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It's hard to realize that
the Africa Travel Association, which represents the
hopes, desires, plans and potential of Africa's
travel - tourism industry, will soon be 30 - years
old. Born, nurtured and raised under some of the
most trying political, social and financial
conditions, today's ATA continues to seek new
markets, win new friends and open new doors. So
much has happened to our world in the past three
decades, it's hard to fathom - but in Africa's
case, recent years have signaled the most
remarkable changes of all. Ranking high are new
direct routes and realistic return fares from New
York and other Eastern Seaboard gateways. Are there
more on the horizon? In evaluating Africa's
airways and transportation scene, ATA members can
be considered some of the most astute judges of
all. Since our launch in 1976 at a Congress in
Nairobi, Kenya, ATA members have flown on every
international airline serving the continent and its
offshore islands, and have boarded regional
carriers that crisscross, this vast expanse of
geography, linking dozens of emerging cities and
towns. Some of us have gone by train, or
experienced waterborne adventures along the
coastline of two oceans, the majestic
Mediterranean, or on Africa's historic canals,
lakes and rivers. Many of those serving on our
ATA Board of Directors have been in the thick of
the action, some having been instrumental in
generating positive change in their own countries.
Who are these people? Some
are African Ministers of Tourism or international
airline executives, to whom safe skies, better
gateway access and improved airports and roads are
their lifeblood. On the same roster, you'll find
executives of international hotel chains, African
and North American tour operators, travel agency
owners and seasoned professionals, each with a
stake in Africa's future via tourism, and the trade
benefits it creates. We in ATA have a huge stake
in Africa's transportation scene. So we need FLIGHT
MAPS for the future. People in the airline
industry are dependent upon maps of every type and
description. Not only do pilots and ground crew
rely on detailed maps of routes, geography and
terrain, they need accurate maps of upper air
currents, cloud cover and meteorological phenomena.
Likewise when planning long-haul travel to African
destinations from the USA or Canada; when staging
congresses and events, or preparing complex tour
itineraries, members of ATA need to create their
own guidelines. Here is our simple watchword ...
MAPS: M ... for Marketing and
Merchandising A ... for Airlines and
Airports P ... for Pricing and
Packaging S ... for Safety and
Security Marketing as a Key
Factor Aside from education, ATA's
specialty for twenty-seven years has been "event"
marketing - moving great numbers of people from
point (a) America, to point (b) Africa. As we gain
experience, add momentum and become more expert at
it, our Marketing Map has led to spinoffs in at
least six areas: The Ecotourism
Market Ecotourism is a relative
newcomer to the marketing scene, having come into
its own in recent years, sparking a boom in related
fields of Educational, Cultural, Archeological,
Agricultural and Adventure Travel. No more sun,
sand and surf for the masses. ATA was among the
first to recognize these drastic changes and their
special application to Africa. Let's face it, if
God ever created a continent that was ready-made
for Ecotourism and Adventure Travel -- this is it.
Seizing the moment, ATA
staged its first Ecotourism Symposium in 1992 with
Dakar, Senegal as the venue. Our most recent event
n Yaounde, Cameroon happened less than two months
after the Sept 11th disaster, yet we had a
successful turnout in that great central African
country. This December, we celebrate ATA's Sixth
Ecotourism Symposium in Morocco. And on the
“Road to Morocco,” ATA will be front and
center at several key events marking the
International year of Ecotourism. We've already
participated at events in Vancouver and Nelspruit,
Mpumalanga. On the ATA agenda are our 27th Congress
in Conakry, Guinea; Indaba at Durban; the African
Diaspora Conference in Bermuda, the World
Ecotourism Summit in Quebec and the Johannesburg
Earth Summit. Each is an opportunity to market the
Best of Africa through ATA. The African American
Market The Caribbean - African
Diaspora Market This year marks another
proud ATA milestone. The Slave Route from Africa
westward touched many shores, and finally these
historical links are becoming part of the marketing
scene. This May's African Diaspora Heritage Trail
Conference in Bermuda and a special Airline
Industry Conference are two shining examples.
