For Immediate Release | Official News Wire for the Travel Industry

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Archives for October 2018

Ghana Minister of Tourism joins African Tourism Board

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The African Tourism Board has appointed the Hon. Catherine Ablema Afeku, Minister of Tourism Ghana, to the African Tourism Board (ATB). She will serve on the Board of Sitting Ministers and Appointed Public Officials.

New board members have been joining the organization before the upcoming soft launch of ATB taking place on Monday, November 5, at 1400 hours during World Travel Market in London.

200 top tourism leaders, including ministers from many African countries, as well as Dr. Taleb Rifai, former UNWTO Secretary General, are scheduled to attend the event at WTM.

Click here to find out more about the African Tourism Board meeting on November 5 and to register.

The Hon. Catherine Ablema Afekum is a Ghanaian politician and the current Hon. Minister of Tourism Ghana.

She is a member of the New Patriotic Party and the Member of Parliament for the Evalue Gwira Constituency in the Western Region.

She was born at Axim in the Western Region. She obtained a Master of Business Administration from the Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Atlanta, Georgia in the year 2000.

ABOUT THE AFRICAN TOURISM BOARD

Founded in 2018, the African Tourism Board (ATB) is an association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to and from the African region. The  African Tourism Board is part of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP).

The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research, and innovative events to its members.

In partnership with private and public sector members, ATB enhances the sustainable growth, value, and quality of travel and tourism to, from, and within Africa. The Association provides leadership and counsel on an individual and collective basis to its member organizations. ATB is rapidly expanding opportunities for marketing, public relations, investments, branding, promoting, and establishing niche markets.

For more information on the African Tourism Board, click here.  To join ATB, click here.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Travel Marketing Network
954 Lexington Ave. #1037
New York, NY 10021 USA
[email protected]

USA: (+1) 718-374-6816
Germany: (+49) 2102-1458477
UK: (+44) 20-3239-3300
Australia: (+61) 2-8005-1444
Hong Kong, China: (+852) 8120-9450
Cape Town, South Africa: (+27) 21-813-5811

 

 

African Tourism Board names Minister of Tourism Cape Verde to team

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The African Tourism Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Hon. Jose Gonçalves, Minister of Tourism Cape Verde, to the African Tourism Board (ATB). He will serve on the Board of Sitting Ministers and Appointed Public Officials.

His vast experience in high-level international advisory roles includes senior advisor to Prime Ministers, Senior Ministers, and CEOs of enterprises and institutions in developing and transition economies.

New board members have been joining the organization before the upcoming soft launch of ATB taking place on Monday, November 5, at 1400 hours during World Travel Market in London.

200 top tourism leaders, including ministers from many African countries, as well as Dr. Taleb Rifai, former UNWTO Secretary General, are scheduled to attend the event at WTM.

Click here to find out more about the African Tourism Board meeting on November 5 and to register.

Cape Verde Minister of Tourism and Transport, and Minister of Maritime Economy since January 2018, and previous Minister of Economy and Employment1 for the period of April 20016 – December 2017, José Gonçalves is a Trade, Investment and Private Sector Development specialist with over 30 years of international experience in project and program development and management.

Minister Gonçalves, in charge of two ministries on two different islands, is among the Cabinet’s senior ministers and oversees a portfolio of very important key economic areas including tourism, air and maritime transportation, maritime economy, and fisheries.

Additionally, the Minister exercises oversight over regulatory agencies and public institutes in the areas under his supervision as well as guidance over state-owned enterprises either totally or partially owned by the state. Among his professional achievements, Minister Gonçalves exercised leadership role in the design and implementation of Cabo Verde’s Economic Reforms Program in late 1990s, leading to the establishment of the country’s first sovereign wealth fund and later culminating in the official “graduation” of the country from Less Developed Country (LDC) to Lower Middle Income Country (LMIC) in 2008.

Another major achievement was his leadership role as second youngest department head and Associate Vice President in the Organizing Committee of the successful 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Minister Gonçalves is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. He holds a PhD degree from the University of California Los Angeles in Comparative International Education and is a Graduate of the Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business

ABOUT THE AFRICAN TOURISM BOARD

Founded in 2018, the African Tourism Board (ATB) is an association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to and from the African region. The  African Tourism Board is part of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP).

The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research, and innovative events to its members.

