Kwakye Donkor, CEO, Africa Tourism Partners
(organisers of the Africa Tourism Leadership Forum)
By Graphic Showbiz
The 2021 edition of the Africa Tourism Leadership Forum (ATLF) is set to take place in Kigali, Rwanda from Wednesday, November 24 to 27. This year’s event has partnered with the Rwanda Chamber of Tourism in its maiden Rwanda Tourism Week in the form of an exhibition, speed marketing sessions and business-to-business networking sessions.
ATLF is a flagship event on the Africa tourism calendar that has played a substantial role in advancing intra-Africa travel growth, youth and women empowerment, intra-Africa travel facilitation and business-to-business networking.
It is the only Pan-African public-private tourism leadership annual gathering convened and hosted in Africa, by Africans, and for Africans. Since its inception and hosted by Ghana in 2018, ATLF has become the premium platform for public and private sector tourism leaders to meet and offer solutions in shaping the continent’s tourism sector.
Having successfully hosted the hybrid event last year in the time of COVID-19, Kigali, the Rwandan capital is once again looking to receive delegates from around the world for this year.
The 2021 event is running under the theme, « Harnessing intra-Africa travel for innovative recovery in Africa’s travel and tourism sector. »
The Regional Director for Africa at the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Elcia Grandcourt said the pandemic has offered the African tourism sector an opportunity to reset and maximise the benefits of Intra-Africa travels.
« The pandemic, despite its lethal effects on the tourism sector has created an opportunity for Africa to reset tourism by placing innovation, sustainability and inclusion at the heart of recovery. Building back better with tourism in Africa also means working close amongst ourselves to stimulate demand for Intra Africa travels, » she stated.
According to Ms. Grandcourt, it is about zeroing in on the opportunities the pandemic presents to Africa to help regroup, reflect, and build back tourism better.
Speakers at ATLF include Desire Loumou, Senior Expert, Trade in Services, AfCTA Secretariat; Senthil Gopinath, CEO, ICCA; Elcia Grandcourt, UNWTO Director for Africa; Dr. Geoffrey Manyara, UNECA’s Economic Officer responsible for tourism; Zephanie Niyonkuru, Deputy CEO, Rwanda Development Board and Ekow Sampson, Deputy CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority.
Others include Frank Mugisha, Director General of Rwanda Chamber of Tourism and Managing Director of East Africa Tourism Platform (EATP); Austin Nyawara, Africa and Middle East, Regional Head for Africa and Middle East, SAA; Christelle Grohmann, Director, BDO South Africa; Frank Mustaff, CEO, Howarth HTL Interconsult and Dianne Dusaidi, Program Partner, Mastercard Foundation.
Private sector apex bodies across Africa, Directors of leading hotel brands, academics as well as renowned industry experts from across the world will also speak at the event.
ATLF is being organised by the Africa Tourism Partners in collaboration with the Rwanda Development Board, Rwanda Convention Bureau, Rwanda Chamber of Tourism, Mastercard Foundation, and BDO South Africa.
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