By Modupe Gbadeyanka
On October 24, 2023, stakeholders in the tourism industry will gather at the Victoria Yards in Johannesburg, South Africa for the Airbnb Africa Travel Summit to discuss the role of technology in inclusive and sustainable tourism in Africa.
A statement from the organisers disclosed that over 200 policymakers, tourism experts, innovators and changemakers are expected at the event, which will have the Minister of Tourism, Ms Patricia de Lille, opening the conference, with Afua Osei, co-founder of She Leads Africa, moderating, and actress and activist, Zozibini Tunzi, presenting the final keynote.
Also, the founder of Tech Cabal, Bankole Oluwafemi, will be on a panel to discuss critical issues concerning the theme of the programme ChangeMaker.
According to the organisers of the event, Airbnb, other speakers like Juliette Langlais, Airbnb’s Director of Public Policy and Campaigns for Europe, Middle East and Africa; and Anita Mendiratta, Global Strategic Advisor on Tourism and Development, would be joined by representatives from UNESCO and the WTTC.
Each speaker and delegate will bring a unique perspective to the overarching theme of the summit, sharing lived experience, research findings and thoughts on best practices around how travel and technology can drive a more inclusive and sustainable future, and help support the recovery of tourism post-pandemic.
“To support of the continued recovery and growth of the tourism industry, the Africa Travel Summit will bring together the leading thinkers from across the continent to discuss how we can leverage technology and innovation to empower more local families and their communities to benefit from African travel.
“We look forward to facilitating important discussions amongst industry, policymakers and changemakers to collaboratively build a sustainable and inclusive tourism model that benefits everyone. An event that we are certain will both inspire and ignite entrepreneurial spirit across Africa,” the Regional Lead Middle East Africa at Airbnb, Velma Corcoran, said.
The Airbnb Africa Travel Summit builds on Airbnb’s commitment to inclusive tourism in South Africa, and its proposal for new measures that will help build a more inclusive tourism economy and enable the government and the private sector to work together to address important issues, such as systemic barriers to entry and inequality.
Aduragbemi Omiyale