Five years in the past in 2017 the concept of an African Tourism Board began distant from Africa. It began within the coronary heart of Micronesia in the midst of the Pacific Ocean, when the African Tourism Marketing Corporation was registered in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
It took about two years of onerous work and networking, when African Tourism Board formally launched on the World Travel Market in Capetown in April 2019.
This adopted a really profitable brainstorming session on the World Travel Market in London, in November 2018.
At the World Travel Market 2018 in London, Hawaii primarily based eTurboNews managed to get journey and tourism leaders from throughout the African continent collectively to share their frequent dream of uniting the continent by way of tourism, and begin an African Tourism Board.
The outspoken minister of tourism Dr. Memunatu Pratt for Sierra Leone was one of many many tourism leaders attending the eTN brainstorming session. She acquired up and cheered the viewers within the packed room at Excel in London: “Lets rally behind Juergen and get the African Tourism Board moving.”
Joining fingers in advertising, remaining neutral and none political was the attraction the eTurboNews writer and founding chairman of the African Tourism Board, Juergen Steinmetz had for anybody who requested about what ATB shall be about.
Already earlier than the official launch of ATB in Capetown, greater than 1000 eTurboNews readers from African international locations joined this new group along with a number of hundred associates of Africa in Europe, North America and different international locations.
On April 11, 2019 from 1530-1730 hours, a global group of specialists made it official. The African Tourism Board was formally shaped. One of the primary supporter, who wished to become involved was Cuthbert Ncube, a recognized chief in African Tourism and the World Tourism Organization
Speaking on the launch for ATB in Capetown included the Hon minister of tourism Moses Vilakati from Eswatini, Lilluy Ajarova, CEO of Uganda Tourism, Lucky George, the present head of the Africa Travel Commission, Francoise Diele from the Cameroon Travel Center, Dr. Peter Tarlow, Safer Tourism, the primary simply appointed CEO of ATB Doris Woerfel, eTurboNews VP Dmytro Makarov, and the founding chairman Juergen Steinmetz.
Tony Smyth from the I Free Group in Hong Kong, SAR China was the primary ATB sponsor, host of the launch dinner in CapeTown, and supplied tons of of free SIM playing cards to individuals.
It took only some extra days earlier than the preliminary government board, Juergen Steinmetz, Alain St. Ange, Dr. Peter Tarlow, Hon Minister from Eswatini, Moses Vilakati agreed at a lunch on the Westin Hotel in Capetown to simply accept the beneficiant provide by Cuthbert Ncube to develop into the primary chairman of the brand new group.
African Tourism Board was official and in African fingers.
Today Ncube advised eTurboNews: “When I agreed to chair the African Tourism Board, none of us would have imagined the challenges we were about to face. Specifically, with the outbreak of COVID, our goal was for Africa to stay as one and stay strong – and we did it.”
Under the management by Mr. Ncube this group grew to become essentially the most influential tourism initiatives within the African journey and tourism world.
Others joined the ATB board to make the African Tourism Board extra profitable, together with former Minister of Tourism for Zimbabwe, Dr. Walter Mzembi, and the present Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Dr. Taleb Rifai, former secretary-general of UNWTO, solely to call some.
Dedicated ATB members shaped a group of tourism ambassadors throughout the continent. eTurboNews helped with dozens of zoom conferences and tons of of articles to carry Africa collectively and showcase the continent to the world throughout the COVID pandemic.
At the identical time a profitable associates of the media group was shaped to multiply the outreach.
With Mr. Bartlett changing into one of many first board members for ATB in 2018, the African connection to the Caribbean and the Americas was made. It introduced the diaspora collectively.
On the sideline of the canceled ITB Berlin commerce present in March 2020 African Tourism Board, along with PATA and the Nepal Tourism Board, began the rebuilding.journey dialogue.
This resulted within the formation of the World Tourism Network on January 1, 2021.
African Tourism Board and World Tourism Network mixed have members and assist in 130 international locations and are rising sturdy.
The first world summit for World Tourism Network, Time 2023, will happen in Bali, Indonesia, and Africa can have a robust position.
At WTM in Capetown subsequent week, ATB Chairman Cuthbert Ncube and the Hon. Edmund Bartlett from Jamaica are anticipated to underline their dedication to hitch fingers with African Tourism Board, and the World Tourism Network on the upcoming Time 2023 summit.
Resilience, investments, local weather change, medical tourism, inbound, and outbound tourism shall be a spotlight on the TIME 2023 summit in Bali.
The World Tourism Network, in addition to the African Tourism Board, at all times targeted on giving a voice to small and medium-size gamers within the journey and tourism trade.
ATB and WTN founder Juergen Steinmetz will be unable to attend the World Travel Market in Capetown in particular person subsequent week.
He mentioned: “I am proud to see the two organizations come together in Capetown. After all, it all started there. The World Travel Market will always have a special meaning for us.”
“What you get at WTN and ATB is for good people with a vision to come together as friends, join hands, remain determined and resilient. The global tourism world is back in business, and Africa is playing a special and important role.”
ATB patron Dr. Taleb Rifai usually defined to African Tourism Members: “Africa is where it all began.”
