|
For
Immediate Release
"The Africa Travel Association Goes Global
for its 30th Jubilee World
Congress"
Since
1976 thirty three African cities and 22
countries have hosted this prestigious
event
NEW YORK, NY,
USA: Delegates from over 19 African
nations and 20 ATA chapters in the USA,
Canada and Africa will meet in Kenya, May
15- 20, 2005 to celebrate ATA's 30th
Jubilee World Congress. Hosted by the
Kenya Tourist Board, the main activities
take place at the InterContinental Hotel
in Nairobi. What sets the Africa Travel
Association apart from others in travel,
trade and tourism, is a unique structure
that assigns leadership roles and
responsibilities to African Tourism
Ministe
rs. The respect
these African- based leaders place in
their association is exemplified by the
actions of current ATA president Hon.
Patrick K. Kalifungwa, MP , Zambia's
Tourism Minister and immediate past
president, Hon. Zakia Hamdani Meghji, MP,
Tourism Minister of Tanzania. This dynamic
team, that led ATA's march towards "Global
Positioning, " will be front and center,
along with Co-chairman Hon. Morris Dzoro,
MP, Minister of Tourism and Wildlife,
Republic of Kenya, other African
ministers, ambassadors and
dignitaries.
"Repositioning
and Revitalizing the Tourist Product," is
a key topic, as African member nations
face a marked increase in visitor numbers,
with expanded flight schedules and
extended length of stay. The regional
business community is invited to a 3-day
Kenya Handicrafts Fair, arranged by ATA
Kenya Chapter President Peter Muiruri and
his committee, whose Host Country Day
activities includes a trip to the Karura
Forest and Great Rift Valley Escarpment.
Kenya has earned a special place in ATA
members' hearts and minds, being the site
of the very first ATA Congress.
Thanks to
worldwide awareness via the powerful 2,200
page ATA website, plus targeted
distribution of "Africa Travel Magazine,"
and a new series of trade show
appearances, the seeds are being sown for
membership from other continents. The
website generates 14.5 million hits
annually and ranks high in searches for
Africa topics on Google, Yahoo and MSN. An
ATA Souvenir 30th Jubilee Yearbook will
showcase the association's history and
present members views for a future that
could include chapters on every
continent.
To compliment its
own official media, ATA created
partnership exchanges with trade show
management as ATA- Africa Travel Magazine
exhibits now 'anchor" the Africa Section
at nine Adventure Travel Expos in the USA
and Canada. Now well underway, these
face-to-face encounters have created a
"show and sell" opportunity for African
tourism destinations to reach and
influence potential visitors in many
unexplored and untapped
markets.
With eyes on the
Asian market, ATA President Kalifungwa,
Minister of Tourism, Environment and
Natural Resources for Zambia, led African
delegations to the World Tourism Summit at
Nanjing, China, where he invited world
delegates to the 3rd IIPT- ATA African
Conference on Peace Through Tourism, held
in Lusaka, Zambia, February, 2005. Peace
Through Tourism reflects the ATA's global
presence, by its diverse international
membership, and venues such as Scotland,
Canada, Switzerland, Jordan, and three
African countries, South Africa, Tanzania
and Zambia. As a founding partner, ATA has
co-hosted each of the African events,
participated in others and shared the
spotlight in a "Global Showcase" at the
2004 World Travel Market in London,
UK.
Being universal
in nature, education is a natural fit. In
this key area, ATA's Global Positioning
includes joint efforts with Harvard
University School of Business, providing a
speakers bureau, with panels composed of
African leaders in trade and tourism. The
partnership has been in effect for the
past two years. Miracle Corners of the
World, which began at New York University,
recently delivered a large shipment of
books and medial supplies to
Tanzania.
Immediate past
president Hon. Zakia H. Meghji has not
slowed her pace with ATA one iota, having
launched a Tourism Investment Forum, where
ATA partnered with the Multilateral
Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) a World
Bank group. A keen advocate of improved
air access, Meghji stated "My Ministry has
embarked on serious promotion of Tanzania
as a tourist destination and establishing
new markets especially in the Middle and
Far East. Emirates Air will therefore
serve as a link between Tanzania and the
new markets in those countries.”A
feature on Dubai and its air links to
Africa will appear in the ATA 30th Jubilee
Yearbook. “Now, Air Tanzania connects
Africa's Wonders of the World,”
Meghji continued.
Global
positioning has not happened overnight,
various building blocks have been set in
place by ATA Executive Director Mira
Berman and her team, with such other
influential movers as ASTA- American
Society of Travel Agents, ARTA - the
Association of Retail Travel Agents, WTO-
World Tourism Organization, USTOA - the
United States Tour Operators Association,
WTTC Green Globe and SATH- the Society for
Accessible Travel and
Hospitality.
Most of the
twenty three (23) African Member Nations
that have hosted ATA events are expected
to send delegations to Kenya, led by their
Tourism Ministers. ATA chapter members
from the United States, Canada and Africa
will guarantee a large and varied
attendance in activities and pre- post
tours. ATA membership includes retail
travel agents, group tour operators,
hoteliers, airline executives, media,
business, education and financial
leaders.
About ATA: Africa
Travel Association (ATA) is an
international, nonprofit, nonpolitical,
professional travel industry association
whose objective is to promote tourism to
Africa. Its membership is comprised of
National Government Tourist Offices,
hotels, airlines, ground and tour
operators, travel agents, group tour
leaders, independent travel agents and
consultants, marketing and media
executives, universities and community
colleges. ATA has chapters throughout
Africa and North America; is a member of
ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents),
WTO (World Tourism Organization), an
industry partner with ARTA (Association of
Retail Travel Agents), a founding member
of the Coalition of Partners for IIPT,
International Institute for Peace through
Tourism; and a "Green Globe" member. ATA
organizes an annual congress and
international marketing conference in
Africa; an annual symposium on
environmental and cultural preservation;
and publishes the Africa Travel Magazine
and web site
www.africa-ata.org.
Those wishing to
join ATA or to attend the Africa Travel
Association Congress events should contact
ATA Head Office in New York:
africatravelasso@aol.com , phone 212 447
1926. Fax 212-725-8253.
The following
information is available on the ATA
website:
2005 Advertising:
http://
www.africa-ata.org/advert.htm
Editorial Agenda:
http://
www.africa-ata.org/yearbook1.htm
Trade Shows &
Events: http://
www.africa-ata.org/venues.htm
|
