Ghana to host Africa Tourism Leadership Forum

The Ghana Tourism Authority in partnership with Africa Tourism Partners, South Africa will host the Africa Tourism Leadership Forum and Award at the Accra International Conference Centre, from 30th to 31st August, 2018.

The Forum which is the first in the series is being organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture under the theme: “Inspiring Pan-African sustainable travel and tourism development through innovative leadership”.

The Leadership Forum (ATLF) is a Pan-African dialogue platform that brings together key stakeholders from Africa’s travel, tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors to network, share insights and devise strategies for sustainable travel and tourism development across the continent, while enhancing Brand Africa’s equity.

The Forum is aimed at providing a platform for innovative leadership dialogue to drive sustainable growth in Africa’s tourism economy. This Forum will also serve as a platform to exchange ideas and network amongst the number of stakeholders from the continent. It is also to optimize industry leadership alliance to take charge in driving growth in intra-Africa tourist arrivals, to give new drive to innovative leadership in pursuit of the creation of opportunities for all Africans through tourism, while inspiring and motivating young tourism and women entrepreneurs.

There will be a Masterclass in Sustainable Tourism Product Development and Business Tourism and presentations from business leaders, panel discussions by business executives to openly discuss the challenges and opportunities in terms of sustainable tourism and to unleash innovation for sustainable travel and tourism sectors in Africa.

The speakers and panelist to feature at the summit include: Gillian Saunders, Advisor to the Minister of Tourism, South Africa and Former deputy CEO of Grant Thornton; Judy Kepher-Gona, Executive Director, Sustainable Travel and Tourism Agenda (STTA), Kenya; Miller Matola, CEO, Millvest and Director, Africa Tourism Leadership Forum; Jacinta Nzioka, Director of Marketing, Kenya Tourism Board; Frank Murangwa, Director of Destination Marketing, Rwanda Convention Bureau; Rudi Van Vyver, CEO Southern Africa Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI), South Africa; Jerome Touze, CMO, Travel Start and Former CEO of WAYN.COM, South Africa; Prof. Dimitrios Buhalis, Head of Department Tourism and Hospitality, Director of eTourism at Bournemoth University, England; Jeffers Miruka, President and Founding member, African Society of Association Executives, Kenya; Jon Howell, MD AviaDev, USA, Bench Events; Christelle Grohmann, Director, Grant Thornton, South African; Dr. Kobby Mensah, Lecturer, University of Ghana Business School, Ghana; Tim Harris, CEO, Wesgro, Cape Town, South Africa.

The CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) will host a tourism CEO’s breakfast at the Marriot hotel on the 30th August whilst the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Catherine Afeku, will deliver the keynote at the event.

The inaugural Africa Travel and Tourism Leadership Awards is also aimed at recognizing game-changing individual and groups initiatives such as; leading progressive policy-making and business practices, thought leadership, innovation, sustainable investments and public-private-community partnership, that are helping to ensure that the brand Africa still have a positive narrative around it.

The Awards categories include: Leading in Progressive Policies’ Award; Outstanding Entrepreneur Award; Women in Leadership Award; Outstanding Leisure Tourism Destination Award; Outstanding Business Tourism Destination award; Outstanding Airline Award; Outstanding Africa Tourism Media Award; Champion sustainability award and destination Africa-Lifetime Award.

Other partners include Tourism Tattler, University of Brighton, Saaci, Crystal, African society of association executive, NEPAD, AVIADEV, ATC News, Voyage Afrique, Grant Thornton, Site Southern Africa, Sustainable Travel and Tourism Agenda.

The Africa Tourism Leadership Forum and Awards will serve as a gathering of leaders to dialogue, recognize innovation and celebrate progress. It will again serve as a single voice, unified and advocacy platform for Africa’s tourism leaders to put a spotlight on the continent’s tourism economy.