The VA TourismPodcast

Kenya Convention Bureau launches Brand Logo and aims at becoming a Major MICE Destination in Africa

My Conversation today is an exclusive with the CEO of the Kenya National Convention Bureau, Ms. Jacinta Nzioka. Jacinta believes Kenya is well-positioned to be a major MICE Destination in Africa and its conservation history will help endure the Harambee nation to many who wants to have a seamless event. She said the covid-19 pandemic compelled them to think outside the box to be adequately prepared for the future.
Ms. Nzioka was appointed in October 2019 as the National Coordinator/ Chief Executive Officer heading the secretariat setting up the Kenya National Convention Bureau, as a brand new entity.  Under her leadership, KNCB has been able to develop a 10-year roadmap destination Strategy for MICE and a destination Brand identity to position and market the destination.  Through the one year that KNCB has been in operation, various industry engagements and frameworks to engage the value chain, professionalize and coordinate the sector in Kenya as well as collaboration regionally and global awareness of Kenya has a MICE destination has been palpable.
Before her appointment, she had served as the Director of Marketing at the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) for 6 years where she was charged with the responsibility of leading Kenya's global tourism marketing strategy.  In 2016, she was the Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the KTB for 11 months.  With over 20 years of experience in Destination Marketing & Management at the KTB, she has been involved in several projects and initiatives to turn around the sector during previous crises through implementation of global recovery strategies. While at the Tourism Board,  Jacinta has overseen implementation of tourism projects in all the source markets having been a Regional Manager for America, Europe and Emerging Markets during this period and has overseen development of a strategy to penetrate the African market and Domestic markets in later years. 
 
Ms. Nzioka is serving as an Advisory Board member of the World Tourism Forum, Lucerne and the UNESCOs International Tourism & Cultural Committee (ICOMOS), Board Member at the Ecotourism Kenya and is ICCA Africa Chapter Deputy Chair elected in 2020 for the next two years.

President of SITE Africa, Tes Proos looks at Africa's readiness for Incentive Travel

In today’s episode, the President of the Africa Chapter for the Society of Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE)  Tes Proos delves into the state of the continent’s Incentive travel market and looks at what can be done to quicken the MICE recovery. Tes who has an accomplished career in the meetings sector believes recent events in FITUR and the Arabian Travel Market should signal a gradual restart of business events in Africa.
Tes is currently serving as President of the SITE AFRICA Chapter (Society of Incentive Travel Excellence) and Immediate Past Chair of the South Africa Events Council.
Her career started in hotel operations in 1985.  She gained vast experience in hotel operations over the next 10 years, including opening a new convention center in Johannesburg in 1993.
She spent time at both Gallagher Estate and Sun City where she was involved in running groups and events up to 10 000 guests.
She became a DMC in early 2000 and thoroughly enjoys what she does, being able to bring her operational, sales, and marketing experiences together in creating magic for international incentive programmes.  She is also a proud recipient of a SITE Crystal Award for Best Motivational Programme in Africa/Middle East.
 
 

An Exclusive with CEO of Namibia Airport Company, Bisey Uirab

In today’s episode, the CEO of the Namibia Airport Company Bisey Uirab tells me how the airport company is positioning its self  to attract the required investments to the country’s aviation sector. He is confident the newly refurbished Hosea kutako international airport will not only enhance travel experience but also act as another layer for non-aeronautical revenues

The Seychelles Gastronomy Story with Flavien Joubert

Today’s episode is a special program dubbed ‘’ Tour of African Gastronomy Talk Series’’ where featured chefs of UNWTO’s Tour of African Gastronomy Journal speak to us on their culinary journeys.My guest today is Mr. Flavien Joubert, former head of the Seychelles Tourism Academy and a seasoned chef. Mr.. Joubert takes us on a tour of the very spicy and tasty Seychelles culinary. He points to collaboration and partnerships as ways to help bring out Africa’s diverse culinary offerings.
Flavien Joubert is married and have two grown-up daughters. He had his culinary studies/hotel management studies in Cyprus, England, and France. He's had professional culinary chef posts in England, France, Singapore, Seychelles, Switzerland. Flavien also served as a hotel General manager at a 5-star hotel in Seychelles.
He's been in pedagogical and teacher training in Seychelles, England and Germany.He has also held principal teaching and lecturing posts in culinary and hospital management in Seychelles, La Reunion, France, Mauritius, Germany.Flavien is the author of several books which include: -Exotic seafood recipes from the Seychelles published in France in 2000
-Exotic cocktails from the Seychelles published in England in 2014-Fish and seafood recipes published in England in 2017-Refugee: A Seychelles boy's story published in 2019
 

