The VA TourismPodcast

Malawi’s new Tourism Investment Masterplan will be a Game Changer- Dr Michael Usi

At the just-ended Africa’s Travel Indaba in Durban, South Africa, I caught up with Malawi’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Wildlife Dr. Michael Usi who discussed in detail the ambitious Tourism master plan launched by President Chakwera.
The Minister revealed that the master plan is aimed at courting investors to the sector and also a paradigm shift in the economic dynamics of the Southern African Country.

Talking Wesgro’s Tourism Restart Strategy with Monika iuel

My conversation today is with the Chief Marketing Officer of Wesgro Monika iuel on Western Cape’s progress in its tourism restart strategy. She says she is encouraged by the present numbers of inbound travels to cape town which presently sits at 55% of 2019 figures.
Monika has a long-standing passion for Southern African tourism, a deep knowledge of the international marketplace, and strong industry relationships at home and abroad. She has extensive experience in the industry, spending the first half of her career in the inbound tourism industry, including 13 years at Tourvest Destination Management.
Monika then spent 4 years at South African Tourism, initially as Regional Director for the Americas and ultimately as General Manager International Marketing, supporting all international SA Tourism offices in Europe, Americas and Australasia. Returning once again to the private sector, Monika served for 5 years as CEO of Private Safaris, a Destination Management Company operating from offices in Cape Town and Windhoek. At the helm, she successfully steered the business to its new owners, Fairfax Financial Holdings (based in Toronto) in 2017, and together with her team, led the resultant reinvention of the business.
Deepening her love for her country and ready to promote the Western Cape province to the world, in January 2021 Monika accepted the role of Chief Marketing Officer at Wesgro, the Official Tourism, Trade, Investment and Film Agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape, where she leads an inspiring team of place marketers and aims to make the region the top choice in Africa for tourism or business.
 
 
 

Fixing Discrimination against Women in Tourism: A Conversation with Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

My conversation today is about the role of women in the tourism sector and how governance structures can be improved to uplift the girl child to the upper echelons of the tourism establishment. My Guest is Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka who is the Former Executive Director of UN Women and current Chairperson of the World Committee of Tourism Ethics. The former vice president of South Africa also discusses her mandate as the chair of the Tourism Ethics Committee and how tourism can be a real force for good.
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is a former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women. She was awarded a doctorate in Technology and Education from Warwick University. She has authored several scholarly and other opinion pieces. A Hauser Leader at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership. She became a Member of Parliament, Deputy Minister of the Department of Trade and Industry, Minister of Minerals and Energy, and finally as Deputy President of South Africa from 2005 to 2008, Dr. Mlambo-Ngcuka worked tirelessly on programmes and policies to reduce inequality. 
As the head of the UNwomen, she has been a global advocate for women and girls. She established initiatives such as the HeForShe for men and boys to address gender Equality. She also successfully mobilized a historic $40 billion USD   for women and girls around the world. She is a founder and leader of Umlambo Foundation which is dedicated to the improvement of education and digital literacy training for educators. 

Durban on course to host Africa’s Travel Indaba -Themba Khumalo

The Acting CEO of South African Tourism Themba Khumalo has reassured the tourism community of a successful 2022 Travel Indaba from 2-5 May at Durban’s International Convention Centre. 
 

The return of Africa Travel Week and what it means to the Tourism Industry

In today’s episode, my guests Megan Oberholzer and Martin Hiller of Reed Exhibition Africa take a deep dive into the return of Africa Travel Week after two years of postponement as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.
Africa Travel Week (ATW) focuses on inbound and outbound markets for leisure tourism, luxury travel, LGBTQ+ travel, economic development, investment and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology.
 

Africa’s Travel Indaba 2022: Acting CEO of SA Tourism Themba Khumalo outlines What You Need to Know

After a successful hosting of this year’s MeetingsAfrica in Johannesburg,  South African Tourism is leaving no stone unturned to stage the return of Africa’s biggest leisure show, Africa’s Travel Indaba. In a conversation about the return of the event, the Acting CEO of South African Tourism Themba Khumalo said Indaba will offer more opportunities for the continent’s travel trade to connect and do business in a safe environment.
Africa’s Travel Indaba 2022 will take place from 02 – 05 May 2022 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre (previously Durban ICC).
Register here
 

Minor Hotels to Continue its Expansion in Africa- Amir Golbarg

In this episode, the Senior Vice President Operations Middle East and Africa at Minor Hotel Amir Golbarg tells me, some of its hotels are back to pre pandemic levels. Amir who has been attending the 16th Meetings Africa in Johannesburg South Africa says Minor Hotels is committed to expanding its enviable footprint in Africa. 
Amir Golbarg heads up Operations in the Middle East and Africa region for Minor Hotels, in addition to the Indian Ocean islands of the Seychelles and Mauritius. Minor Hotels’ portfolio currently totals 528 hotels in 56 countries and includes the highly-acclaimed luxury Anantara brand and the upscale Avani brand. Amir currently oversees a total of 33 properties in operation across ten countries and four brands, in addition to driving the development of a strong pipeline of properties within the region across multiple brands. This will see the launch of two new brands – NH Collection and NH Hotels – to the region later this year.
Joining the Minor Hotels regional team in March 2019 as Vice President Operations for the Middle East, North Africa, Mauritius, and Seychelles, Amir was promoted in September 2021 to Senior Vice President Operations, including adding the group’s operation in Southern Africa into the mix.
Amir previously held the strategic position of Chief Operating Officer at Al Rayyan Hospitality and Corporate Director – Asset Management at Katara Hospitality. Both entities are subsidiaries of the state-owned Qatar Investment Authority and in this dual role, Amir supported the State of Qatar with the opening and positioning of government assets and hotels both locally and internationally, in addition to managing a portfolio of operating entities and opening five luxury properties. These included the relaunch of Ritz Carlton Doha, the rebranding of the Six Senses Spa with Chiva-Som Resort in Thailand, the renovation of Raffles Singapore and the acquisition of Grosvenor House London.
A graduate of Glion Institute of Higher Education, Amir began his career in hospitality in 2004 and held various front of house roles for prestigious hotels such as Burj Al Arab and Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. Amir first joined Minor Hotels in 2012 as Director of Operations & Hotel Openings based in the Bangkok Corporate Office. He then held several international positions with Minor, before becoming Hotel Manager at Souq Waqif Hotel Doha, Qatar in 2015.
Amir, who is a Danish national, is currently based in the Middle East Regional Office in Dubai. Now a seasoned international hotelier, Amir’s passion for excellence has led him to successfully drive the operations and hospitality assets for a number of companies for over 17 years.
Minor Hotels is an international hotel owner, operator and investor with a diverse portfolio of brands including Anantara, Avani, Oaks, Tivoli, NH Collection, NH, nhow and Elewana.
 

Deputy CEO of Rwanda Convention Bureau Janet Karemera discusses country’s MICE Restart strategies

On the sidelines of this year’s Meetings Africa held in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Deputy CEO of the Rwanda Convention Bureau Janet Karemera tells me events such as Meetings Africa offers the continent a great opportunity to restart the sector. She points to Rwanda’s impressive vaccination drive and other initiatives as being critical to an accelerated tourism recovery.