Africa Travel Week, including flagship shows WTM Africa and ILTM Africa, has unveiled an exciting and highly informative content programme for 2022 that will help travel and tourism players hone industry knowledge while gathering new insights.
The trade show, which is taking place at the Cape Town International Conference Centre between 11 and 13 April, will allow travel industry leaders to reconnect and catch up on trends and developments in the African tourism space. This opportunity to meet with fellow members of the travel and tourism industry is highly anticipated because it is the first time the event has been hosted in person since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This year’s event promises to be highly informative; a truly useful platform for all industry members,” says Martin Hiller, Creative + Content Director: Travel, Tourism and Creative Industries at RX Africa. “We’ve carefully designed our programme with an eye to shining the spotlight on opportunities for travel to Africa. Against this backdrop, our various activities are geared to inspire, educate and help rebuild the travel and tourism industry.”
In line with this objective, a wide range of topics has been slated for discussion, including a look at new types of tourism, such as culinary tourism, and where, how and why to travel in 2022 and beyond. Other issues that will be examined include diversity in the industry, with a look at the rise of female rangers in Africa, regenerative tourism practices, and the current and future challenges facing Africa’s industry.
Delegates will also have a chance to take part in discussions around managing Africa’s reputation, understanding how to tap into new source markets, and the future of African tourism. Speakers at the event include industry heavyweights such as Jon Howell, Holly Budge, Maggie Mutangiri, Beks Ndlovu and Septi Bukula.
The content sessions hosted by experts and speakers are to be augmented by several bolt-on conferences, including EQUAL Africa, the African Tourism Investment Summit (ATIS), the Responsible Tourism Africa Conference, Travel Forward and IBTM Africa.
EQUAL AFRICA
A 2021 survey by Booking.com revealed that more than half (53%) of LGBTQ+ travellers have had less-than-welcoming or uncomfortable experiences at a property where they were staying, making the EQUAL Africa conference pivotal to the industry. Designed to deliver a dynamic range of inspirational speakers telling personal stories, giving advice on marketing best practices, and explaining case studies presenting a real opportunity for the industry to switch up its business strategies.
Taking place on Monday, 11 April, this conference is free of charge, but it is advised to reserve your spot as places are limited due to COVID restrictions.
ATIS
The 2022 edition of the African Tourism Investment Summit (ATIS) in partnership with the International Tourism and Investment Summit (ITIC) will take place on Tuesday, 12 April as part of WTM Africa. Themed, “Investing in the Future of African Tourism”, the conference will deliver key insights highlighting investment trends, opportunities, and challenges in the value chain of tourism, encourage finance initiatives and explore Africa’s innovative tourism sector for growth.
The African Tourism Investment Summit is a paying event that can be booked.
IBTM AFRICA
This year’s theme is “New Business, New Tech, New World” and has been expertly designed to provide all IBTM Africa attendees with the insights and knowledge they need to recover and grow in 2022 and beyond. Taking place on Wednesday, 13 April, this conference is free of charge, but it is advised to reserve your spot as places are limited due to COVID restrictions.
