The VA TourismPodcast

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.
 

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).