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Event Report: CCA AFRICA TRAVEL, TOURISM AND GAMING
TRADE SHOW AND
CONFERENCE
By:
David J. Saunders
The
Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), in collaboration
with the Africa Travel Association (ATA) organized
a unique forum to explore the role of the travel,
tourism and gaming industries in the economic
growth and development of Africa. This
first-of-a-kind event was held at the Atlantic City
Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey from
September 30th through October 2nd, 2002. Other
sponsors included: African Wildlife Foundation; Air
Mauritius; Arter & Hadden, LLP; Casino
Reinvestment Development Authority; Common Market
for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA); Eastman
Kodak Company; Ethiopian Airlines; Mauritius
Tourism Promotion Authority; South African Airways;
Synterra Partners; and the U.S. Commercial
Service.
 According
to Stephen Hayes, President of CCA, "Tourism is
only second to the energy industry as the largest
source of revenue for Africa. The continent
receives over $12 billion annually through tourism.
A successful opening of the U.S. market could
generate another $6 billion in potential revenues.
Over thirty million tourists currently visit the
African continent annually and more are expected.
With the U.S. government providing incentives for
American businesses to invest in Africa, the
conference provides a timely setting to promote
commerce between the U.S. and Africa". Since 1992,
the CCA has been the leading American private
sector organization dedicated to strengthening
trade and investment opportunities between the
United States and Africa. CCA's membership
represents nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private
sector investment in Africa.
This event
was specifically designed for individuals and
companies that are interested in learning more
about the travel, tourism and gaming industry on
the African Continent. The conference enabled
participants to explore opportunities on the
African Continent in the travel, tourism and gaming
industries; identify agents, representatives and
suppliers; explore joint venture partnerships and
strategic alliances; and promote foreign direct
investment in Africa in the gaming and tourism
industries. Representation from the ATA
organization included Mira Berman, ATA Executive
Director; Gaynelle Henderson-Bailey, ATA First Vice
President; Hagos Legesse, ATA Vice President and
Parliamentarian; Helen C. Broadus, ATA Executive
Secretary; David J. Saunders, ATA Board Member;
Marilyn Eugene, ATA Associate Director and Karen
Hoffman, ATA Director of Public Affairs and Press.
ATA President, the Hon. Zakia Hamdani Meghji, MP,
Tanzania Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism
was represented by the Hon. Ambassador Daudi
Makawago, Tanzania's Permanent Representative to
the UN. ATA and several of its members, including
Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopian Hilton, Senegal,
South African Airlines and Tanzania Tourist Board
had booths at the Trade Show.
Representation
from several African Governments included
Ambassador, Embassy of Mauritius, H.E. Usha Jeetah;
Ambassador, Embassy of South Africa, H.E. Sheila
Makate Sisulu; Ambassador, Embassy of Sierra Leone,
H.E. John Ernest Leigh; Hon. Dr. Nandcoomar Bodha,
Minister of Tourism and Leisure, Republic of
Mauritius; and Hon. Bromillow Boma Jack, Minister
of Tourism for the Republic of Nigeria, as well as
several officials of the African nations of Angola,
Benin, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Malawi,
Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South
Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Overall, an
estimated three hundred delegates participated in
this unique trade show and conference on the
travel, tourism and gaming industry of
Africa.
There were
several noteworthy workshops and luncheons with
excellent speakers and presenters who spoke on the
following interesting subjects: ATA and Ethiopian
Airlines sponsored the opening workshop on
"Marketing Business and Leisure Travel to Africa."
Other sessions focused on: Safety, Security and
Cross Border Travel; Economic Opportunities in the
Gaming Industry; Ecotourism: A Practical Approach;
Overview and Perspectives on the Continent of
Africa; Tourism Infrastructure Projects; Tourism as
an Economic Driver; and The Significance of COMESA
Regional Integration on the Travel and Tourism
Industry in Africa. There were also opportunities
for networking and one-on-one interaction with
representatives of the travel, tourism and gaming
industry of Africa as well as a chance to
experience several gaming facilities of Atlantic
City.
