Africa Travel
Association's 33rd Annual Congress in
Tanzania Explores
Africa's Competitive Advantage in Global
Market
International Delegates
Support ATA Efforts to Promote Responsible
Tourism
More than 300
tourism industry experts from Africa, the U.S.,
Canada, Europe and Asia came together in
Tanzania from May 19-23, 2008 to participate in
the Africa Travel Association's 33rd Annual
Congress, under the banner of Africa's
competitive advantage in tourism.
Tanzania's
Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism hosted
the event at the Arusha International Conference
Center (AICC) in the northern tourist town of
Arusha. Also known as the Safari Capital, Arusha
is a gateway to the country's leading travel
destinations: Mount Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti
Plains and the Ngorongoro Crater.
Tanzanian
President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete opened the
event, highlighting the important role tourism
plays in promoting socio-economic development
across the continent. "Tourism is a sector whose
importance in the economies of many African
countries is ever increasing," Kikwete said.
"But tourism in Africa is still at a very
infantile stage of development. With the vast
tourism resources available in many nations in
Africa, there is still greater potential for
growth
what has so far been exploited is a
very tiny fraction of the tourism potential that
exists."
Africa's
share in the global tourism marketplace remains
small, despite the fact that the continent has
an abundance of natural and cultural tourist
attractions explained the President. "Africa
needs to tap this potential and leverage it to
overcome poverty and increase prosperity.
Unfortunately many African nations are yet to
benefit proportionately to their resource
endowments," he said.
Hon. Shamsa
Selengia Mwangunga, Tanzania's Minister of
Natural Resources and Tourism, emphasized the
need to promote responsible tourism by
supporting initiatives that promote conservation
and economic growth, while minimizing the
negative impacts that the tourism industry often
yields. "In Tanzania, we believe in sustainable
development of tourism and are strong advocates
of nature conservation," the Minister said. "We
have taken deliberate efforts at a national
level to involve local communities in managing
natural resources and tourism development, while
strengthening private-public sector partnership.
We call on all tourism stakeholders to make sure
that tourism promotion goes hand in hand with
conservation of the natural resources as well as
development of local
communities."
Dubai World
Africa (DWA), ATA's first Premier Partner, also
spoke at the opening ceremony. "DWA has long
since held in high regard the work that ATA does
in Africa and, it is for this reason, that we
are proud to be associated to ATA," said Luis
Pinheiro, Director of Hospitality Operations,
Africa & Indian Ocean. "From day one of the
creation of DWA it searched for an organization
that continues to promote Africa. ATA is
ensuring that the marketing of our beautiful
continent is met with the support which our
organization can provide through our presence in
Africa. That is why we have become ATA's first
Premier Partner and we are
honored."
ATA Executive
Director Edward Bergman spoke of Africa as a
destination full of potential, presenting
Tanzania as an example for African nations to
turn to when developing national tourism
strategies. "When Tanzania opened its doors to
ATA for the first time in 1998, the country had
re-launched its promotional efforts in the
American marketplace. Ten years later, the U.S.
ranks second in the number of tourists visiting
Tanzania," he said. Bergman explained that in
only a short period of time, tourism has become
Tanzania's leading economic sector, expecting to
earn $1 billion this year, and to overtake
agriculture, the leading contributor to the
country's economy for decades.
The five-day
program included topics such as "A Decade of
Progress in Tanzania," showcasing Tanzania's
hotel industry, national parks, ICT development
and business travel. Delegates also participated
in panels on travel trends, sustainable tourism,
airlines media and hospitality and lodging. Tour
operators from Sierra Leone, Nigeria and the
U.S. participated on a panel focused on
packaging Africa, highlighting their
expectations of tour operators. Another panel
focused on how tourism can benefit communities,
building on the Tanzanian Tourism Minister's
opening remarks. "Tourism is the largest
voluntary transfer of resources from the rich to
the not-so-rich in history," said Lelei LeLaulu,
President of Counterpart International.
