The VA TourismPodcast

Let’s use Tourism to empower the Youth and Women -Hamza Farooqui

During the just ended 16th Meetings Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa, I caught up with the CEO of Millat Investments Hamza Faroouqi who shared his impression of the event and his organization’s commitment to the tourism industry.
A tourism trailblazer, Hamza Farooqui, has put his years of experience in the hospitality and tourism sector to good use, with this industry in South Africa benefiting from his wily yet focused entrepreneurial approach.
Not letting the Covid-19 pandemic scupper any of his plans, Farooqui, the CEO of global venture capital and investment firm, Millat Investments, has been the driving force behind the opening of three Hyatt branded properties in Cape Town and Johannesburg in the last 18 months.
Farooqui, eats, sleeps, and drinks tourism and hospitality and is focused on creating opportunities in the sector and ensuring economic growth for all involved.
 

Acting CEO of Zambia Tourism Agency Chavunga Lungu’s Big Reveal on Restarting the sector

My Guest today is the Acting CEO of the Zambia Tourism Agency Chavunga Lungu. Mr. Lungu looks at MICE as a strategic part of Zambia’s tourism products and their participation at meetings Africa gives credence to that. He reveals other initiatives such as slashing of visa fees and a seamless e-visa program as major commitments by the government to make tourism a key economic driver. 
 
 

A conversation on Aviation’s role in making Seychelles a smart Destination

My conversation today is on the major developments in the Seychelles aviation, space and its objective of making travel to the paradise destination a seamless one. My Guests, Alan Renaud the Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine of Seychelles, and Tom Marten of Trivisory outline initiatives and ongoing development to make Seychelles a smart destination.
Alan Renaud is Seychelles’ Principal Secretary for Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine since November 2018. Prior to his appointment, Alan was General Manager for Alliances, Revenue Management, and Aeropolitical Affairs at Air Seychelles, capping a 15-year career at the national airline where he served in a number of executive positions. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Cornell University in Applied & Engineering Physics and served as Director on the Seychelles Tourism Board from 2017 to 2020.
Thomas Marten, Managing Director (Middle East, Indian Ocean) of Travizory Border Security, SA, is responsible for managing Travizory’s business in the Seychelles and developing the business throughout the region. He joined Travizory in 2019.
Thomas is an American national with over 30 years' experience in government and industry, with a consistent focus on national security, law enforcement, and information technology. Prior to joining Travizory, he was Vice President of Securitas Aviation USA (2014-2019). At Securitas, he led all of Securitas’ aviation business development and operations in the US, including negotiation and delivery of multi-million dollar security contracts with the Transportation Security Administration, and major US airports (Detroit Metropolitan, Syracuse Hancock, JFK, Kansas City International, etc.…). 
Prior to joining Securitas, he served as Director of Justice Services at French multinational Sodexo in Paris (2012-2014). Tom served for nearly 10 years as Vice President at SITA (2004-2012), a Swiss multinational based in Geneva, where he created and led the Government Solution Line to become the largest provider of border management and security software solutions (API/PNR and Electronic Travel Authorizations) to governments worldwide, including Italy, Australia, Canada, South Africa, Argentina, and all the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman).
Tom started his professional life as a career diplomat in the US Foreign Service, where he served for 10 years (1989-1999), with overseas assignments in Rwanda (1989-91); South Korea (1991-93); and France (1995-1999).

Mauritius Tourism shares Positive industry outlook with stakeholders as Island continues to welcome tourists

My Guest, Arvind Bundhun the Director-General of Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority tells me Mauritius is ready to receive the world again and has been impressed with the over 225,000 tourists the island has received since the reopening of its borders 4 months ago. Arvind revealed that South Africa has been instrumental to its success as a destination and the coming weeks and days will see a ramp-up in air access from Johannesburg to Mauritius.

MeetingsAfrica set a new era for Live Events

In today’s episode, the Chief Convention Bureau Officer of the South African National Convention Bureau Mrs. Amanda Kotze-Nlapo expresses delight at the successful hosting of this year’s Meetings Africa and how she believes it will go a long way to reignite the MICE sector in Africa. 
Mrs. Kotze-Nhlapo joined South African Tourism following a successful tenure at the Cape Town and Western Cape Convention Bureau where she held the position of the head of the Bureau for six years. Amanda has 20 years of experience in the industry. 

