For Immediate Release | Official News Wire for the Travel Industry

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African Tourism Board is reaching out to Mauritius facing another crisis

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Pretoria, South Africa: The African Tourism Board (ATB) has learned with great concern about the unprecedented incident of a disastrous oil-spill in Mauritius.

It comes when the tourism sector is meant to gradually bounce back in the Continent.
This accident will surely have a long-lasting environmental impact and the people of Mauritius are facing this situation at a time every country is dealing with a deadly pandemic that has brought our sector to a standstill.

Cuthbert Ncube, Chair of ATB said: “The people of Mauritius however are an example to the world when it comes to resilience in keeping the virus off their shores. “

Cuthbert Ncube, Chairman African Tourism Board

“There are times when countries should rally behind each other and come up with an African mechanism in quilling and dealing with such eventualities”, ATB Chairman Cuthbert Ncube added. “We are ready to assist Mauritius. Also, we’re applauding the people leading the travel and tourism industry in Mauritius in coming together in large numbers to respond to this unexpected additional crisis.”

The African Tourism Board believes in tourism to be a catalyst for unity, peace, growth, and prosperity for the people of Africa.

The African Tourism Board is an organization where Africa becomes One Tourist Destination of Choice in the World.

More information on the African Tourism Boar can be found at www.africantourismboard.com

Source: African Tourism Board Press Office

First Press Conference for Project Hope and Rebuilding Travel scheduled

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The African Tourism Board, Project Hope, and Rebuilding.travel scheduled their first global virtual update and press-conference for Tuesday, June 23, 2012. Journalists and those interested are invited to attend.

Project Hope is the response to COVID-19 for the African Tourism Board.

Rebuilding.travel is the global communication on COVID-19 and the travel and tourism industry in more than 114 countries.

Both initiatives are inviting to a public press-conference to update about their activities under the chairmanship of Dr. Taleb Rifai, former secretary- general of the World Tourism Organization UNWTO

Tuesday, June 23, 2020
19.00h South Africa | Germany |  7.00h Hawaii Time | 10.00 California | Noon Chicago | 13.00 New York |  18.00 London | 20:00 Jordan – Israel – Saudi Arabia | 21.00 UAE | Midnight Bangkok | 1.00 Hong Kong | 2.00 Tokyo

Click here to register

African Tourism Board on COVID19: Act Now!

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A leading voice of tourism development on the African continent, the African Tourism Board (ATB) is of the position that the “wait and see period on Covid-19” is over for Africa and the time to “ACT NOW”. Going forward, ATB will be releasing industry updates to keep African Tourism stakeholders informed and advised on mitigatory measures we must all take to ensure we survive the damages of the Corona Virus pandemic. It is important to note that for the continent to respond effectively to the threat and damage of Covid-19 a coordinated approach is required. We must all consult, share ideas and advice on recovery measures.

In today’s edition ATB proposes to the African Union Member States and industry stakeholders the following:

• ATB commends those Member States that have constituted National inter-sectoral or inter-ministerial a Corona Virus Committees or Task Forces. It urges those that have not done so to establish such national structures as a matter of urgency. The purpose of such national structures is to ensure that all sectors are able to feed into the national discussions on the impacts of the pandemic and decisions on priorities for mitigating and recovery.
ATB further urges the Tourism Sector to ensure that both its private and public players
• are adequately represented on these national structures.
• ATB advises on the importance of sharing information and experiences particularly in these situations where countries may have to close their borders to foreign travel and to quarantine sections of the population.
• ATB, therefore, urges the National Tourism Authorities to establish National Tourism Task Teams with a resourced research and information dissemination function. Such task Forces should continuously, gather information and relevant intelligence on the impact of the virus at national level and to feed into the National Task Force.
• ATB is at advanced stages in its discussions with Strategic Partners including NEPAD-AUDA and UNWTO to establish a focal point/desk to collect and collate all information from the national structures to facilitate free flow and sharing of vital intelligence to counter the damages of the pandemic.
• ATB recommends that National Task Teams must already be planning for mitigation and rapid recovery. It is equally important that we all as a continent, share such plans.
• In the meantime Member States, Tourism Task Teams responsible for intelligence gathering can share information by contacting ATB at info@africantourismboard.com. The ATB will use such information responsibly and process it for sharing with all Member States and key stakeholders.
ATB continues to advise that the pandemic is already impacting on the health systems and economies of the continent. All countries must be on high alert, taking necessary measures to protect the lives and health of people of the continent and all its visitors. Travel and tourism is a frontline industry in the fight against this pandemic and as we have seen in other parts of the world, it is being hit first and it is being hit hard. Again as reported in affected countries, once in the community, the virus spreads fast and across geographical areas, impacting hard on the health sector and the rest of the economy. Travel and Tourism are affected almost immediately.
The proposed measures are meant to ensure no section of the industry must be caught unawares, all players must be alert to the developments and operators should not go for short term gains or measures but to look at the bigger picture, building resilience and creating measures for a rapid recovery
ATB continues to advise African Governments that post the immediate health and economic impacts, Transport and Tourism are the strategic and frontline sectors with the capacity to pull other sectors of the economy to recovery. But to do that these sectors must be resourced. Therefore the structures proposed in this article must be taken seriously to inform and be a strategic vehicle for crafting and implementing effective management, mitigation, and rapid recovery plans. Resource allocation must prioritize transport, travel, and tourism as strategic to rapid economic recovery.

More information on the African Tourism Board: www.africantourismboard.com

Media contact:
www.africantourismboard.com/contact
CCO Juergen Steinmetz : +1-808-536-1100 jts@africantourismboard.com

African Tourism Board is now a non profit company with Aloha

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African Tourism Board was approved by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission of South Africa to become a Non-Profit Company. A certificate was issued on Wednesday, January 8, 2020

“A new era for ATB starts from today”, says Doris Woerfel, CEO of the African Tourism Board. ATB Chairman  Cuthbert Ncube echoed expressing his excitement and commitment to expressing his desire for the African Tourism Board to become the prime voice of the African Travel and Tourism Industry.
Dr. Taleb Rifai gave it a thumb up today.

Juergen Steinmetz, founder of the organization said: “I am proud and humbled to have started this global grass route initiative for Africa and saw it developing into a reality.”

“I feel I brought a little bit of our Aloha Spirit from Hawaii to Africa, becoming an African at heart in this global world”, said Hawaii based founding Chairman Juergen Steinmetz.

African Tourism Board to the World: You have one more day!

“As the founding Chairman of the African Tourism Board, I like to recognize those that had supported me with the idea to form the African Tourism Board from the very beginning. Specifically, I wanted to point out  Carol Weaving from Reed Expo. Without providing our meeting room at the World Travel Market in 2018, and again for our launch at WTM Capetown in 2019,  this organization would not have started.”

The support from our initial members getting active behind the scene and before our launch was essential to get to where we are today. Such support was received