Taking a lead from Bermuda's President Jennifer
Smith, ATA is interacting with the Caribbean
Tourism Organization, Air Carriers and Tourism
Offices, opening up new routes , and tour packaging
opportunities. This cross border tourism initiative
will build long term relationships between Bermuda,
the Caribbean, the African nations and North
America. The African Diaspora Heritage Trail is a
unified cross-border, cultural tourism initiative
designed to educate visitors, enhance the economic
viability of African Diaspora countries and
conserve the essence of African descent culture and
history. This will spark numerous opportunities for
shared projects and promotions , such as
island-hopping tours from the USA to Africa via the
Caribbean. The opportunities are endless. What a
winning combination. Business and Investment
Travel The Seniors Market The Asian Market Airports as Hubs of
Commerce: Airlines as Engines of
Prosperity Africa's
Airlines have come a long way, and despite
several recent casualties, much progress has been
made overall. Here's how the current situation
looks: (Comments
on SAA, Ethiopian, Ghana Airways, Royal Air Maroc,
Virgin Air, Nigerian Airways, and others serving
Africa, with a brief capsule on each - or a general
summary) Seeing
the growth at many of Africa's Airports - Bole
International in Addis Ababa, Kruger Mpumalanga
International in South Africa, Kilimanjaro
International in Tanzania, and many others from
Cairo to the Cape, makes us proud. Yet, do airports
rate enough attention overall? “A
question that begs to be asked,is this; ” says
aviation journalist Ed Anderson, “ Do business
communities and the population at large, recognize
and appreciate the significance of airports?
Furthermore, is there an acceptance of their
importance and positive impact on the daily lives
of people, combined with the contributions those
airports make to existing business connections and
the generation of new business opportunities? One
would like to think so. But, on the other hand,
continuing negatives spun by questionable media
coverage, brought on, sometimes, by well intended
but misguided "NIMBY's" and political foray's,
invariably affect the positives which the network
of land based airports and water based facilities
can indeed generate. The potentials for employment
and prosperity are tremendous and we all should be
open to the rewards and benefits of progress
initiated by airports.” So, if you have to pay
an airport tax - you know its being put to a good
purpose, one of which is increased
security. (Tour operator's concerns
with Airlines. Comments from an interview with
Alken Tours) Safety and Security That brings us to - Peace
Through Tourism - the long range answer - to the
world's biggest problem, and again one where ATA
has taken the lead. We just concluded Africa's
first IIPT Peace Through Tourism Conference, where
I planted a seedling at God's Window, the world's
first Peace Forest near Kruger Park. ATA President, Hon. Zakia
Hamdani Meghji, Minister of Tourism for The United
Republic of Tanzania, is proud of the work our
association is doing, summing it up as
follows: " Without peace there can
be no tourism. Recognizing this, the Africa Travel
Association (ATA) has been in the forefront as a
founding member of the IIPT COALITION OF PARTNERS
and has provided IIPT with a showcase at its annual
congresses and ecotourism symposia. Our
participation as an organizer of this historic
conference demonstrates ATA's strong commitment to
fostering peace through community-based and
sustainable tourism on the African
Continent." So with MAPS in hand, we at
ATA move ahead with cautious optimism. But we don't
march alone. The force that's with us includes
powerful, influential organizations with whom we
share ideas, and quite often, the podium.
These Strategic Alliances
include the following. • The Francophone
Community worldwide. Since 30 African countries are
French speaking, our magazine and web site now
reflect this reality by publishing stories and
items in both English and French. As they say,
“Vive le Difference.” • ATA is an
associate member of USTOA - United States Tour
Operators Association - decision makers of the
highest order. • ATA is an affiliate
member of WTO - the World Tourism Organization with
whom we co host events. • ATA a member of GATTO
- Global Alliance of Travel and Tourism
Organizations • ATA is an allied
member of ASTA - American Society of Travel
Agents • ATA is an industry
partner of ARTA - Association of Retail Travel
Agents • ATA is an industry
partner in Green Globe • ATA is a founding
member of IIPT Coalition of Partners, International
Institute for Peace Through Tourism • ATA is a member of
TIES - The International Ecotourism
Society • ATA is a founding
member of RETOSA - Regional Tourism Organization
of Southern Africa
• ATA is a partner of
SATH - Society for Accessible Travel and
Hospitality Remember the
watchwords. M ... for Marketing and
Merchandising A ... for Airlines and
Airports P ... for Pricing and
Packaging S ... for Safety and
Security The force is with us. It's
with our partners. May it be with you as
well. The End |
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Africa's
Future is in the Air ...