The VA TourismPodcast

Regional Director for Africa at UNWTO Elcia Grandcourt unpacks activities and Projects in Africa for 2022

In my first episode for the year 2022, the Regional Director for Africa at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Elcia Grandcourt looks back at the successes the organization chalked in Africa in spite of the challenges of the covid-19 pandemic. She looks into the year with lots of optimism for the tourism sector and takes a deep dive into the programs and activities in Africa  for this year.
 

Talking Sports and Tourism in Africa with Prince Deji Ajomale-McWord

In today’s episode, the founder of African Sports Tourism Week, Prince Deji Ajomale-McWord  takes a look at the power of sports in driving tourism in Africa.
He’s a sports tourism consultant. In his home country Nigeria, he served in the Sports Industry Thematic Group under the auspices of Nigeria Economic Summit Group, where he gave recommendations on how to drive local and international arrivals, using sport. The recommendations he gave, alongside that of other bright minds in the sport, environment, and tourism industries, dovetailed into a draft that was eventually adopted as a blueprint for the Nigerian sports industry, on which an MoU signed between the Federal Ministry of Youth & Sports and NESG was predicated. 
He’s the author of ‘Life, Humanity & Leadership According To Golf’ and ‘Mulligan of Mercy’
 

South Africa impressed with showing at Dubai Expo 2020

My guest Altaaf Kazi , General Manager Global PR, Communications and Stakeholder Relations at South African Tourism looks at South Africa’s participation at the ongoing Dubai 2020 Expo. He says SA’s participation has afforded the opportunity to convince the world and shift perception around safety and security issues which has been unfairly reported by the western media.
Altaaf Kazi is seasoned media professional with two decades of experience spanning various roles in the media, sports, and tourism industries.
His professional career started out in Radio and TV as a sports news reporter, landed roles as a TV presenter and producer before moving into the corporate communication space heading up media and communications departments in Football, Cricket, and Tourism in South African organisations.
 

InsideSeychelles: Discovering Levasseur Rum , the Spirit of Seychelles

In today’s episode, the founder of Levasseur Rum Marco Francis takes a deep dive into the complementary role of the premium Laverser rum in the promotion of destination Seychelles. He says Rum is an inherent part of the island lifestyle.
Levasseur Rum is a dark rum produced in Seychelles, expressing patience, richness, quality, master blending, and is Bourbon barrel aged to perfection.
 

InsideSeychelles: I am encouraged with Booking Trend-Casa De Leela Owner Robert Pool

My conversation today is on how the tourism sector of Seychelles has managed to get tourism going in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. On my visit to the archipelago island, I caught up with the founder and owner of la Digue-based casa de Leela Robert Pool. Robert tells me even though the booking trend has changed drastically, it is very encouraging and he is optimistic about the return of tourism to its full flight. 
Born on 28/01/1978 in La Digue, Seychelles Robert started life in the tourism industry at the age of 16 working in a hotel as a PR Assistant for a year. He then worked for a Commercial Helicopter Company for 10 years. Started as  Heli Attendant and resigned as Operations Manager for Inner Islands.
He started his own venture in 2004 as a Taxi Operator which is still running as of now. In 2007, Robert started a small Guest House with his wife Colette. Today they own two establishments Casa De Leela & Cocolux Apartments. ( 20 rooms in total) Robert enjoys interacting with people and loves his home country,  Seychelles Island.

FITUR International Tourism Fair set for 42nd edition

My Guest Maria Valcarce Director of FITUR International Tourism Fair discusses next year’s edition of the travel show slated for 19th -23rd January 2022. She tells me the organizers have instituted measures to host the event in a safe and responsible way.  Over seventy countries have so far confirmed their participation.
Maria Valcarce holds a degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Complutense University of Madrid and a Special Degree in European Economics from the Free University of Brussels. A native Spanish speaker, she also speaks English and French.
She has developed her entire professional career at the Madrid Trade Fair Institution -IFEMA-, where, since 1997, she has been managing different trade fairs for various economic sectors such as automotive, renewable energies and ICT, among others; since January 2019 she is the director of the International Tourism Trade Fair, FITUR, in addition to the International Security Trade Fair, SICUR, the Doors and Automation Trade Fair, SMART DOORS and the International Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Show C&R.
 

Global Youth Tourism Summit aims at Youth Empowerment and engagement in the Tourism Sector

In this episode, the Director of Europe at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Alessandra Priante has been sharing with me the objective of next year’s  Global Youth Tourism Summit and what it seeks to achieve. She talks about tourism restart in Europe and rounds it up with her own journey into tourism. 
She was the Chief of multilateral international relations (UNWTO, OECD and EU) and tourism policy for the Ministry of Agricultural, Food, Forestry and Tourism Policies of Italy. She has also actively participated in the research and analysis work behind the preparation of the National Strategic Plan for Tourism 2017-2022. 
She is a first-degree business graduate at the top Italian business university, Università Luigi Bocconi, and holds the Executive MBA at Luiss Guido Carli University and an International Master in Audio-visual Management. She successfully merged her strong experience in corporate finance and M&A operations, developed within international investment banks in her initial job posts, with her cultural expertise, joining since 2002 the Italian Ministry of Culture - Direction for Cinema, with the task of restructuring public finances for the culture sector. As a major output, she created the first public RSU in the audio-visual sector, focused on the design, set-up, and implementation of the most important sector reforms. 
As a firm believer in the importance of international networks and in the power of lobbying, she has created, has been part of and at times initiated various international think tanks and represented Italy in international and European Institutions devoted to culture. 
As an expert also of the Middle East area, she was appointed in the years 2010-2015 the Diplomatic Cultural Representative for the Gulf Area (UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrein, Kuwait), with the task of taking care of promoting Italian culture and education. 
In line with her academic preparation and research attitude, Alessandra has published numerous sector publications and books and teaches culture management and international audio-visual analysis at some of the major Universities in Italy for post-graduate students. 
Alessandra is a cinephile and a trained musician. She loves art and culture, her Country and her family. 
 

The Role of Women in Cabo Verde‘s Tourism Restart

With the restart of tourism in West Africa's archipelago Island of Cabo Verde in full force, Women Entrepreneurs working in Cabo Verde's Tourism Sector, Neusa Goncalves, and Divania Fortes want more inclusion of women in the tourism sector. 
Neusa Gonçalves is a 48-year-old entrepreneur whose career in tourism started in 1996 as one of the first tour guides on Sal island despite the young age rose through the ranks and in  2018 became the president of Aprotur (Tour Agencies, tourism transportation and tourism suppliers Association).
Since 2014 invested in tourism by starting her own business, the Kryol Operator, focusing on sales of tourism activities and restaurant management. Moreover, she has a degree in Tourism Management and holds some tourism-related formations such as professional driver, customer service on online communication channels