  • Dr. Taleb Rifai (former UNWTO Secretary-General),
  • Professor Geoffrey Lipman (President ICTP),
  • Alain St. Ange (former minister of tourism Seychelles),
  • Hon. Dr. Memunatu Pratt (Minister of Tourism Sierra Leone)
  • Hon. Edmund Bartlett (Minister of Tourism Jamaica),
  • Dr. Walter Mzembi (former Minister of Tourism Zimbabwe),
  • Gayan Anil Kumarsingh (former Minister of Tourism Mauritius)
  • Carol Weaving (Reed Expo),
  • Graham Cooke (World Travel Award),
  • Kameni Lele Francoise (Cameroon),
  • Louis D’Amore (IIPT),
  • Cuthbert Ncube (Kwela Group, South Africa),
  • Doris Woerfel (Southern Cross Experiences (PTY) Ltd, South Africa)
  • Apolinar Tairo, (eTN Tanzania)
  • Dr. Ngwire Mabvuto Percy (Embassy Zambia),
  • Dr. Pstrick Kalifunga (Zambia),  Maimouna Elshafie (Ministry Tourism Sudan) ,
  • Jean Claude Mobali-Banda (Republic of Congo),
  • President Bella, Ghana Tourism Federation (Ghana)
  • Kwakye Donkor  (South Africa, Ghana)
  • Idris Olukoya (News Agency Nigeria),
  • Rosemary Olive Mbon Enie, Salama Heritage (Tanzania),
  • Bea Broda (Travel Video TV, Canada) ,
  • Hermann Man, (Cote d’Ivoire),
  • Limfenyuy Kongnso Cyrille, National Polytechnic University Institute (Cameroon),
  • Gabriella Ribeiro< Tru Marketing (USA),
  • Wayne Johnson (Ecolodge Zaina Lodgem Ghana) 
  • Pascal Viroleau (Vanilla Island Organization, Reunion)
  • Mahmoud Kombo (Minister Tourism Zanzibar)
  • Jamal Boujrad (APEMENTO, Morocco),
  • Gecko’S Incentive and Events (Germany)
  • Yoseph Getnet Teshale Ghion travel and tours (Ethiopia),
  • Tony Smith (iFREE Group, Hong Kong),
  • Ali Rashid (Kenya Revenue Authority),
  • Pia von Waldau, (Inter Media Japan),
  • Kristy Angelotti (South African Tourism USA),
  • Ursula Brown (Cape Info South Africa),
  • Christopher Hill (Hands Up Holidays, New Zealand)
  • Jose Sandoval Zepeda (Orange Gruppo, Mexico),
  • Hans Soltau (Exclusive Africa Tours & Safaris, Namibia)
  • Abel Kimani (Alaitol Sadaris, Tanzania),
  • Gregory DeMelo (Bridgewater State University, USA),
  • Srath Wattegedra (Sunray Travel, Sweden),
  • Don Testa (Trip Ahoy,USA),
  • Joel Manjoko (Ultimate Safaris, Zimbabwe),
  • Rita Cook (The Insider Magazine, USA),
  • Dr. Rolf Herpens (Consulate Seychelles, Germany),
  • Tim Boxer (15 Minute Magazine, USA),
  • Sydney Pierre (LUX Resort, Mauritius),
  • Juan Torrents (FEMOZA, Switzerland),
  • Clive Bishop (Blue Skies Consultancy Group, UK) ,
  • Leo Udtohan (Philippine Daily Inquirer),
  • Nancy Needham (Global Travel & Tourism Partnership GTTP, USA) ,
  • Peter Hargrove (IBR News USA) ,
  • Pathum Wickramarathne (Free Media, Sri Lanka),
  • Shehara Rizly (Durga Das Publications, UAE), 
  • Salvador Alves Dias (News4 Travel, Portugal) ,
  • Manuel Sainz (eBiz Africa Review, Spain) ,
  • Art Fennel, (Fennell Media USA),
  • Ahmed Bassouni Korra (Sawah Tourism News, Egypt),
  • James Nadjope (Justice Tourism Foundation, Uganda) ,
  • Sambo Amadou (Oasis and Dream Resort, Niger),
  • Mercyline Mutarisi (Testimonial Media, Zimbabwe) ,
  • Junisa Precious Gbeteh Sallu Kallon (Juninnho Investments Company Limit, Sierra Leone),
  • Carolyn Anderson (Beyond All Borders, USA),
  • Hashim Mohamed (Kenya Utalii College, Kenya),
  • Craig Rix (Travel Africa Magazine, UK) ,
  • Helen Peek ( Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors, Tanzania) ,
  • Dr. Isa Byona, ( Africa Sustainable Tourism Care Foundation, Uganda),
  • Ariel Azoff (Atlas Obscura, South Africa),
  • Anton Vosloo (Lelobu Safaris, Botswana), 
  • Susanna Hagen (Profi Verlag, Germany)
  • Diana McIntyre-Pike (Countrystyle Community Tourism, Jamaica)
  • David Vequist, (Center for Medical Tourism Research, USA)
  • Tes Proos , (Crystal Events ,South Africa)
  • Sharon Parris-Chambers (Carib News, Jamaica)
  • Joseph Okelo, Global Travel and Tourism Partnership (Kenya)
  • Joey Moscovitch, Mccolline (Madagascar)
  • June Crawford, (Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa)
  • Gregory Bakunzi (Red Rocks Initiatives, Rwanda)
  • The entire global team of eTurboNews
  • International Coalition of Tourism Partner board members

