African David J.
Saunders How
influential |
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David J. Saunders (Part Two)
First and foremost, with the unprecedented passage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), African-Americans have a tremendous opportunity to take advantage of the positive trends of America's commitment to assist African countries to continue to successfully matriculate into the emerging global marketplace by generating economic opportunities through expanded trade and investment initiatives. AGOA will hopefully remove barriers to free trade and economic opportunity for Africans working hard to catch up to the global economy and for African-Americans who want to work with them. African-Americans must also realize that sub-Saharan Africa represents a very promising economic region of the world in which they can have a strategic marketing advantage. Specifically, this historic piece of legislation should be targeted by the travel and tourism industry with direct involvement and participation by more African-Americans. According to
recent travel and tourism industry trends a new traveler to
the Continent of Africa is emerging -- as a more culturally
focused tourist -- one who uses their vacation to reflect
upon the awareness of the environment, an interest in
spiritual exploration and a commitment to social values
through their participation in the African experience." Attractions
aplenty Ecotourism and the
Great Outdoors This commitment goes beyond wildlife conservation and considers the needs of the national economies, the local inhabitants and the delicate natural environment of major areas within the African Continent. Ecotourism seeks to support this balance by working responsibly with African ministries of Tourism, tour operators and community-based initiatives that direct activities towards a constructive use of ecosystems and wilderness areas. Classic examples of this range from the wildlife conservation programs of the world famous Serengeti in East Africa, to the Okavango Delta in Botswana, to the isolated and unique ecosystem of Madagascar. Birthplace of
Mankind What is Cultural
Tourism? A Land of
Opportunity The power of tourism to bridge both the cultural and economic gap between Africans and African-Americans in my opinion is where African-Americans can have the most impact. Given the diversity of tourism attractions and the progressive investment policies being channeled in this lucrative industry by the African nations, the future of the travel and tourism industry for the African Continent looks very promising. While there are many challenges, ahead, those who invest early and wisely will ultimately reap the benefits for themselves and for Africa as a whole.
To learn more about the Africa Travel Association, write to its headquarters office at 347 Fifth Avenue, Suite 610, New York 10016. Telephone Number (212) 447-1926 and Fax Number (212) 725-8253.
The following is an
earlier article by Mr. Saunders on the same topic, however
he makes some different points. During my travels in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda I had the opportunity to hold conversations with, and make numerous observations of several African Tour operators and merchants, who depend on the travel and tourism industry to sustain their fragile economies. Through the sharing of their many experiences and expectations I began to truly understand the necessity for African-Americans to reach out and connect with our fellow African brothers and sisters. "According to
recent travel and tourism industry trends a new traveler to
the Continent of Africa is emerging -- as a more culturally
focused tourist -- one who uses their vacation to reflect
upon the awareness of the environment, an interest in
spiritual exploration and a commitment to social values
through their participation in the African experience." It should also be no surprise to anyone that President Clinton's historic trip to the Continent of Africa has spurred a renewed interest in tourism and trade opportunities for Africa. President Clinton's visit to Africa sent a strong message to everyone willing to listen that Africa is not a continent of despair, but one of hope and opportunity. His trip highlighted Africa's new reality - its growth potential, the increasing but cautious experiments with democracy, and the aspirations of its people to form new partnerships with Americans. African-Americans have always attempted to nurture a relationship with several African nations but have had to continuously adjust their participation and involvement in order to adjust to the changing times in America's interest on the Continent of Africa. More significantly, the travel and tourism industry offers many African-Americans a unique opportunity to leap ahead of the American mindset about doing business with Africa. As we approach the next millennium, I truly believe that this is the best time in the history of the travel and tourism industry to market African destinations to the African-American tourist marketplace.
