Delegates from worldwide, including greater than twenty African countries, attended the Africa Travel Association’s sixth annual U.S.-Africa Tourism Seminar (USATS), which was the foremost successful ATA industry event staged within the U.S. thus far.
The USATS, hung on Friday, March 8 in Washington, DC, promoted the theme, “Marketing Destination Africa 2020” and highlighted new marketing strategies, tools and emerging trends with presentations from top industry experts, including the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Cynthia Akuetteh and David Pavelko, Head of Industry, Travel for Google. It also emphasized the continent’s impressive economic growth and prospects for USAfrica business exchange and development.
In her opening remarks, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Cynthia Akuetteh, provided an update on U.S.-Africa relations in President Barack Obama’s second term.
She spoke in regards to the important role Africa is primed to play inside the “security and prosperity of the international community “and the necessity for the united states to take a comprehensive and committed way to investment and development opportunities across Africa. Quoting Assistant Secretary of State, Ambassador Johnnie Carson, she said, “There is not any doubt in my mind that Africa is rising, that Africa is at the move, that progress is being made in all sectors. Africa is moving forward.”
David Pavelko, Head of Industry, Travel, Google, delivered the keynote, which centered at the message that “digital can give a canvas for storytelling.” “For the African story to capture an audience effectively it should be grounded inside the authentic and the genuine; a real reference to the continent is what is going to sell it,” he said. “Destination Africa and the countries within can market themselves successfully if tourism stakeholders know the way to exploit the trends in digital in a meaningful way. Pavelko added, “The U.S. market is one who cherishes uniqueness and this gives one of the best opportunity on which Africa can capitalize. Africa has far more to provide than simply the safari and using digital and mobile applications may also help bring the “bucket list” destination to life.”
The sixth annual US-Africa Seminar featured speakers and representatives from a who’s who within the U.S. and African travel categories including Affluent Hospitality, AfroPop Worldwide, Arik Air, Air Promotions Group, Botswana Tourist Board, Corporate Council on Africa, Delta Air Lines, Expedia, Group IST, Namibia Tourist Board. National Baptist Convention, National Tour Association (NTA), Onyx Global Marketing, South African Airways, Sparkloft Media, Strategy XXI Partners, The Bradford Group, US Department of the inner, Wildlife Conservation Society, Office of Travel & Tourism Industries on the US Department of Commerce and the Washington DC, Travel & Adventure Show. Participating African tourism ministers included Cameroon’s Hon. Bello Bouba Maigari, Minister of State, Ministry of Tourism and Leisure and Zimbabwe’s Hon. Walter Mzembi, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industries and current ATA President.
Wrapping up the day, both Lisa Simon, President of the National Tour Association (NTA) and Ron Erdmann, Deputy Director of the Office of Travel & Tourism Industries for the International Trade Administration on the US Department of Commerce, said the outlook for travel to Africa from the U.S. was bright. Erdmann observed that South Atlantic states provide the top percentage of travelers to the continent. He also said that in conjunction with niche travel markets, Africa should concentrate on these areas of tourist origin when packaging products with group needs in mind. Also, while US arrivals to Africa declined slightly, spending by U.S. travelers to Africa has increased yearly, up 150% from 2003.
Following the united states spotlight, ATA and NTA renewed their commitment to increasing travel to Africa in a signing ceremony on the conclusion of the seminar. Lisa Simon, NTA President, and Edward Bergman, ATA Executive Director, signed a memorandum of understanding that
outlines a large number of ways in which both associations will interact and interact.
The 2013 ATA seminar was organized in cooperation with the African Union Mission to the united states and the Washington, DC Travel & Adventure Show®
Sponsors included Arik Air, Delta Air Lines, Expedia, King & Spalding, Ministry of Tourism and Leisure of Cameroon, Onyx Global Marketing, South African Airways, South African Tourism (SAT) and Sparkloft Media.
At a night reception on Thursday, March 7, seminar attendees learned about Cameroon as a tourism destination and the location for ATA’s 38th Annual World Congress, to be held from May 29 to June 3, 2013. The networking event was held on the law offices of King & Spalding and was attended by an excellent group of kings – called fons – in from villages across Cameroon. The Ambassador to the united states from Cameroon also participated within the event.