In partnership with private and public sector members, ATB enhances the sustainable growth, value, and quality of travel and tourism to, from, and within Africa. The Association provides leadership and counsel on an individual and collective basis to its member organizations. ATB is rapidly expanding opportunities for marketing, public relations, investments, branding, promoting, and establishing niche markets.

For more information on the African Tourism Board, click here.  To join ATB, click here.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Travel Marketing Network
954 Lexington Ave. #1037
New York, NY 10021 USA
[email protected]

USA: (+1) 718-374-6816
Germany: (+49) 2102-1458477
UK: (+44) 20-3239-3300
Australia: (+61) 2-8005-1444
Hong Kong, China: (+852) 8120-9450
Cape Town, South Africa: (+27) 21-813-5811

 

 

Sierra Leone Tourism joins efforts of African Tourism Board

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The African Tourism Board is pleased to announce the appointment of the Honorable Dr. Memunatu Pratt, Minister of Tourism & Culture Sierra Leone, to the African Tourism Board (ATB). He is serving as a member of the Board of Sitting Ministers and Appointed Public Officials.

New board members have been joining the organization before the upcoming soft launch of ATB taking place on Monday, November 5, at 1400 hours during World Travel Market in London.

200 top tourism leaders, including ministers from many African countries, as well as Dr. Taleb Rifai, former UNWTO Secretary General, are scheduled to attend the event at WTM.

Click here to find out more about the African Tourism Board meeting on November 5 and to register.

Sierra Leone is made up of an astonishing diversity of ethnic groups, considering the size of the country. This wide range of nationalities contributes to a growing economy. Sierra Leoneans have a unique blend of cultural traditions. They are vibrant, exuberant and expressive people and their cultural values, traditions, and belief systems are widely practiced and respected.

A variety of food, flamboyant clothing, jewelry, hand-made crafts, lively festivals, and the performing arts are expressions of this colorful society. Tourists never know what they might come across! Around the next corner, there could be a national cultural show where traditional dancers gyrate and revel to the drums and music.

The people of Sierra Leone are well known for their friendliness and hospitality and life is taken at a very relaxed pace.

ABOUT THE AFRICAN TOURISM BOARD

Founded in 2018, the African Tourism Board (ATB) is an association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to and from the African region. The  African Tourism Board is part of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP).

The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research, and innovative events to its members.

In partnership with private and public sector members, ATB enhances the sustainable growth, value, and quality of travel and tourism to, from, and within Africa. The Association provides leadership and counsel on an individual and collective basis to its member organizations. ATB is rapidly expanding opportunities for marketing, public relations, investments, branding, promoting, and establishing niche markets.

For more information on the African Tourism Board, click here.  To join ATB, click here.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Travel Marketing Network
954 Lexington Ave. #1037
New York, NY 10021 USA
[email protected]

USA: (+1) 718-374-6816
Germany: (+49) 2102-1458477
UK: (+44) 20-3239-3300
Australia: (+61) 2-8005-1444
Hong Kong, China: (+852) 8120-9450
Cape Town, South Africa: (+27) 21-813-5811

Dr. Patrick Kalifungwa of Zambia brings knowledge to African Tourism Board

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Zambia’s Dr. Patrick Kalifungwa of the Livingstone International University of Tourism Excellence and Business Management, Zambia, is serving on the African Tourism Board (ATB) on the Committee of Elders.

New board members have been joining the ATB before the upcoming soft launch of the association taking place on Monday, November 5, at 1400 hours during World Travel Market in London.

Click here to find out more about the African Tourism Board meeting on November 5 and to register.

200 top tourism leaders, including ministers from many African countries, as well as Dr. Taleb Rifai, former UNWTO Secretary General, are scheduled to attend the event at WTM.

In 1999, Dr. Patrick Kalifungwa had a dream that one day he would give birth to a university. His dream was postponed as he was called to enter politics and serve as the Republic of Zambia’s Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources.

Dr. Kalifungwa’s years as Minister motivated him further, following which he completed his doctorate degree at Glamorgan University in the United Kingdom. He returned to Zambia and in June 2009, he launched the Livingstone International University of Tourism Excellence and Business Management (LIUTEBM).

LIUTEBM has provided many benefits to a student body of some 1,000 joyful and thankful students in various degree programs including Travel and Tourism, Hospitality Management, Accounting, Business Management, Communications, Public Relations, Human Resource Management, Banking and Finance,  Law, and Medicine.

