2019 was a big year for the African Tourism Board. Officially launched at the World Travel Market in Capetown in April, the organization was converted from an initiative started by the U.S. based International Coalition of Tourism Partners and its chairman Juergen Steinmetz, ICTP president Geoffrey Lipman, and ICTP VP Alain St. Ange.
Together with the founding president of the African Tourism Board Alain St. Ange from Seychelles, the founding Chairman Juergen Steinmetz successfully put an all-star team together and announced it at the organizations’ launch at WTM in Cape Town.
At WTM ATB appointed Doris Woerfel, a German national residing in Pretoria, South Africa as the CEO, Cuthbert Ncube was voted in asย Chairman, followed by Simba Mandinyenya as COO, forming the executive committee. Former UNWTO Secretary-General Dr. Taleb Rifai became the patron of the new organization. Juergen Steinmetz became the CMCO and remained the founding chairman.
Currently, the Executive Committee includes
- Cuthbert Ncube, Chairman, South Africa
- Doris Wรถrfel, CEO, South Africa
- Simba Mandinyenya, COO, Zimbabwe
- Juergen Steinmetz, Founding Chairman & CMCO, USA
The new boardย and partons include:
- Dr. Taleb Rifai, Patron, Jordan
- Najib Balala, Secretary of Tourism, Kenya,
- Hon Dr. Memunatu Pratt, Minister of Tourism & Culture Sierra Leone ,
- Honourable Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism Jamaica,
- Lilly Ajarova, Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda ,
- Hisham Zaazou: Z Solutions for Development and Tourism Advisory, Egypt ,
- Dr. Peter Tarlow, SaferTourism, USA,
- Greg Bakunzi, Red Rock Initiative, Rwandaย ,
- Louis DโAmore, International Institute for Peace Through Tourism, USA , ย
- Graham Cooke, UK, World Tourism Awards
- Apolinary Pius Tairo, Tanzania
- Carol Weaving, Reed Exhibitions South Africa
- Dov Kalmann, Pita Marketing, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Tony Smith, iFREE GROUP, Hong Kong, China
- Australia
- Belgium
- Botswana
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cape Verde
- Chad
- China
- Comoros
- Congo (Rep of the)
- Cรดte d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Germany
- Ghana
- HongKong
- India
- Indonesia
- information
- International
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mayotte
- Mexico
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- Patron
- Poland
- Reunion (France)
- Rwanda
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- St. Helena (UK)
- Sudan
- Switzerland
- Taiwan (ROC)
- Tanzania
- Turkey
- Uganda
- UK
- United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- USA
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
African Tourism Board has big plans for 2020 and 2021. They include two events that will be announced soon, participation at a number of panels and trade shows,ย investment and development projects, and support for festivals and carnivals.
ATB is planning to offer the African Pavilion at upcoming international trade and consumer shows, and the opening of new tourism offices around the world.
The African Tourism Board appointed U.S. based African Tourism Convention and Marketing to handle outreach from international source markets for Africa.
The Executive committee thanked all members, supporters, and Africa for their support and wishes everyone a happy New Year. Africa reminded members and stakeholders ATB is where Africa becomes one tourist destination of choice in the world.
More information on ATB and on how to join: www.africantourismboard.comย