The VA TourismPodcast

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. 

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