As World Travel Market Africa returns to its physical format after a pandemic-induced break, the International Tourism Investment Conference (ITIC), in partnership with World Travel Market Africa, will hold a summit on ‘Investing in Africa’s future tourism growth and prosperity’ from April 11-13, 2022.

This event will be held in a hybrid model, with both in-person and virtual formats at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, with the objective of supporting global but also regional investors in being the first movers to seize the new emerging opportunities of the recovering tourism industry of the African continent.

“During the pandemic, intra-African travel has been key for its survival. Investing in travel and tourism goes beyond its significant economic contribution. Investing in tourism, to me, is not just an extremely wise and correct business proposition; it is investing in the future of the planet, in the future of mankind, and after all, we all come out of Africa. Tourism is a force for good as well as peace,” Chairman of ITIC and former Secretary-General of UNWTO Taleb Rifai says.

Several leaders of the African and global travel industry including ministers Philda Kereng of Botswana, Najib Balala of Kenya and  Edmund Bartlett of Jamaica will attend the meet, along with key tourism and financial services stakeholders will participate actively in the summit to boost investment and rebuild the future of Africa’s tourism industry that is part of Africa Travel Week 2022.

“ITIC creates the conducive platform that enables investors and project owners or developers to connect and come up with mutually beneficial achievements that integrate the concerns of the different parties with respect to the preservation of the environment and cultural heritage as well as social inclusion and a fair return on investment,” says ITIC’s Group CEO, Ibrahim Ayoub.

One of the innovative features of the meet this year will be the focus on regional cross-border investments. “We have already engaged in negotiations with financial institutions so that they can act as enablers of tourism projects that will benefit the people of Africa at large,” adds Ayoub.

“The African continent is brimming with opportunities, new ideas and innovative projects. Africa Travel Week is proud and excited to bring together project owners, developers, and investors to help make these projects a reality. We look forward to hosting key professionals in the private and public sector, who will highlight investment trends, industry challenges, and opportunities for our beautiful continent,” says Martin Hiller, Creative and Content Director at RX Africa.

On April 13, B2B meetings between project owners or developers and the ITIC team will be scheduled. The investment team has invited tourism projects owners or developers in quest of investment to submit their projects so that its team can screen them and provide actionable advice in view of attendees striking mutually beneficial agreements and channelling investments into their projects.