Mohammed Hersi on Kenya's Tourism Restart Plan

My guest today is the Chairperson of the Kenya Tourism Federation, Mohammed Hersi. The East African country in the last two weeks has seen a resurgence of covid-19 and as a result, the reimposition of some stringent measures to curtail the chain of infection. This new development seems to be chipping away the efforts by stakeholders to restart tourism which is a major economic pillar of Kenya.  Mr. Hersi in this conversation discusses a raft of measures the federation has taken to guarantee the safety of staff and guests as well as updates on Kenya’s vaccination program for the tourism industry players.
Mohammed is also the Director of Operations at Pollmans Tours & Safaris, Baobab Beach Resort & Spa, Diani
 

Talking African Aviation with Ogaga Udjo

In today’s episode, African Aviation Expert and Managing Director of ZA Logics Ogaga Udjo takes a deep look at the state of Africa’s aviation sector and its ability to bounce back post the pandemic. He throws the spotlight on South Africa’s troubled flag-carrier South African Airways and the latest happenings at the airline. Ogaga is of the belief that the continent’s national tourism boards and their aviation counterparts need to collaborate in order to grow  Africa’s share of international tourist arrivals. Ogaga is a commercial strategist and Managing Director of ZA Logics, an advisory business based in Johannesburg.
 He has a wealth of experience across commercial and strategy functions. Having worked on projects in close to 30 countries around the world, he has planned and implemented core business solutions for the aviation and logistics industries. Prior to his current position, he worked across several markets for airlines including Comair Limited, Qatar Airways, and South African Airways. At Comair Limited he was Head: Network Planning, Alliances & Regulatory Affairs.
Ogaga qualified Cum Laude from the University of Pretoria with a Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree. He also holds a Master’s in Business Leadership from the University of South Africa. He specialised in strategic management and international business.
A regular media voice, he has had several appearances across global platforms including YahooFinace, Quartz, ChinaGlobal TV Network, and Turkish Radio & TV Corporation (TRT World). Ogaga is passionate about network planning and route development, with a deep understanding of this ecosystem, across all role players and stakeholders.
Connect with Ogaga Udjo

Exclusivité avec le Chef Comorien Ahamada Binali

Exclusivité avec le Chef Comorien Ahamada Binali basé en France qui s'est entretenu avec Franck Olivier Kra sur le Podcast VA Tourism et a exposé comment nous pouvons utiliser la gastronomie pour promouvoir les destinations.Né dans l’archipel des Comores et ayant grandi à Marseille, c’est en région parisienne que le Chef Ahamada Binali exerce son art. 
Issu d’une formation classique, il se dote d’une solide expérience et  gravi les échelons jusqu’au rang de chef cuisinier  dans des  grands établissements et restaurants  de renommées nationales et internationales de la place Parisienne. Animé par une forte envie d’indépendance, de transmission de son héritage, de ses compétences, et paré de son expérience managériale, il fonde en 2013 : Massiwani Traiteur, pour une gastronomie valorisant les terroirs des îles Comores et ceux du reste du Continent Africain.
Massiwani traiteur met un point d’honneur à accompagner et proposer un service personnalisé à sa clientèle de particuliers et de professionnels, en apportant sa touche de modernité aux cuisines d’Afrique tout en conservant l’authenticité des produits : surprendre par le goût et la présentation sans pour autant tout dénaturer
 Il a su mobiliser ses compétences autour de trois prestations de services : traiteur événementiel, chef à domicile et consultant culinaire.

Africa's Visitor Attractions & Covid-19: A Conversation with Sabine Lehmann

In today’s episode, the founder and Chair of the African Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AAVEA) Sabine Lehmann delves into Africa’s attraction scene and how visitor attractions can respond to the needs of guests in the time of Covid-19.
Sabine Lehmann has first-hand insight into the challenges and opportunities facing the attractions industry – especially on the African continent. Having held leadership roles in some of South Africa’s most iconic tourist attractions Sabine understands from the inside out how difficult it is to run a profitable and sustainable attraction in a world that is constantly changing.
Sabine is committed to building African attractions and is the founder and Chair of the African Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AAVEA)  and a government relations committee member of the IAPPA (The Global Association for the Attractions Industry). She holds an MBA from the University of Cape Town and an MPhil (Futures) from the  Stellenbosch University.