(Posted 01st April 2025)
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Aviation Focus (10 April) – Tackling Africa’s connectivity challenges with AASA CEO Aaron Munetsi and FlySafair’s Kirby Gordon.
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State of the Industry Panel (11 April) – Skift’s Michelle Gounden leads a data-driven discussion on Africa’s tourism future.
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Wine Tourism Track (11 April) – Exploring growth opportunities with industry pioneers and live tastings.
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Inclusivity & Diversity Sessions – TEDx speaker Ruth Rathblott on building belonging in travel.
The flagship Africa Tourism Investment Conference on April 10 anchors the event’s
economic development focus, bringing financial institutions, developers and government officials together for a full day of structured dialogue. JLL Africa CEO Wayne Godwin will moderate discussions examining what investors seek from African tourism projects, with participation from Nedbank’s Warrick Haskell, the IDC’s Ken Ogwang, and safari industry leaders.
‘Growing African tourism requires targeted capital – this summit directly connects projects withpotential funders‘; added De Jager. ‘We expect real business conversations to happen here.’
A dedicated Aviation Focus on April 10 confronts the continent's persistent connectivity challenges, with AASA CEO Aaron Munetsi and FlySafair’s Kirby Gordon tackling pricing barriers and visa restrictions.
The Media & Narrative mini conference on April 9 examines how perception shapes destination success, featuring a frank panel discussion titled ‘Can African Destinations Thrive WhenHeadlines = Headwinds?‘ with Wesgro’s Monika Iu el and international journalist Omololu Olumuyiwa, followed by the Africa Travel Week Media Awards where the best African journalists will be recognised.
Responsible Tourism programming spans over two half days under the guidance of global expert Dr. Harold Goodwin, culminating in the WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards on 10. Sessions address climate adaptation, greenwashing prevention, and nature-positive tourism models with Grootbos founder Michael Lutzeyer.
The Inclusivity & Diversity theme features TEDx speaker Ruth Rathblott’s keynote on ‘Unhide & Seek’: Building Inclusion and Belonging in Travel," alongside practical workshops on creating sensory-friendly African experiences and capitalising on diversity markets.
The highly anticipated State of the Industry panel on April 11 will be moderated by global travel intelligence leader Skift, whose Director of Insights Michelle Gounden will lead a data- driven discussion on African tourism's current position and future trajectory. The session will leverage comprehensive research from Euromonitor International, whose analyst Christy Tawii will present key findings on market trends, consumer behaviour and growth projections that will shape destination strategies in the coming years.
Wine Tourism emerges as a dedicated track on April 11th.
Southern Sun Hotels returns as the official hospitality partner for WTM Africa’s Hosted Buyer, sponsoring the exclusive welcome evening and networking events designed to connect international buyers with key industry stakeholders.
Full programme details available at https://www.wtm.com/africa/en-gb/conference-
programme/programme.html#/sessions
