With just over a month to go before Africa Travel Week (ATW) kicks off at the Cape Town International Conference Centre in South Africa, excitement is running high in the industry. ATW is offering a wide range of topics 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.

Africa Travel Week, a leading travel and tourism event, offers a unique platform for industry players who wish to increase their visibility, enter new markets, launch new products, assess the current industry landscape, generate sales leads, and network.

The trade show, which is taking place at the Cape Town International Conference Centre between April 11-13, 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.

Equal Africa

A 2021 survey by Booking.com revealed that more than half (53 pc) 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 April 11, this conference is free of charge, but reservations are encouraged as places are limited due to Covid-19 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 April 12 as part of WTM Africa. With the theme of “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.

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 April 13, this conference is free of charge, but it is advised to reserve your spot as places are limited due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The organisers say they are excited about the response and support of the tourism bodies in Africa for the event.  “Not surprisingly, a number of Africa’s leading tourism authorities and companies, media and associations have shown their support for an event that promises to expand our understanding of what’s happening in our industry, right now,” says Hiller.

“We’re extremely excited to offer a programme of this calibre; one we believe will be of exceptional value as our industry prepares to take the next step forward,” he adds.