Africa Travel Association (ATA) members have been asked to support the association’s Board of Directors in raising sufficient funds to market the continent as a tourist destination.
The request was made recently by the Gambian Minister of Tourism and Culture, Fatou Mass Jobe-Njie, after her election as new ATA president at the association’s just-ended 35th Annual Congress held at Banjul.
She succeeds Tanzanian Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism Shamsa Mwangunga, who was appointed ATA president in May 2008 at the 33rd Annual Congress in Arusha.
Speaking to ATA delegates, at the closing session, Jobe-Njie outlined three areas of priority for ATA members in order to meet the intended goals during her presidency.
She noted that as ATA's members “we need to help the Board of Directors to raise sufficient funds to carry out the socuiety’s programmes; we have to be very aggressive in the membership drive; and make sure that the members actively participate in the association.”
To accomplish the goals, she asked for “the members support and the stakeholders of tourism in Africa so that we can meet the intended goals”.
Highlighting the importance of tourism as an engine for economic growth and prosperity, she said that due to that aspect ATA members needed to join their efforts with and work in partnership with members of the public to promote the travel and tourism industry to and within Africa.
“As Gambia we are very glad to host this event and hopes that our infectious spirit will inspire other countries and tourism stakeholders to take action,” she said.
For his part, ATA's Executive Director Edward Bergman, said the association’s members, friends and supporters have shown that “we are truly committed to promote tourism to Africa as a means to forstering socio-economic development,”
“I know that when we go back to our home countries, we will continue to work in partnership with tourism stakeholders in the public and private sectors to promote the industry and inspire others to follow our example,” Bergman said.
Also during the on-going congress, ATA announced a number of milestones for making a strong case for increased investment in Africa’s tourism industry. They include the launch of a joint effort by New York University’s Africa House and the World Bank and ATA to make a case for developing Africa’s tourism industry with the preparation of the joint publication—the State of Tourism in Africa. Using facts, figures and stories, the report paints a picture of the current and potential impact of tourism on both a country’s and a region’s development strategy.
The report also advocates for increased attention and resource allocation from national governments to the tourism industry.
Apart from that the Gambia Organising Committee announced its commitment to hosting the first “Carbon Off-Set Free” ATA congress.
During the industry workshops and networking events, ATA and UNWTO engaged in discussions on how the two global organizations would pursue collaboration and cooperation in the areas of travel and tourism development in Africa in the future.
In what has become an ATA congress tradition over the last few years, Mwangunga hosted a special evening of dinner and dancing.
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