Africa Travel Association
Encyclopedia
Africa Travel Association (ATA) is a non-profit international travel industry trade association
established in 1975.
ATA defines its mission as to "promote travel, tourism and transport to and within Africa
, and to strengthen intra-Africa partnerships."
ATA serves both the public and private sectors of the international travel and tourism
industry. ATA membership comprises African governments, their tourism ministers, tourism bureaus and boards, airlines, cruise lines, hotels, resorts, front-line travel sellers and providers, tour operators and travel agents, media and affiliate members.
ATA partners with the African Union Commission (AUC) to promote the sustainable development of tourism to and across Africa. ATA's annual events in Africa and the United States
bring together industry leaders to shape Africa's tourism agenda.
and chapters around the world. ATA is overseen by an International Board of Directors and managed daily by an Executive Director and management team.
's Africa House, take place in New York every September in parallel to the United Nations General Assembly
meetings. Hosted by New York University's Africa House, this one-day event offers Africa's leaders an important opportunity to speak about how travel and tourism contributes to a country's economy and development. Ten African Leaders (from the African Union Commission, Benin
, Burundi
, Ghana
, The Gambia
, Liberia
, Malawi
, Morocco
, Tanzania
and the World Bank
) addressed the 2010 forum.
and Montreal
as well as in major cities like New York, Los Angeles
and Atlanta. ATA also participates in global industry travel trade shows in Europe, Asia and Africa.
, art, culture, heritage travel, responsible tourism
, green travel, and conservation
come together to explore Africa's emerging eco
and cultural tourism
industries. Countries hosting symposiums share their travel products with delegates through on-site field visits and case studies.
opportunities. Delegates also participate in roundtables for tourism ministers, an African Bazaar
for buyers and sellers, networking events, host country day(s), gala dinners and pre- and post-country tours.
students and young industry professionals in Africa’s tourism industry and to cultivate future ATA membership. To achieve this mission, YPP offers two programs that serve young people at different points in their education and professional development: (1) The ATA Student Union; and, (2) the ATA Young Professionals Network. Through these two programs, YPP aims to help future industry leaders gain access to tourism professionals focusing on Africa in order to help them build the relationships and networks now that will serve the industry and ATA later. By encouraging the exchange of knowledge, ideas and interests and by providing opportunities for training and travel to Destination Africa, YPP also connects a new generation to ATA and its members who are accomplished tourism professionals.
leaders, entrepreneurs and media in tourism promotion to Africa.
supporting the "promotion of the sustainable development of tourism in Africa". The MoU was signed with the understanding that major regions of the world have established effective regional tourism bodies, like the Pacific Asia Travel Association
(PATA) and the Caribbean Tourism Organization
(CTO) and that "Africa has yet to formally adopt as a continent an organization as such to service its tourism marketing, research and advocacy".
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
established in 1975.
ATA defines its mission as to "promote travel, tourism and transport to and within Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and to strengthen intra-Africa partnerships."
ATA serves both the public and private sectors of the international travel and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
industry. ATA membership comprises African governments, their tourism ministers, tourism bureaus and boards, airlines, cruise lines, hotels, resorts, front-line travel sellers and providers, tour operators and travel agents, media and affiliate members.
ATA partners with the African Union Commission (AUC) to promote the sustainable development of tourism to and across Africa. ATA's annual events in Africa and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bring together industry leaders to shape Africa's tourism agenda.
Structure
ATA is registered as a 501(c)6 non-profit trade association in the USA, with its headquarters in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and chapters around the world. ATA is overseen by an International Board of Directors and managed daily by an Executive Director and management team.
Objectives
- Advocate for Africa as a leading global travel destination
- Raise awareness of Destination Africa’s rich and diverse tourism opportunities and products
- Promote positive news on Destination Africa
- Develop and promote travel programs to and across Africa
- Assist country and private sectorPrivate sectorIn economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
members with marketingMarketingMarketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
and - Serve as a liaison on tourism matters in Africa between member countries
- Present opportunities for members to market and showcase their products and services
- Offer members continuing educationContinuing educationContinuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
, training and learning opportunities - Help members increase business through exposure, networking and referrals
- Organize events where tourism stakeholders meet to discuss issues of common interest and concern
- Conduct research with partner organizations on tourism matters in Africa
The Presidential Forum
ATA's Annual Presidential Forums on Tourism, which are hosted by New York UniversityNew York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's Africa House, take place in New York every September in parallel to the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
meetings. Hosted by New York University's Africa House, this one-day event offers Africa's leaders an important opportunity to speak about how travel and tourism contributes to a country's economy and development. Ten African Leaders (from the African Union Commission, Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
, Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, The Gambia
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
, Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
and the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
) addressed the 2010 forum.
