The African Tourism Board (ATB) is reality and a list of distinguished tourism leaders joined together at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London as an initiative by the International Coalition of Tourism Partners to discuss this public-private sector body that will be supporting work by any organization furthering positive awareness for travel and tourism to benefit the African Tourism Industry.
This includes the desire for ATB to be supportive of the works and efforts of the UNWTO CAF Committee now under the Chairmanship of Minister Najib Balala, Minister of Tourism from Kenya. This was announced today by Alain St.Ange, Seychelles who is guiding the African Tourism Board to ensure it is Africa to the core. Alain St. Ange was the former minister of Tourism for Seychelles.
After the WTM Summit where Alain St.Ange passionately appealed to the 54 African Countries unite and rewrite the continent’s narrative and in so doing increase its visibility and claim a greater share of the world tourism market, many side meetings were held at WTM to plan the next step for the ATB.
The WTM ATB summit was addressed by ICTP Chairman Juergen Steinmetz, Alain St.Ange, Taleb Rifai, Geoffrey Lipman, Graham Cooke, the ministers of tourism from Sierra Leone, Mauritius among others.
The official launch of the organization is planned for April 2019 in Capetown at the World Travel Market Africa.
A point of discussion, according to St.Ange, is the work and cooperation with the public sector body for Africa, the UNWTO CAF, and the African Union Tourism Desk. The second point that is on the table is where the Headquarters of the African Tourism Board should be. ICTP Chairman Steinmetz suggested every supporting country or region should host its own headquarter to allow interaction between members.
Alain St.Ange from the Seychelles and representatives from Nigeria had been discussing the African Tourism Board to be similarly structured as what PATA is for the Asia Pacific Region.
The hopes to cooperate with UNWTO & WTTC as well as with other local, regional or international tourism associations.
