African travel and tourism sector set for debut hybrid summit in September

The Department of Tourism and South African Tourism have announced, 20 August, they will host the first ever Africa’s Travel and Tourism Summit (ATTS). It is set to take place in a hybrid format, 19-21 September 2021, coinciding with Tourism Month in South Africa.  ATTS aims to attract African community delegates, African tourism ministers, industry associations, Tourism Boards, DMOs as well as various partners across the tourism value chain.  Some of the major topics for discussion at the summit include aviation, innovation, technology, the health and safety protocols currently in place, as well as the continent’s positioning post the Covid-19 pandemic for the African continent.  Sthembiso Dlamini, South African Tourism’s acting CEO, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic may have dealt tourism, both business and leisure tourism, a heavy blow, but we are now in the recovery phase, and a summit of this nature is critical in ensuring that we are aligned as a continent whilst reigniting the tourism industry.”  Dlamini added: “We have opted for the hybrid format in order for us, as a continent, to lead the way in demonstrating how tourism can be enjoyed safely whilst adhering to health protocols. It is important that we are diligent in reigniting the sector, as it contributes significantly to the African economy,”   Delegates will have the option of attending virtually, at identified venues across South Africa, or at three additional locations on the rest of the African continent, pending Covid-19 lockdown regulations. All venues will have Covid-19 health and safety protocols in place.  Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Tourism as well as South African Tourism were not able to host the MICE-focused Meetings Africa and leisure-focused Africa’s Travel Indaba 2021 editions.  Kwakye Donkor, CEO of Africa Tourism Partners, commented: “In the absence of Africa’s Travel Indaba in 2020 and 2021, ATTS is an innovative initiative for promoting intra-Africa tourism and also for sharing insights into the ‘state of readiness’ for South Africa and the rest Africa to welcome the world during and post-Covid-19 pandemic.”