KWAZULU NATAL GOVERNMENT KEY SPONSOR OF MAJOR LEAGUE AFRICAN TOURISM EVENT
(Posted 14th August 2019)
Continental representatives of the tourism sector will be hosted by the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government at Durban’s International Convention Centre in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal from 27-29 August at the 2019 African Tourism Leadership Forum (ATLF Durban).
Speakers and delegates to the ATLF will share their experiences, lessons learnt and best practice in building a Pan-African tourism sector that is able to create jobs and grow communities while sharing the best that the continent has to offer to travellers from the continent and beyond. Some of the esteemed speakers at the ATLF 2019 will include the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s Zurab Pololikashvili; Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Marines in Seychelles, Didier Dogley; Minister of Tourism in Mauritius, Anil Kumarsingh Gayan; Zambia’s Minister of Tourism and Arts, Ronald Kaoma Chitotela; and KZN’s MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Nomusa Dube-Ncube.
KwaZulu-Natal’s MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has extended a warm welcome to delegates and speakers to the ATLF saying, “the province is pleased to be hosting this Forum. KZN has over the years had some successes in marketing itself as a destination of choice for leisure and business travellers and we look forward to sharing this experience with delegates. On behalf of the Premier of the province we say “wamukelekile” to the almost 500 participants in the Conference. Building a successful tourism sector amidst other challenges is not always easy, but it can be done with focus and consistency. Nonetheless, I am hopeful that the lessons and experience we will all gain from 2019 Africa Tourism Leadership Forum, taking place from the 27th to 29th of August, here in Durban and our province will inspire both young to build a thriving tourism industry together” she emphasized.
Reflecting on the importance of such a gathering at a time when Africa is grappling with how to ensure young people in particular are not excluded from the labour market amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the UNWTO’s Zurab Pololikashvili urged delegates to “dream boldly about the future of the continent and tourism’s place in that picture. Delegates must then put in place the plans which can be incrementally implemented to achieve this vision.”
The tourism industry has to necessarily consider sustainability especially as the realities of climate change become increasingly apparent. The SADC region cannot, for instance ignore, the real threat it faces as a water scarce region.
The continent is on the rise. It is indeed Africa’s time. The recent signing of the Continental Free Trade Agreement provides the impetus for the sector to look at how to create the conditions for the free movement of goods, services and people both within the continent and beyond.
Register now https://www.tourismleadershipforum.africa/registration-form/ or contact the Registration Hotline on +27 (0)81 303 7030
