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African Tourism Board announces Tourism Minister Bartlett of Jamaica as newest board member

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Working tirelessly to bring tourism to the forefront for his country, the Hon. Mr. Edward Bartlett, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, said in a conversation with eTN that he recognizes the importance of Africa and the connection between Africa and Jamaica, and today joined the African Tourism Board as a board membr.

The African Tourism Board is an initiative by the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP). ICTP Chairman Juergen Steinmetz said: “We’re very pleased for the Hon. Bartlett to take a leading role in the African Tourism Board. This will raise the bar for our initiative tremendously.”

Recognized for his wide-ranging expertise and accomplishments in the political arena, Honorable Edmund Bartlett has given over thirty-five years of service to Jamaica, working in both chambers of Jamaica’s Parliament – the Senate and House of Representatives.

Mr. Bartlett was first appointed Minister of Tourism in 2007, serving until December 2011. Prior to this appointment, he already had a solid track record of service as an outstanding legislator in central government in both Chambers of Parliament. He served as Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting and Culture in the Office of the Prime Minister and Minister of Youth, Sports & Community Development from 1980 to 1989; later he served as Senator and Opposition Spokesman on various portfolios, including Tourism, from 1989 to 2007. While serving in the shadow Cabinet following his first stint as Tourism Minister, Mr. Bartlett traveled the world forging alliances with strategic partners for global initiatives. He returned to the helm of the Ministry of Tourism following the February 2016 victory at the polls by the Jamaica Labour Party.

Beyond the duties of his assigned portfolio, Minister Bartlett has continually championed the advancement of education, skills training and job creation as ways of improving the lives of his constituents in East Central St. James. He is passionate about education and so his efforts have been about creating scholarships for both students and teachers, thus raising the bar for educational achievements. He has also worked tirelessly to improve the welfare of the elderly and disabled in his constituency.

Mr. Bartlett has also represented Jamaica regionally and internationally and currently chairs the Board of Affiliate Members of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). He is the first person to serve on the executive of both the public and private sector arms of this prestigious organization. During his first tenure as Tourism Minister, he served as Vice Chairman of the Executive Council of the UNWTO, representing the Americas. He also served as Vice President for the 19th General Assembly of the UNWTO held in South Korea in 2011.

A graduate of the University of the West Indies, where he majored in accounting, he has worked at the senior management level in the areas of marketing and sales as well as accounting, for major multi-national companies operating in Jamaica, prior to entering elective politics.

Minister Bartlett has been married for over 35 years and has two children. His passions include cricket, dominoes and dancing. At work and at play, he lives by the words of Marcus Garvey, Jamaica’s first National Hero:

“God and Nature first made us what we are, and then out of our own creative genius we make ourselves what we want to be.

Follow always that great law: Let the sky and God be our limit and Eternity our measurement.”

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:

TravelMarketingNetwork

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New York, NY 10021 USA

PH: (+1) 718-374-6816

marketing@travelmarketingnetwork.com

African Tourism Board made official at World Travel Market

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On Monday at the World Travel Market in London, Africa was in the spotlight in the afternoon with the soft-launch of the newly-formed African Tourism Board. A new, multinational body to promote the travel and tourism sector in Africa was unveiled during World Travel Market in London.

Created by the International Coalition of Tourism Partners, itself based in Seychelles, Brussels, Bali, and Hawaii, the Africa Tourism Board will seek to enhance and promote the sustainable growth, value, and quality of travel on the African continent.

The star guest was none other than former UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai, who welcomed the newly-founded tourism board and shared memories and success stories as well as the importance for African Tourism.

The Hon. Tourism Minister Anil Kumrsingh Gayan from Mauritius reminded attending tourism leaders about challenges in Africa touching connectivity.

The Hon. Minister Madam Memunatu B. Pratt, Minister of Tourism for Sierra Leone, shared her vision for African tourism and outlined challenges and welcomed the African Tourism Board.

Alain St. Ange, former Minister of Tourism for Seychelles, asked Africa to rally behind this initiative.

Carol Weaving, Managing Director of Reed Exhibitions, voiced her support as a board member and assured a great official launch event during WTM Capetown from April 10-12, 2019.