"Europeans and Americans take and leave more
money in Africa than the US and European
governments give in official aid. At a time when
a constricting global economy reduces
international aid flows, African nations have a
golden opportunity to harness the enormous power
of the world's largest and fastest growing
industry, tourism, to improve the health,
wealth, environment and culture of their
communities."
Congress
delegates included tourism ministers, tourism
board heads, hotel and airline executives,
travel agents, tour operators and business
executives from Angola, Belgium, Benin, Bermuda,
Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic,
Chad, China, Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya,
Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Nigeria, Rwanda,
Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania,
Togo, Uganda, the U.S., Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Under the umbrella of ATA's Young Professionals
Network, a delegation of young professionals and
students from the U.S., South America and Africa
also participated in the congress. The network
was created at ATA's 10th Eco and Cultural
Tourism Symposium in Calabar,
Nigeria.
ATA media
partners&emdash;The African Sun Times, Africa
Travel Magazine, Canadian World Traveler, Carib
News, E-turbo News, Africa Channel, The African
Times, Travel Agent, Travel Weekly, OgoSow.com,
Traveltalkmedia, Travel World News, covered the
congress and highlighted some of Tanzania's
destinations, such as the Ngorongoro Crater,
where the Ministry took delegates on a day-long
safari. The Africa Channel premiered a short
video special on ATA at the congress, receiving
an enthusiastic and positive response from the
delegates.
In addition
to the Tanzania Tourism Ministry, sponsors
included Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority,
South African Airways, Tanzania Tourist Board,
and the National Bank of Commerce. For the
second year, Ethiopian Airlines served as the
congress's official carrier. ATA member
countries such as Tanzania and Togo also
sponsored networking receptions. At the annual
2008 ATA Awards Gala, the Tanzania government,
under the leadership of President Kikwete,
received the "Outstanding Service to ATA" award,
alongside The Bradford Group. Tanzanian
Ambassador Daudi N. Mwakawago received the
"Outstanding Leadership in ATA" award. New York
University's Africa House, Peter K. Muiruri of
Hotel Adventure Travel Ltd. and Dr. Chika
Onyeani of The African Sun Times received the
"Outstanding Achievement in the Promotion of
Responsible Tourism to the Continent" award. The
Founders Award was given to ATA New York Chapter
President Doris Wooten and Travel World News
Publisher Charlie Gatt Jr.
At the annual
General Membership meeting, ATA elected a new
board of directors to lead the association for
the next two years. The Executive Committee
comprises ATA President, Hon. Shamsa Selegia
Mwangunga, Tanzania's Minister of Natural
Resources and Tourism, first Vice President,
Doris Wooten, Africa Tour Rific President, and
the following Vice Presidents: Hon. Issifoui
Okoulou Kantchati, Togo's Minister of
Environment, Tourism and Forestry Resources;
Hon. Janat Mukwaya, Uganda's Minister of
Tourism, Trade and Industry; Sheraton Addis
Director of Sales & Marketing, Omar Carrera;
and Corinthia Hotels International Sales
Director, Vivienne Willison.
"I look
forward to working with the new board and
president to stimulate an environment for
promoting new and exciting tourism opportunities
to Africa," said Bergman. "I expect this year to
be transformational for ATA as we continue to
create new initiatives and partnerships
dedicated to developing travel products the
world can enjoy. In particular, we look forward
to advancing our partnership with the African
Union in our goal to have 100% Africa country
membership and to market "Destination Africa'"
worldwide."
About The Africa Travel
Association (ATA)
The Africa
Travel Association (ATA) is the world's premier
travel industry trade association promoting
tourism to Africa and intra-Africa travel and
partnership since 1975. ATA members include
ministries of ourism and culture, tourism
boards, airlines, hoteliers, travel agents, tour
operators, travel trade media, PR firms, NGO's,
and SME's. Visit ATA online at
www.africatravelassociaton.org.