The VA TourismPodcast

Time with Tim Van der Linden- Chairperson of Malawi Tourism Council,

In this episode,(#10) Tim Van der Linden, the Chairperson of the Malawi Tourism Council looks at measures put in place to resuscitate the ailing tourism sector and further opens up on the country's domestic tourism potential. Tim van der Linden is from the Netherlands and started working in the Malawi Tourism Sector in 2011. He is currently the General Manager of Kiboko Safaris based in Lilongwe. Tim has been the  Chairman of the  Malawi Tourism Council since August 2019 and has 10 years of experience with managing small to medium teams for SMEs related to Malawi Tourism.

Dr Nirmal Shah's take on Africa's Blue Economy and Tourism Development

In this episode (#9) Dr. Nirmal Shah, the CEO of Nature Seychelles and marine purist discusses Africa's blue economy and the need to invest resources and attention in the wake of the environmental disaster in the beautiful Indian Ocean island of Mauritius where 4000 tonnes of oil have been spilled in this world-renowned coral reefs. He admonishes travellers and tourists to support conservation efforts by upholding the ethics of responsible and sustainable tourism. Dr Shah opines that some African governments are using the blue economy mantra to secure financing and attention rather than committing efforts towards its developments.  

CEO of TBCSA Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa opens up on Tourism developments in South Africa

In this episode( #8) the CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa elaborates on the magnitude of problems facing South Africa's tourism sector as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. He discusses the council's approach to mitigating the challenges as well as the call to have international borders open. Mr. Tshivhengwa delves into the modus operandi of the TBSA  and finally walks us through his personal life. 

Tourism News Wrap13

The VA #TourismNewsWrap13 is a 360 roundup of the latest news in the Travel and Tourism sector. It sums up what you missed the previous week. It captures in brief, the major stories. Headlines;Kenya Airways suspends flights to Eight African cities // Zimbabwe unveils Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy // Zambia releases Guidelines to be observed at Ports of Entry// TBCSA launches Covid-19 safety App for Tourism Sector
 

Ugandan Tech Entrepreneur David Gonahasa looks at how African grown solutions can help build back Tourism

#In this episode(#7)  David  Gonahasa, Ugandan tech entrepreneur and founder of Tripxio a Shopify like tool looks at how African grown solutions can help address the challenges in the continent's tourism sector and build back better. He discusses how he seeks to help small and medium tourism businesses in Africa digitalize their operations. He previously founded Roundbob.com an online travel agency. David built his first tech business in 2003; Mediaflower.com and Marketuganda.com. He has worked in Advertising in Rwanda and Uganda, IT, and in Mobile payments as CMO for Mobicash Africa supporting the brand and commercial growth in 7 markets across the African Continent.  David was named Uganda Innovation Achiever of the Year 2017 (MTN Innovation Awards), an Alibaba eFounders Fellow and a member of The Africa List. He was also the winner of UNWTO Tourism Tech Adventures (Africa Region) 

Mafalda Borea discusses media's role in Promoting Sustainable Tourism

In this episode (#6)  Mafalda Borea, Co-Founder & CEO of Sustainable First talks about the media's role in promoting sustainability in tourism and also believes this is the moment for sustainability to thrive. Mafalda has over twenty years’ experience in the media industry working across destination & cultural tourism and travel technology marketing. Her career started at CNN where she was for 12 years and where she oversaw the Advertising Sales & Programme Sponsorship business across Southern Europe and the CIS region. She then held a number of positions in media companies and more recently was Deputy-Editor of China Report Magazine in the UK for two years.

Yasmine-Hannah Fofana urges African Destinations to make Gastronomy part of its Offering

In this episode (#5), Yasmine-Hannah Fofana, a gastronomy enthusiast and CEO of Afrofoodie looks at how African destinations can leverage its diverse culinary offerings to promote tourism. She launched Cote d'Ivoire's first food blog in 2012 and the maiden restaurant week in 2017.  She is A 2016 Mandela Washington Fellow and 2017/18 Chevening Scholar, Yasmine-Hannah Fofana is a pioneer when it comes to promoting the culinary scene of Côte d’Ivoire.

Michael Sudarkasa on Investment Opportunities in Africa's Tourism Sector

In this episode (#4), Michael Sudarkasa, CEO of Africa Business Group, and Co-Convener of the Africa Tourism Investment Summit will help us appreciate the investment opportunities in Africa’s tourism sector. Michael is a U.S. trained attorney and African Economic Development Specialist based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Michael has experience and expertise in facilitating economic development, trade, and investment projects involving business expansion within Africa and beyond.