In my
opinion, this forum was an excellent initial step
in enhancing the awareness and understanding of the
significance of the travel and tourism industry to
the economic growth and development of the African
Continent. Tourism, including both leisure and
business travel is a vital sector to many African
national economies as well as an important source
of foreign exchange. Recent trends in the travel
and tourism industry for Africa indicate that
potential travelers are becoming more aware of the
wide diversity of people and environments in Africa
which is unequaled in any other location in the
world, from its fantastic wildlife and natural
landscapes to its fascinating and cultural
historical heritage. The major areas of
concentration offering tremendous opportunity for
potential investors in the travel and tourism
industry for Africa are in adventure tourism,
cultural/historical tourism and
ecotourism.
The African
travel, tourism and gaming industry represents a
growing market of 31 million travelers with more
than $12.4 billion in revenues. According to the
1999 World Investment Report, issued by the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development,
tourism ranks third behind telecommunications and
agribusiness industries that received considerable
foreign direct investments in Africa. Consequently,
tourism organizations, tour operators, governments,
hotel groups, airlines and other service-related
providers in Africa are now joining forces to
ensure that Africa is put firmly on the map as one
of the world's premiere travel and tourism
destinations.
Overall,
this conference was a very good effort and I
definitely look forward to the Africa Travel
Association's continued collaboration with the
Corporate Council on Africa in the promotion of
travel and tourism opportunities on the Continent
of Africa. Several upcoming venues that present
such collaboration include the ATA's Sixth
Ecotourism Symposium to be held in Fes, Morocco
December 8-13, 2002 and the ATA's 28th Annual
International Congress that will be held in
Livingstone, Zambia May 11-16, 2003. For more
information about these African travel and
tourism-related events, please contact the ATA
headquarters at 212-447-1926 and checkout the ATA's
Website at www.africa-ata.org.
In addition,
the Corporate Council on Africa will be hosting the
U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Washington, D.C.
June 24-27, 2003. This unique summit is the
premiere gathering on American soil of business and
government leaders from the United States and
Africa who are united for a single purpose: To
enhance trade and investment between the United
States and Africa. This event attracts more than
1,000 African and American government policy
makers, business leaders, cabinet ministers and
entrepreneurs. It is the place for initiating
U.S.-Africa business transactions, influencing
U.S.-Africa policy making and networking with
hundreds of American and African leaders. For more
information about this high-profile trade and
investment-related event, please contact the CCA
headquarters at 202-835-1115 and checkout their
Website at www.africacncl.org.
The ATA
organization is an international, nonprofit,
nonpolitical, professional travel and tourism
organization established in 1975 to promote travel
and tourism opportunities to the Continent of
Africa. Its membership is comprised of African
government tourist offices, international airlines,
hotels and resorts, cruise lines, tour operators,
travel agents, group organizers, tourism educators
and media executives. The ATA is an industry
partner with the Association of Retail Travel
Agents (ARTA) and the "Green Globe" as well as a
member of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) and
the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA). ATA
is a founding member of the International Institute
for Peace Through Tourism's (IIPT) Coalition of
Partners for Peace Through Tourism. The two primary
objectives of the ATA organization are to: (1)
promote the travel and tourism attractions of the
Continent of Africa; and (2) educate all interested
travel agents, meeting and conference planners and
incentive companies about the products and services
offered by the travel and tourism industry of
Africa. ATA publishes the Africa Travel Magazine
and web site www.africa-ata.org. ATA headquarters
are in New York City. Tel: (212) 447-1926; email
africatravelasso@aol.com.
About
the Author: David J. Saunders is the Chief
Executive Office (CEO) of Venue International
Professionals, Inc. (VIP) - a full service travel,
tourism and trade-related consulting company based
in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. He is a
member of the International Board of Directors of
the Africa Travel Association (ATA) and former
President of the ATA's Mid-Atlantic Region. In
1999, he received the ATA's Outstanding Leadership
Award for his exemplary contributions to the
organization. He is also the Director of
Administration and Management Services for the
Constituency for Africa (CFA) &endash; the premiere
advocacy-based non-governmental organization in the
United States focusing on issues and concerns for
the African Continent as well as an Instructor of
International Trade with Howard University's Small
Business Development Center (HUSBDC). He is also a
frequent panelist of many radio, television and
Internet programs focusing on travel and tourism
opportunities to the Continent of Africa as well as
a writer of several trade publications to include
the Africa Travel Magazine, the ATA Website and
Black Meetings and Tourism Magazine. He may be
contacted at vipinc@erols.com.
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