Now more than ever before, one's vacation dream of making that lifelong "Journey to the Motherland " is more realistic than ever before. Consequently, the time to travel to the Continent of Africa for pleasure or for business is now ! According to the World Tourism Organization, Africa registered the highest growth rate of tourists arrivals in all global regions, boosted by the buoyant results of both southern and northern Africa. Moreover, in Africa, international tourism has continued to perform well in 1997 with an overall increase in arrivals of 9.2 percent to more than 23 million, whereas receipts showed more modest results with an increase of only 4.5 percent to US$ 8.7 billion, reflecting to a larger extent a setback in high yield European source markets. Nevertheless, African travelers are becoming more sophisticated than ever before and want to experience the myriad of authentic venues on the Continent of Africa with an ever-increasing opportunity to interact with the local people. We, as African-American travel professionals, must therefore seize upon this opportunity in order to help many more African-Americans bring home something more than just souvenirs&emdash; perhaps a changed perception of one's self and more importantly the potential to contribute to the economic vitality of Africa through their very own travel and tourism experiences. "For many future travelers to the Continent of Africa, the journey itself will be their overall goal and not just the selected destination. " According to recent travel and tourism industry trends a new traveler to the Continent of Africa is emerging -- as a more culturally focused tourist -- one who uses their vacation to reflect upon the awareness of the environment, an interest in spiritual exploration and a commitment to social values through their participation in the African experience ! For your information, the hottest segment of vacation travel in the 1990s has been ecotourism, adventure tourism, spiritual tourism and cultural tourism; all of which you can experience in a single journey to Africa ! Growth trend: It is well known fact that American tourists dollars help to bring more economic benefits to African people than any other current industry. In fact, for many emerging African nations, tourism is the starting point from which they are able to develop and sustain their economic revitalization. NAACP President Kweisi Mfume, who accompanied President Clinton during his stop in South Africa, stated that "this trip reinforces the long overdue recognition by the U.S. government that the countries of Africa are indeed a world force to be integrated into an ever-evolving global economy". At the Fourth African-American Summit that was held in Harare, Zimbabwe last year, the Clinton Administration sent a task force headed up by the Secretary of Transportation, the Honorable Rodney E. Slater. Secretary Slater expressed the desire of the Clinton Administration to expand upon U.S - Africa Trade and Investment Initiatives that will facilitate African nations to become capable trading partners with many USA-based businesses. Moreover, recent legislation cosponsored by Congressmen Phil Crane, Charles Rangel and Jim McDermott in conjunction with the African Trade and Investment Causes has called for an "End of Africa's Dependency on Foreign Aid and a Renewed Focus on Trade and Investment Opportunities". As an African-American entrepreneur, who has decided to invest in the Continent of Africa, I am very encouraged by this new sense of direction and strongly believe that the relationship that the travel and tourism industry can ply in the economic growth and development of many African nations is crucial. Consequently, I challenge many of you to speak out about your support for African travel and Tourism initiatives at travel conferences, symposiums, trade shows and other related forums in order to spur an open dialogue amongst U.S. government officials, members of Congress, representatives of the U.S. transportation industry, non-governmental organizations involved in related socioeconomic programs in Africa, multilateral institutions, and the African Diplomatic Corps. In conclusion, we as African-Americans must reach out, make contact and continue to participate in the emergence of Africa as the tourism destination for the next millennium. This bold concept will hopefully serve as the impetus to challenge, inspire and motivate many more African-Americans to visit Africa and establish cultural and economic ties with their brothers and sisters in Africa. I further believe that the overall success of this noteworthy endeavor requires purpose, imagination, tenacity and leadership. Within the Africa Travel Association, I truly welcome the expertise and experience of the many interested African-American travelers to Africa in assisting us to achieve our expectations. It is our firm belief that we can only get closer together by sharing our cultures and dreams in order to bridge the socioeconomic gap between our two continents. Mr. David J. Saunders is the President of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Africa Travel Association and cofounder of a full-service travel and tourism company. Venue International Professionals, Inc. based in the Washington Metropolitan Area. To learn more about the Africa Travel Association, write to its headquarters office at 347 Fifth Avenue, Suite 610, New York 10016. Telephone Number (212) 447-1926 and Fax Number (212) 725-8253. |