LIUTEBM is an internationally-acclaimed university acknowledged for excellence with both the Gold Category and Platinum Category International Star for Leadership and Quality by the Business Initiative Direction in Paris, France, and the European Business Association Socrates Award, given to Dr. Kalifungwa for his leadership.

Click here to find out more about the African Tourism Board meeting on November 5 and to register.

ABOUT THE AFRICAN TOURISM BOARD

Founded in 2018, the African Tourism Board (ATB) is an association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to and from the African region. The  African Tourism Board is part of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP).

The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research, and innovative events to its members.

In partnership with private and public sector members, ATB enhances the sustainable growth, value, and quality of travel and tourism to, from, and within Africa. The Association provides leadership and counsel on an individual and collective basis to its member organizations. ATB is rapidly expanding opportunities for marketing, public relations, investments, branding, promoting, and establishing niche markets.

For more information on the African Tourism Board, click here.  To join ATB, click here.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Travel Marketing Network
954 Lexington Ave. #1037
New York, NY 10021 USA
[email protected]

USA: (+1) 718-374-6816
Germany: (+49) 2102-1458477
UK: (+44) 20-3239-3300
Australia: (+61) 2-8005-1444
Hong Kong, China: (+852) 8120-9450
Cape Town, South Africa: (+27) 21-813-5811

Seychelles Tourism Board Chief Executive with key stakeholders in Reunion to reinforce existing mutual agreements

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Reinforcing mutual agreements and meeting with trade partners in Reunion were the focus of Seychelles Tourism Board’s (STB) Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis during her official mission to the French department of the Indian Ocean from October 21, 2018 to October 25, 2018.

This was the first time that Mrs. Francis called on Reunion counterparts since a representative from STB; Ms. Bernadette Honore, Senior Marketing Executive was positioned there in 2015.

Mrs. Francis met with Mr. Jean Marc Grazzini, Air Austral’s assistant general manager of commercial affairs. Air Austral is the only airline company in Reunion with direct connectivity in Seychelles.

To date, Air Austral has registered a 7 percent increase in terms of occupancy rate on the Reunion to Seychelles route as compared to the same period in 2017. Mr. Grazzini said that outbound passengers Reunion-Seychelles represents a good share of business for the company.

“We are happy that the joint marketing effort with air austral are bearing fruit. It’s important for the success of the market that we are able to maintain or even improve the frequencies of the direct flight,” said Mrs. Francis

Attributing to the increase in occupancy rate for the airline, Air Austral has reaffirmed to continue operating on the Seychelles route.

Following her meeting with Air Austral, Mrs. Francis met with Mr. Gerard Argien, the Director of Reunion Tourisme Federation (FRT), and his team.

For the past years, STB and FRT have developed a mutual exchange agreement through which four workers from the Seychelles tourism offices have travelled to Reunion, benefitting from professional enrichment.

Under the same programme, four staffs of FRT made a trip to tropical Seychelles. Both parties get to share and exchange expertise on different aspects of their duties. One such example is how personnel manage the calls of cruise ships when they call into port.

Proving beneficial for both parties, FRT had expressed satisfaction for this exchange programme.

On her behalf, Mrs. Francis has given her assurance that STB will continue to support the exchange programme.  The tourism board encourages and promotes professional development in other sections and departments within STB and the Tourism Department.

“I am looking forward for another year of cooperation with the FRT. We will maintain the exchanges but this time focusing on other areas where our staff could learn from our friends in the region. The exchanges has been very good professional development for the staff, “said Mrs. Francis.

 

Next on her agenda was a meeting with Mr. Stephan Ulliac, the interim chief executive of Ile de la Réunion Tourisme (IRT), the island’s equivalent of STB. Also in attendance was Ms. Linda Futhazar, who oversees the Indian Ocean market at IRT.

A mutual agreement exists between the two tourism boards, supporting marketing activities of STB on the market. Mrs. Francis expressed satisfaction for IRT’s support and both parties have come to a consensus to continue working together, mapping out common marketing activities for the future.

Seizing the opportunity, Mrs. Francis paid a courtesy call to the Honorary Consul of Seychelles in Reunion, Mr. Jean Claude Pech, where the two discusses STB’s mission in Reunion. The different actions to be implemented to make Seychelles visible on the market were also addressed.

The STB Chief Executive Mrs. Francis concluded her visit in Reunion with a meeting with Journalists from Le Quotidien, Exclusif Reunion and RTL to give an update of her mission in Reunion.