WTM Africa 2022: ITIC Partners ATB on Investment Drive for Africa as they Assemble Tourism Ministers for African Tourism Investment Summit in Cape Town
The International Tourism & Investment Conference (ITIC) is partnering African Tourism Board (ATB) to set the pace for a robust investment drive in the tourism sector of Africa by assembling Ministers of Tourism from some African countries to participate in the African Tourism Investment Summit that is running alongside the Expo 2022, at the on going World Travel Market Africa 2022 (WTM Africa) in Cape Town, South Africa.
The attending Ministers are ; Hon.Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister of Tourism, South Africa, Hon. Philda Nani Kereng, Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Botswana, Hon. Memunatu Pratt, Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Sierra Leone while, Hon. Moses Vilakati, Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Kingdom of Eswatini, Hon. Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary,Tourism and Wildlife, Kenya, attended virtually as well as Hon. Alioune Sarr, Minister of Tourism and Air Transport, Senegal particpated through a representation.
Other participating country and organisations included Rwanda, IFC and Afrexim Bank where they placed emphasis on the urgent need to tackling the challenges facing future Investments in Africa’s tourism sector in order to accelerate the developmental agenda by member states for Africa through tourism .
“Governments have to play pivotal roles in promulgating strategies that can help tourism to become a catalyst for development thereby paving way for private tourism investments to flow into the continent by unleashing the potential of the tourism industry and emphasizing its positive contribution on the continental economic growth”.Cuthbert Ncube, Chairman African Tourism Board emphasised.
An emphasy has also been laid on how to create a conducive environment for easy access among member states by enabling intra-trade and easy movement of domestic products, which has been omitted but must be brought in to fully share in receipts and contributions on the tourism economies especially within the tourism space and allowing blue economy to florish.
Other major area of concern being looked into during the crucial discussions was the need to be decisive on branding, reshaping and importantly on the need to market Africa as a single destination of choice.
In the recent time, Botswana and Eswatini are both taking a leading role in this regard with the implementation of a cultural heritage tourism investment initiative that will see the convergence of member states in appreciating Africa’s cultural diversity and offerings which are a very strong branding and marketing strategy to accelerate the continent.
ITIC is an investment focused organisation based in the United Kingdom under the management of Mr. Ibrahim Ayoub, an ATB brand ambassador and seasoned investment expert who has been partnering African Tourism Board in investment drive across Africa.
ITIC led a consortium of investors on an investment mission to Tanzania last year where they are currently working on investing $74.2 million in hospitality deal, building chain of hotels across the northern part of the country.