The African Tourism Board is a nonprofit organization with one goal only to bring African Tourism together. More information: www.africantourismboard.com

MEDIA CONTACT: TravelMarketingNetwork, 954 Lexington Ave. #1037, New York, NY 10021 USA, PH: (+1) 718-374-6816, marketing@travelmarketingnetwork.com

The US Iran conflict has African Tourism Leaders on the edge

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The escalating conflict between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran is making travel and tourism leaders in Africa very nervous. Among them is  Alain St.Ange, president of the African Tourism Board.  From his office in Seychelles, he issued an urgent appeal for restraint to US President Donald Trump and Iran President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday. St.Ange shares the concern brought forward Monday by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

Guterres spoke at the United Nations in New York. expressing deep concern over rising global discord and called for “maximum restraint” amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran after the United States killed an Iranian military commander.

The Trump administration is barring Iran’s top diplomat from entering the United States this week to address the United Nations Security Council about the U.S. assassination of Iran’s top military official in Baghdad, violating the terms of a 1947 headquarters agreement requiring Washington to permit foreign officials into the country to conduct U.N. business, according to three diplomatic sources.

The African Tourism Board agreed with the UN Secretary-General repeating: “We are living in dangerous times. Geopolitical tensions are at their highest level this century. And this turbulence is escalating.”

alain
Alain St.Ange, president of African Tourism Board

St.Ange added: “Too many tourism destinations see the recent development as a challenge for their tourism industry as a whole.”

Many regions in Africa where tourism is big business, like the Indian  Ocean, East Africa, West Africa, South Africa for a major part depend on air connection through Doha, Abu Dhabi or Dubai which connects them to major visitors source markets in Europe, India, Asia, South America, North America, and even Australia.

“We can all pray that the situation will not escalate further. Oil prices are already going up. This is the start of trying moments for everyone” said St.Ange the former Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine of Seychelles,  now serving as President of the African Tourism Board.

More news from the African Tourism Board on eTurboNews click here 

More information on African Tourism Board including membership can be found at www.africantourismboard.com 

MEDIA CONTACT: TravelMarketingNetwork, 954 Lexington Ave. #1037, New York, NY 10021 USA, PH: (+1) 718-374-6816, marketing@travelmarketingnetwork.com

African Tourism Board on EDU – Tourism: A united global approach

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EDU-tourism is the best vehicle for Africa, to integrate our expertise and change the normal programs within nations. These were the words yesterday by Cuthbert Ncube, vice president of the African Tourism Board.

The sub-Sahara region is endowed with abundant tourism resource that could save as the basis for education in tourism. We need as Africa to build, cement and appreciate the regional capacity we need for the long term success of edu-tourism.

The South African Deputy Minister of Tourism Elizabeth Thabethe reiterated that policies should be revised to incorporate edu-tourism programmes in school curriculum from primary to tertiary levels, becoming compulsory in every institution. We need to approach education in Tourism as an alternative strategy for the mass tourism development efforts in the sub-region.

The Deputy Minister of Tourism applauded 17-year-old, Vanessa Rooi, who stood out as an outstanding student at Elandspoort secondary school with her great achievements. Vanessa Rooi is currently the school president and the Tshwane district region. Her inspiration is to study Audiology the following year.This was the inspiration from a young African lady.

The minister said: “Therefore we need a coordinated and synchronised approach to edu- tourism, to realize the social and economic potential.”

The ATB Vice President Cuthbert Ncube echoed that Africa is endowed with a massive abundant tourism resource that could sustain and enhance the foundation of edu-tourism Africa needs to fast-forward the implementation of edu-tourism in sub-Saharan Africa  We have so much to pollinate to create offsprings for the next generations

The African Tourism Board is strongly advocating a united global approach in dealing with Tourism in its dimensional forms.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4926-30, Fax: 920-4944