Professor Geoffrey Lipman launched a new initiative enabling thousands of young people to get a scholarship. “We want these young bright African people to get an education in tourism in Africa and not in the U.S. or Europe,” he said.

Graham Cooke, Founder of the World Travel Awards, announced a partnership and his support. Tony Smyth from IFree Group Hong Kong echoed the support of this global communications company.

Louis D’Amore, Founder of the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism sent his greeting and his hope to have his next conference in Africa.

The ICTP Chairman Juergen Steinmetz and initiator of the African Tourism Board said:

Your Excellencies, Friends of Africa.
Good afternoon everybody.
Welcome to the soft launch of the African Tourism Board.

My name is Juergen Steinmetz, and I am the Chairman of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners known as ICTP and based in Hawaii, Brussels, Seychelles, and Bali. Most of you also know me as President and Founder of the eTN Corporation, publisher of eTurboNews.

I am humbled and overwhelmed today seeing so many of you have taken the time to be here today. May I first thank Carol Weaving, Director of Reed Exhibitions for hosting this event today.

This is the first informal meeting and the soft launch of the African Tourism Board before our official launch planned at WTM Capetown from April 10-12, 2019.

The presence of so many of you, the honor to see so many ministers and leaders from throughout Africa, demonstrates great encouragement.

Africa needs its own voice in the global travel and tourism industry. With 54 countries, many more cultures, and a wealth of attractions, it’s still a continent to be discovered.

Tourism also means responsibilities, and tourism means business, investments, and should mean prosperity.

And this is where the African Tourism Board can be of great help.

The African Tourism Board is about business, but it’s also about responsible and sustainable tourism and is about investments, and it’s a source in crisis situations, and it’s all about bringing African tourism together.

Africa is a competitive place, and our partner, the World Travel Awards, recognizes the best of the best every year, and I am glad Graham Cooke is here today able to tell you more.

ICTP is a global organization. Our theme is “Green Growth and Quality equals Business.
” Our organization in its current form was founded in Lusaka, Zambia, during the International Institute for Peace through Tourism Conference in 2011. This was jointly witnessed by IIPT Founder ,Louis D’Amore; Alain St. Ange, Minister of Tourism at that time from Seychelles; Geoffrey Lipman, President of ICTP from Brussels; Eddy Bergman from the African Travel Association in New York; and myself. This happened also in the presence of the Zambia Tourism Minister, Catherine Namugala, and Dr. Walter Mzembi, Tourism Minister of Zimbabwe at that time.

With so many ties to Africa, with Rwanda, Johannesburg, Nigeria, Seychelles, and Reunion as African founding members, ICTP is now the driving force behind the African Tourism Board today.

With our steering committee formed, the African Tourism Board goal is to convert this initiative into a stand-alone organization by April 2019.

Our vision is to have ATB be based in every member destination and in every source market. This will create a global network for Africa, and enables every base to interact with every other base.

ATB has no intention to take over your national tourism initiatives, tourism boards, or policies. See us as a consultant, see us as a client ready to bring business.

ATB cannot be just an organization of dedicated volunteers, we plan to build an organization of paid professionals.

We don’t plan to compete with any other member organization, they have worked hard for Africa. We’re ready to lend our hand.

What we bring to the table are projects you can buy into and that are generated with your interest in mind. This is where our strength will be.

We are not here to take your money and organize costly events, or send you on roadshows that are never meant to bring the return you are looking for.

We are not here to replace your current effort to promote your destination, replace your PR or Marketing representatives; we’re here as your consultant, advisor, spokesperson, and we will have a hands-on approach.

We are not here to charge you membership fees, we are here to build a global network with you and for you, and it’s up to you to buy into the projects we bring to the table. We are building a partnership for African Tourism – anywhere in the world.

For example, what works in Germany, doesn’t work in the United States, in China, or in India. Case in point, for the U.S. market, having another dinner or cocktail evening in New York may bring the same non-producing and often so-called travel professionals together for a fun evening, but it won’t generate business.

Paying someone to write a costly press release will not generate publicity or create long-lasting exposure. We know this, and your PR and marketing agency knows it. We like to work with those who know this and are willing work and bring a different approach to the table.

