries. Among the members are tourism boards, Ministers of Tourism, private stakeholders in the transportation, hospitality, communication, investment section of the tourism industry. In addition, 55 friends of the media joined.
The executive board so far includes 16 members. There are four boards forming this board. It includes a steering committee, a board of sitting ministers of tourism or CEO’s of tourism boards or tourism authorities, a board of private industry leaders, and a board of elders.
This all already happened before an official launch was announced. “Now is the time to get in and guide this initiative into the next PATA of Africa,” says executive board member Juergen Steinmetz, who is also the Chairman of ICTP.
A founding member and first sponsor of ATB is the iFREE Group in Hong Kong, China, a global company pioneering new ways to stay connected in the world of travel and mobile communications. iFREE Group works with leading airlines, hotels, and clubs, as well as credit card, insurance, and payment companies in offering travel products and “roaming-free” telecom services, available to over one billion travelers with an addressable market valued at over US$3 trillion.
The African Tourism Board (ATB) already partners with the World Travel Market and Reed Travel Exhibitions. ATB is planning to have a stand at selected WTM events.
The African Tourism Board supported the recent Tourism Leader event in Ghana and will be supporting the upcoming MICE Master Class in South Africa next month.
For October a MICE roadshow for the Western United States is planned covering San Francisco, Los Angeles, and ending at IMEX America in Las Vegas is in the works for October 2018. IMEX is the largest Meeting and Incentive (MICE) trade show in North America and will provide an excellent vehicle to showcase Africa’s meetings industry.
The African Tourism Board website includes links to tourism information on every African country or territory. An information office, more road shows, and outreach are planned in the United States and Germany next year.
African Tourism Board teamed up with Dr. Peter Tarlow and Tourism & More to conduct Tourism Security and Wellness summits in Africa, including possible training of local tourism police. The first event is scheduled in November in Sierra Leone, pending requests are currently reviewed for Cameroon, Ivory Coast an, Zimbabwe.
Tarlow’s yearly conference in Las Vegas has been receiving world attention.
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ATB is planning educational seminars in Africa, PR and marketing, media outreach, trade show participation, road shows, webinars, and consulting services.
The African Tourism Board provides aligned advocacy, insightful research, and innovative events to its members. In partnership with private- and public-sector members, the African Tourism Board enhances the sustainable growth, value, and quality of travel and tourism to, from, and within Africa.
The Board provides leadership and counsel on an individual and collective basis to its member organizations and is expanding opportunities for marketing, public relations, investments, branding, promoting, and establishing niche markets.
African Tourism Boards is in its second phase and growing fast. Besides reaching out to the various ministries of tourism and tourism boards, the organization is welcoming members from the private industry regardless of size. ATB is looking for leaders throughout the industry, for sponsors and event hosts.
There is no set membership fee, but funding, of course, is essential. ATB realizes the wide spectrum of resources available and not available in Africa.
Any sponsorship at this entry level has the potential to not only make a difference to World Tourism, but also to whatever cause a sponsorship was set.
The official launch is planned later this year. The African Tourism Board will start announcing Board members and founding members soon.
More information: www.africantourismboard.com
or [email protected]
To join ATB, also as a founding member, sponsor or propose to become a board member click here
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