Africa Travel Week is set to launch their virtual Meetings & Masterclasses this September to connect African tourism products with buyers from across the world.
“After the 2020 edition of Africa Travel Week was postponed, we rolled out phase one of our strategy to enter the virtual space with the introduction of our online platform, Africa Travel Week Connect,” says Megan Oberholzer, Reed Exhibitions Portfolio Director: Travel, Tourism & Creative Industries.
“The platform, which focuses on industry news and interactive webinars, is going from strength to strength, and we are now excited to kick-start our Meetings & Masterclasses in September, which is also Tourism Month,” she adds.
The virtual Meetings & Masterclasses will run from September to October. “During the event, attendees can engage in a series of educational masterclasses led by industry experts. And, unlike your standard webinars, these sessions will encourage a two-way conversation between the teacher-hosts and attendees. You will get to meet with our experts,” explains Oberholzer.
Part one of the classes will focus on identifying and successfully marketing to post-COVID target groups such as the luxury traveller, the African diaspora traveller and the LGBTQ+ market. The second part will cover practical steps for implementing safety protocols that international visitors will expect, based on case studies from destinations that have opened their borders successfully.
“In part three of our masterclasses, we will explore how you can effectively use digital tools to market your company,” she adds. This will take place in October.
In addition to the Meetings & Masterclassesseries, the travel and tourism community can sign-up to take part in WTM Virtual, a two-day event that will take place from 10-11 November 2020. The virtual show, organised by WTM London, aims to ensure participation and global reach.
“The Meetings & Masterclasses ties into our #MakingTravelHappenAgain campaign and will not replace WTM Africa, Africa Travel Week’s flagship show, scheduled to take place from 07 to 09 April 2021 in the Host City of Cape Town at the Cape Town International Conference Centre,” concludes Oberholzer. For more information around Meetings & Masterclasses, Africa Travel Week Connect or WTM Africa 2021, please contact atwconnect@reedexpoafrica.co.za