What about secondary markets in the U.S.?  We plan to hire a professional rep making sales calls who will visit travel companies and concentrate on often overlooked but highly-potential markets in the U.S.

We’re here to introduce specialty markets like the MICE industry.

Americans love the Internet, but they still love to talk to someone even more. We will establish an African Call Center to respond to questions, respond to emails, and respond to social media comments. The U.S. is only one market. In this room alone, you can see experts ready to bring travelers from potential markets like India, Germany, the UK, and China to your destination.

Therefore, we are building a global network of media friends and Africa-friendly trade. We work with the organization “Tourism and More” on training for tourism police, on safety certification, and workshops. We are planning to work with the International Tourism Investment Conference in attracting investments to Africa.

We already started to identify an excellent team of a board and steering committee members. Our steering committee is ready to establish a way forward and will help with a structural set-up to announce in April at our official launch.

People asked me where ATB will be based.

We would like to have ATB based in every country that supports us – this includes African countries and in countries with a source market for African Tourism. We need a go-to person on the ground in every country, and we need to find a way to communicate with every person on the ground in other countries and regions within and outside Africa.

We won’t charge memberships, but we rely on sponsorships based on your ability, and in addition, we will offer a catalog of projects you can buy into.

www.africantourismboard.com is an easy domain to be branded, and its one of the reasons we decided to call this initiative the African Tourism Board.

We invite our stakeholders to have an email address or website on our platform. This will raise confidence among consumers and provide a chance for small to medium businesses in Africa to do business in source markets.

After the Monday event, ATB received emails and calls from all across Africa, and it appears many more destinations in Africa want to join the African Tourism Board.

Media contact:

TravelMarketingNetwork
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New York, NY 10021 USA
marketing@travelmarketingnetwork.com

 

Hon. Sidie Yahya Tunis named to African Tourism Board

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The African Tourism Board announced the appointment of Hon. Sidie Yahya Tunis, Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs Sierra Leone, to the African Tourism Board (ATB). She will serve on the Board as a member of the Committee of Elders in Tourism.

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 vision of the Sierra Leone Tourism Ministry is to transform the country into an attractive tourism and cultural destination. The vibrant and energetic capital city of Freetown is located in the Western Area of Sierra Leone framed by the majestic Sierra Lyoa mountains rising behind it. Attractions sure to entice visitors include the National Museum, Big Market, Gateway to Old King’s Yard, and Maroon Church.

The Northern Province is a paradise for eco-tourism and adventure tourism. It has ranges of mountains, hills, valleys and wetlands, comprising unique and endangered species. Some of the world’s most beautiful pristine, white and unspoiled beaches are to be found along the country’s coastlines along the Atlantic Ocean.

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
marketing@travelmarketingnetwork.com

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

 

 

Zimbabwe Tourism Minister now on African Tourism Board

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The African Tourism Board is pleased to announce the appointment of the Hon. Priscah Mupfumira, the current Minister of Tourism and Hospitality for Zimbabwe, 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 main function of the Hon. Priscah Mupfumira’s ministry is to promote tourism and come up with policies to this effect.

The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority is mandated to market Zimbabwe and falls under the Ministry of Tourism. It has its headquarters in the main business district of the capital city of Zimbabwe, Harare.

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
marketing@travelmarketingnetwork.com

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

 

 

Zanzibar Tourism links with African Tourism Board

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The Hon. Minister Mahmoud Kombo, Minister Information, Tourism and Heritage for Zanzibar, has joined forced with the African Tourism Board (ATB). He will serve on the Board as a member of the 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.

Ass the Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Mahmoud Kombo, his agency promotes and regulates the tourism industry in Zanzibar.

The archipelago of Zanzibar is located off the coast of East Africa. On its main island, Unguja, familiarly called Zanzibar, is Stone Town, a historic trade center with Swahili and Islamic influences. Its winding lanes present minarets, carved doorways and 19th-century landmarks such as the House of Wonders, a former sultan’s palace. The northern villages Nungwi and Kendwa have wide beaches lined with hotels.

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
marketing@travelmarketingnetwork.com

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