The US-Africa Tourism Seminar
ATA's leading industry event in the USA takes place in conjunction with a leading travel trade show, attracting tourism industry professionals and diplomatic representatives eager to learn about possible policy choices related to tourism in Africa. Participants also explore key growth trends that have helped African tourism grow steadily in recent years and help connect to other companies to develop strategic business partnerships.Promotional road shows
ATA increases the visibility of a Destination in the North American marketplace by showcasing the Destination and its private sector partners' products in largely untapped metropolitan marketplaces like PhoenixPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
as well as in major cities like New York, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Atlanta. ATA also participates in global industry travel trade shows in Europe, Asia and Africa.
The Eco and Cultural Tourism Symposium
Tourism professionals specializing in sustainable tourismSustainable tourism
Sustainable tourism is tourism attempting to make a low impact on the environment and local culture, while helping to generate future employment for local people. The aim of sustainable tourism is to ensure that development brings a positive experience for local people, tourism companies and the...
, art, culture, heritage travel, responsible tourism
Responsible Tourism
Responsible Tourism is tourism ‘that creates better places for people to live in, and better places to visit’.The 2002 Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism in Destinations defines Responsible Tourism as follows:...
, green travel, and conservation
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
come together to explore Africa's emerging eco
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
and cultural tourism
Cultural tourism
Cultural tourism is the subset of tourism concerned with a country or region's culture, specifically the lifestyle of the people in those geographical areas, the history of those peoples, their art, architecture, religion, and other elements that helped shape their way of life...
industries. Countries hosting symposiums share their travel products with delegates through on-site field visits and case studies.
Annual World Congress
ATA's signature event in Africa provides a networking, learning and agenda-shaping platform for 300-500 travel professionals from around the world. The even addresses timely industry topics and offers professional developmentProfessional development
Professional development refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development and career advancement. Professional development encompasses all types of facilitated learning opportunities, ranging from college degrees to formal coursework, conferences and informal learning...
opportunities. Delegates also participate in roundtables for tourism ministers, an African Bazaar
Bazaar
A bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area...
for buyers and sellers, networking events, host country day(s), gala dinners and pre- and post-country tours.
The Young Professionals Program
The mission of the Africa Travel Association’s Young Professionals Program (YPP) is to engage tourism and hospitalityHospitality
Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers...
students and young industry professionals in Africa’s tourism industry and to cultivate future ATA membership. To achieve this mission, YPP offers two programs that serve young people at different points in their education and professional development: (1) The ATA Student Union; and, (2) the ATA Young Professionals Network. Through these two programs, YPP aims to help future industry leaders gain access to tourism professionals focusing on Africa in order to help them build the relationships and networks now that will serve the industry and ATA later. By encouraging the exchange of knowledge, ideas and interests and by providing opportunities for training and travel to Destination Africa, YPP also connects a new generation to ATA and its members who are accomplished tourism professionals.
Africa Diaspora
To encourage the participation of the Africa Diaspora- a critical resource for tourism promotion and investment- in the industry, ATQA has launched the ATA African Diaspora Initiative with the goal of engaging African DiasporaAfrican diaspora
The African diaspora was the movement of Africans and their descendants to places throughout the world—predominantly to the Americas also to Europe, the Middle East and other places around the globe...
leaders, entrepreneurs and media in tourism promotion to Africa.
Strategic partnership with the African Union Commission
In May 2010, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the Africa Travel Association (ATA) signed a Memorandum of UnderstandingMemorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
supporting the "promotion of the sustainable development of tourism in Africa". The MoU was signed with the understanding that major regions of the world have established effective regional tourism bodies, like the Pacific Asia Travel Association
Pacific Asia Travel Association
The is a membership association working to promote the responsible development of travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region.-Beginnings:The association began in 1951 when Lorrin P...
(PATA) and the Caribbean Tourism Organization
Caribbean Tourism Organization
The Caribbean Tourism Organizations main objective is the development of sustainable tourism for the economic and social benefit of Caribbean people...
(CTO) and that "Africa has yet to formally adopt as a continent an organization as such to service its tourism marketing, research and advocacy".