Text
of interview with Edward J. Bergman,
Africa Travel Association's newly elected
executive director. By Mary Ellen Schultz,
Travel World News, New York Click on image
of news page (right) to download double
page spread. Note. This interview was in
early summer 2006 and some of the meetings
mentioned have alerady taken
place.
TWN:
First, please tell us some of your
background?
EB:
I've been an associate member of ATA for
the past
seven
years, and have also been a member of
their
international
board
of directors for the last three
years.
During
this time, I've built private-public
strategic
partnerships
committed
to promoting travel and tourism
opportunities
on
the African continent. Together with
my
colleague
Robert Alsbrooks [now ATA's executive
programs director], we've initiated
entrepreneurial
community
development
programs around Africa that have
benefited
thousands
of people.
TWN:
How did you and Robert first learn of
ATA?
EB: We
were exploring online, looking up
organizations
whose
main focus was promoting Africa. We
found
ATA's
website, got in touch, and found their
membership
very
responsive.
TWN:
What piqued your interest in joining
ATA?
EB: I
think I've always been interested in
Africa and
tourism,
and ATA and its membership captured
my
imagination.
What impressed me was that it's unique -
it's
the only tourism organization or
association out
there
that
concentrates on Africa as a
whole.
TWN:
What's your vision for ATA?
EB:
Basically, it's one of optimism, realism
and
entrepreneurialism.
Robert
and I believe ATA provides a platform to
showcase
the
greatness of Africa to the world. We
believe the
special
atmosphere and values that ATA has been
known
for
must be preserved -
not
only
within Africa, but
by
reaching
out across the
continent
and
the African
Diaspora
as a living entity
-
the
Diaspora is all too
often
forgotten
aboutÉitÕs truly
a
global
community - we
want
to
communicate through
our
New
York office, and hope
to
become
the global voice
for
African
tourism.
TWN:
What are your near-
and
long-term
goals for ATA?
EB: Our
central objective
is
to
increase
travel to the African continent. We'll
focus on
further
advancing our existing strategic
partnerships
here
and in Africa with a priority on retaining
and expanding
membership
in both public and private
sectors.
This
goes along with increasing revenue flow
for the
organization
to
sustain and expand our programs -
always
with
Africa's interests at heart. We'll be
seeking new
partnerships
in
untapped areas, such as aircraft
manufacturers,
insurance
companies and travel publications,
and
collaborating
with ATA's website developer to
generate
more
revenue through advertising, adding
additional
website
links for member chapters and
countries.
TWN:
What are your priorities?
EB: To
repeat, our new team will further
cultivate
relationships
with
African Diaspora communities. We'll
also
focus
on developing the youth travel market,
particularly
from
North America, Europe and Asia - this
represents
an
incredible opportunity for Africa. In
addition, we'll
be
exploring
the establishment of African regional
headquarters -
our
goal is 100% Africa country
membership!
My
co-director, Robert will focus on building
grassroots
membership
and chapter development.
TWN:
Please give us an update since the
election?
EB:
We're in a period of transition, assessing
where
ATA
stands today, its successes and
opportunities -
the
challenges
lying ahead as we move toward the
future.
We've
just hosted a reception for a visiting
Zambia
Tourism
Board delegation. Rob's begun laying
the
groundwork
for expanding membership by visiting
the
ATA
Los Angeles chapter.
We're
organizing planning missions to Nigeria
and Ethiopia in preparation for ATA/s 10th
Ecotourism Symposium (Nigeria, November
15-20), and our 32nd Annual Congress
(Ethiopia, May
2007).
We co-hosted a special luncheon at Nasdaq,
in honor of H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kiwete,
Tanzania's president, who was visiting the
U.S. Rob, an Atlanta chapter member and I
met with Archbishop Desmond Tutu recently,
and discussed the concept of faith-based
tourism - he agreed to endorse a future
ATA program in this area.
We're
building on the ATA-PATA (Pacific Asia
Tourism Association) memo of understanding
[signed in Ghana], and will be
meeting with the memo signers - former ATA
president, Hon. Kabinga J. Pande MP and
Zambia's Tourism Minister, and PATA
president and CEO Peter deJong- and
already have some exciting developments in
the works. The Asian market is huge, they
love to travel and are looking to find
friends in Africa - the potential is
enormous!
TWN:
More?
'Were
preparing for an Africa Presidential
Tourism meeting in NY in September, in
parallel to the UN General Assembly
meeting at UN Headquarters. And,we've
initiated an intensive series of meetings
with ATA strategic plan. TWN:
Who
should consider joining ATA?
EB:
Those selling and/or planning to sell
African destinations, of course, and as
mentioned earlier, we want to expand our
membership and encourage younger tourism
professionals to explore ATA. We've also
learned that many Africans haven't visited
their own attractions (yes, that is
similar to what many of us haven't done
here!
They need to know their own countries in
order to promote them - for example, the
Diaspora market - there are over three
million Nigerians living here in the U.S.-
if Nigeria could attract one-third of them
to go back and visit, that would be their
tourism market!
TWN:
In closing?
EB: I'm
excited to lead ATA into a new chapter of
history and look forward to partnering
with all of the global stakeholders.
Building on the strong foundation laid
by
my
predecessor Mira Berman - a great
visionary and now our executive director
emeritus - it's an honor to join ATA's
team of diverse and passionate
individuals
who
share a common interest and love for
humanity, travel and tourism and, at the
heart of the agenda, Africa. Africa Travel
Association,
info@fricatravelassociation.
org,
www.africatravelassociation.org
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