Protecting endangered Gorillas and other wildlife through one Health approaches, the story of Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka

My Guest today is the Founder and CEO of award wining NGO Conservation Through Public Health, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka. Her NGO protects endangered gorillas and other wildlife through One Health approaches. In today’s conversation she discusses the need for the tourism sector to make conservation a cardinal pillar of the industry and sheds light on the initiatives her NGO and other partners have engaged in to improve the lives of communities as well as the well-being of the gorillas. 
Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is the Founder and CEO of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), an award wining NGO that protects endangered gorillas and other wildlife through One Health approaches.
After graduating from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, in 1996, she established Uganda Wildlife Authority’s first veterinary department. In 2000, she did a Zoological Medicine Residency and Master in Specialized Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina Zoological Park and North Carolina State University, where masters research on disease at the human/wildlife/livestock interface led her to found CTPH in 2003. In 2015, she founded Gorilla Conservation Coffee to support farmers living around habitats where gorillas are found.
CTPH’s most recent award is the 2020 Saint Andrews Prize for the Environment. Dr. Gladys is a National Geographic Explorer and winner of the 2009 Whitley Gold Award and 2018 Sierra Club EarthCare Award and 2017 Golden Jubilee Medal from the President of Uganda. In 2020, she was awarded the Uganda Veterinary Association World Veterinary Day Award and Aldo Leopold Award for Mammologists. In 2021 she was recognised by Avance Media among 100 most influential women in Africa and  recently won the UNEP Champions of the Earth Award in the category of Science and Innovation.
She is the current Chairperson of the Africa Chapter of the Explorers Club, on the leadership council of Women for the Environment in Africa, and Vice President of the African Primatological Society. She has recently been appointed to the World Health Organization Special Advisory Group for the Origin of Novel Pathogens (WHO SAGO).
 

Africa MICE Masterclass will expose Participants to new tools and Trends- Linda Pereira

With a week to the 16th edition of Meetings Africa in Johannesburg South Africa, a leading voice in the business events and mice sector, Linda Pereira is urging businesses in the industry to use the event to sharpen their skill set and be abreast with the evolving needs of the market. She says the MICE masterclass will be a refresher course and a learning curve for practitioners in the industry.
Linda Pereira is the senior partner and CEO of the L&I Communications Group. In addition to her long and respected career as one of the most influential voices in the Meeting Industry, she is also Executive Director of CPL Meetings &Events. Respected internationally as a speaker, consultant, strategic communication expert, writer, and as an educator, she has been an invited speaker in over 149 countries on all continents.
She is an expert in communication and corporate diplomacy and has vast experience in cross-cultural communication strategies, localization, and public speaking and as a master of ceremonies. 
 
She has worked on the major events which marked the last 30 years of modern history, from World EXPOs, to Football and Sports Championships, various EU Presidencies and major political events.She is also an invited lecturer at five different international Universities where she lectures strategic meetings management and corporate diplomacy and protocol.
She is absolutely passionate about associations and sits on a variety of international association boards herself. Linda is also a consultant to a variety of international Governments and associations.She was considered one of Portugal’s five most influential people in the industry and has received various international education awards as well as the medal of honour for responsible entrepreneurship for her commitment to promoting culture and heritage and for Social Responsibility initiatives. 

Amanda Kotze-Nlapo opens up on the return of Meetings Africa

Ahead of the return of Africa’s premium MICE event, Meetings Africa scheduled to be held in South Africa from February 28-March 2, the Chief Convention Bureau Officer of the South African National Convention Bureau Mrs. Amanda Kotze-Nlapo outlines measures out in place to see the successful return of the event. She tells me showcasing to the world, Africa’s readiness to host the business and meetings industry is the central idea that underpins this year’s event.
Mrs Kotze-Nhlapo joined South African Tourism following a successful tenure at the Cape Town and Western Cape Convention Bureau where she held the position of head of the Bureau for six years. Amanda has 20 years of experience in the industry.