The VA TourismPodcast

Accra City Hotel Targets 5 SDGs to scale up sustainability credentials

My Conversation today is with the Acting General Manager of Accra City Hotel Divine Matey. He tells me the premier 4-star hotel is poised to deepen its credentials as an environmentally conscious and sustainable hospitality provider by adapting five of the UN Sustainability Goals (SDGs)

Covid-19 has made the World realise the importance of Tourism- Lindiwe Sisulu

In today’s episode, South Africa’s Minister of Tourism Lindiwe Sisulu discusses in detail the restart activities of tourism in South Africa. Speaking to me on the sidelines of the just-ended UNWTO 116thExecutive Council meeting in Jeddah, the veteran politician tells me the pandemic has assisted the industry to rethink how to make tourism a real force for good. Minister Sisulu says South Africa is ready to welcome the world.

Backpacking 54 countries in Africa: The fascinating story of Solo Traveller Boipelo Tladinyane Hlubi

In today’s episode, Boipelo Tladinyane Hlubi a solo traveler and author of a travel memoir titled: “A safari back to self – Backpacking 54 countries in Africa” narrates her fascinating travels in Africa having literally covered the entire continent with public transport.
Having travelled to 4 continents across the world, it is her solo travels across 54 African countries that has captured her heart the most. She is left with only one country (not due to lack of trying from her side) to complete setting foot in the whole continent. She shares her story as a contribution to reclaiming the African narrative in hope that this brings a certain understanding amongst Africans and pride that compels us to do better for one another and see the need to build for the benefit of each and every one of us.
Besides an African map clearly outlining the routes she took from one country to the next, her self-published book vividly depicts minute by minute details of her authentic journey across Africa, crossing land borders and using public transport. You get an insider’s account as she navigates between cultures, religions, languages, currencies, issues and delights across the rest of Africa. From attending weddings, funerals, throwing kiddies parties, night clubs, getting hospitalized, sleeping on rooftops, at the beach, on the roadside among strangers, at the police station, starring in her own movie of jumping on and off moving vehicles, surviving deportation, endless immigration processes - to being fed and warmly welcomed into homes of people who felt the need to protect her regardless of having never met her before.
Boipelo is an alumna of Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) with a N-Dip in Engineering Computer Systems and a B-Tech degree in Knowledge Management.
 

All set for 2022 Karibu KiliFair in Arusha,Tanzania

My Guest today is the cofounder of Karibu KiliFair Tourism Expo Dominic Shoo. The vibrant tourism show is back after 2 years and he tells me his team is encouraged by the level of participation for this year’s edition, which takes place from 3rd to 5th of June 2022 at the Magereza Ground in Arusha Tanzania.
KARIBU/KILIFAIR is the leading international Outdoor Tourism & Industry Fair in Tanzania, promoting and presenting companies based in the Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania, and East Africa as a destination.
 

Corné Koch unpacks Western Cape’s state of preparedness as Live events return

In today’s conversation, Corné Koch the Head of the Western Cape Convention Bureau Takes a deep dive into the state of the MICE sector in the province and its preparedness for the post covid era as live events makes a glorious return.
A passionate promoter of South Africa, Corné commenced her formal career at the South African Chamber of Commerce as Manager of Corporate Affairs.  She then entered the destination marketing sector in 2003 as the Gauteng Tourism Authority’s Business Tourism Manager.  Pursuing her other passion, that of strategic communication, she took the role as Communications Manager at the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa before her desire for tourism marketing enticed her back to Gauteng Tourism Authority in 2010.
 She then had another three-year stint as Trade Development and Partnership Manager.  In 2014 she moved to Cape Town and joined Wesgro, (the official destination marketing organization for the Western Cape. South Africa) in her current role as Head of the Cape Town & Western Cape Convention Bureau. Corne is the immediate past Board Chair of the BestCities Global Alliance as well as on the Board of the Cape Castle Control Board and the International Congress and Convention Association.

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.