African Tourism Cluster Competitiveness and Sustainability Annual Conference

The African Tourism Cluster Competitiveness and Sustainability Conference

Theme: ‘‘Developing and Strengthening of Tourism and Hospitality Cluster Associations in Africa’’

Background

Tourism is an economic growth engine with particular focus at the regional level, but its national impact is also significant. But, if tourism importance is significant at a national level, at a regional level this sector is presented as an essential tool in regional development and economic growth, believed to be one of the weapons to avoid desertification and economic stagnation, especially in the inner regions. Given the great unanimity that clusters associations increase the competitiveness of a regional industry and given that tourism is a powerful instrument for regional development, it is relevant and crucial to discuss the role of clusters associations in tourism.

The African Tourism Cluster Competitiveness and Sustainability Conference,  is a regional event conceptualized to provide a forum for the Pan-African regulatory authorities, tourism and hospitality private sector players to gather and redefine the concept of Tourism Cluster Associations Development and Strengthening in Africa.

Organized by African Hospitality and Tourism Federation (AHTF), this conference will create the climate for tourism cluster development experts, government leaders, policy makers and leaders of the industry to converge to share knowledge, expertise and experiences in tourism cluster association development and strengthening, to share tourism cluster initiatives and forge partnerships and discuss a wide spectrum of issues and challenges relating to the development and sustainability of tourism cluster associations. The African Tourism Cluster Competitiveness and Sustainability Conference, will also create a platform for networking and opportunities for interactive exchanges of ideas and businesses. Prominent guest speakers from governmental agencies, multilateral hotel chains, development partners and commercial organizations will address on a range of interesting topics with the overall conference theme ‘Developing and Strengthening of Tourism and Hospitality Cluster Associations in Africa’, objectives are:

• To provide a forum for the regulatory authorities, tourism clusters, public and private sector industry players to gather and define the framework for African Tourism Clusters.
• To review and examine performances of the regional industry players and establish strategies in developing and strengthening tourism clusters.
• To discuss on sustainable issues underpinning Tourism Cluster operations, planning and development.
• To share and exchange experiences in successful marketing and branding of tourism and hospitality clusters.
• To create commercial opportunities between tourism cluster associations and industry suppliers in the travel industry and act as a forum for cooperation between members.
• To facilitate the dissemination of information and subsequently opening up new turfs of business opportunities amongst the participants, tourism industry stakeholders and players
• To assess tourism cluster interaction, competitiveness and sustainability impacts on the economy, society and the environment.
• To provide strategic guidance to agents responsible for public sector tourism policies, as well as the strategies for competitiveness, competition, cooperation and sustainability in private companies and institutions.
• To keep tourism cluster associations informed of the latest developments in the issues that affect the industry.
• To incorporate and strengthen Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Tourism and Hospitality.
• To advocate for effective harmonized self regulation and governancein the African tourism and hospitality industry and the need for a sustainable central planning federation of African private sector tourism hospitality industry.
• Highlight the potential role of tourism and hospitality cluster associations in the African tourism market development and regulation.
• To influence African tourism legislation so thattourism cluster associations are supported by their respective governments.

The Conference

Benefits of Attending the African Tourism Cluster Competitiveness and Sustainability Conference;

• Network and exchange of ideas with key regulators and leaders of the industry
• Exchanging ideas on the development and strengthening of sustainable tourism and hospitality clusters association
• Sharing knowledge and experiences on the sustainability of tourism and hospitality clusters
• Explore current and emerging strategic development of tourism and hospitality clusters associations and opportunity in Africa
• Explore new opportunities for business expansion
• Take away practical knowledge about effective marketing and branding strategies
• Participate in supporting industry strategic forums and be informed of the latest developments
• Gain insights into the latest trends and technological application advances impacting tourism and hospitality clusters
• Opportunity to promote your organizations programs to target industry representatives

Who Should Attend?

The Conference is designed for everyone working in the tourism and hospitality industry across Africa and worldwide. This includes owners, Managers and Senior Staff at;

• Hotel Associations
• Restaurant and Lodging Associations
• Travel and Tour Associations
• National Private Sector Bodies
• SMEs Representative Organizations
• Tourist Training Institutions
• Hotels
• Lodges
• Bed & Breakfasts
• Restaurants
• Visitor Attractions
• Tourism and Hospitality SMEs
• Holiday Parks
• Activity Providers
• Event Organizers
• Transport Operators and Associations
• Tourism Associations
• Self Catering Operators
• Destinations Organizations
• Local Authorities
• Suppliers to the tourism and hospitality Industry
• International Development Partners
• Academia of Urban Planning, Economic Development and Tourism
• Airline Operators
• City Advertising Agencies and Hospitality Publishers
• City Hall and Local Council Officials
• City Planners
• Climate Change and Environmental Management Researchers
• Governors and Mayors
• Green Energy Solutions Providers
• Heritage and Parks Operators
• Hotels & Resorts Managers and Operators
• Hotel and Hospitality Management Operators
• Hospitality Schools and institutions
• IT and Network Operators
• Hotel Equipment Suppliers
• Senior Government Tourism Authorities and Officials
• Senior Government Economic, Housing, Industrial and Public Works Officials
• Tour Operators
• Tourism Boards and Agencies
• Waste Management Operators
• International Development Banks
• Non Government Organizations
• Embassies’ Technical Offices

Potential Sponsors and Partners

·         UN Tourism and Program Agencies (e.g UNWTO, UNIDO – Cluster Dept, UNCTAD, UNEP,

      UN-Energy, IFC, ILO, UNCCN-Climate, etc)

·         Tourism Industry Suppliers

·         Hotel Equipment Suppliers

·         Environmental Organizations

·         Clean-Tech Organizations and Companies

·         Energy and Electrical Companies

·         Wildlife Conservation Organizations

·         Hotel Chains Companies

·         Multilateral Consumer Products Manufacturers

·         Development Partners

·         Embassies

·         National Tourism Boards and Associations

·         National and Bilateral Business Councils

·         Airlines Companies

·         Tour and Travel Companies (International and Regional)

·         Car Hire Companies

·         Investment Companies

·         Private Sector Bodies and Federations

·         SMEs and Enterprise Development Organizations

·         Vehicle Companies

·         International Hospitality Training Institutions

·         Hotel Accessories Companies

·         Constructions Companies

·         Financial Services Companies and Banks

·         International Equity Investment Financiers and Companies

·         Consultancy Companies

·         Media, Magazines and Publishing Companies

·         Marketing Companies

·         etc

African Hospitality and Tourism Federation (AHTF)

                                African Hospitality and Tourism Federation

 (AHTF)

Strategic Plan

African Hospitality and Tourism Federation (AHTF) is a coalition formed to champion the interests of the African tourism private sector associations. AHTF has the mission of bringing together and networking the African hospitality and tourism industry associations. Prosperity in this sector is bedrock of African employment and wealth. 

AHTF has the following objectives:

·         To network and represent African national hospitality and tourism industry associations.

·         To foster international cooperation among hospitality and tourism industry associations in Africa.

·         To provide a forum of sharing ideas, concerns and address mutual challenges facing the African private sector hospitality and tourism associations.

·         To promote and coordinate activities of hospitality and tourism associations in Africa for the attainment of high standards of hospitality services.

·         To promote and represent African national hospitality and tourism private sector associations to international organizations and meetings.

·         To provide educational programs and organize conferences, workshops and seminars for quality standards of hospitality and tourism services in Africa.

·         To form a planning system for the private sector hospitality and tourism industry associations in Africa.

·         To establish links and collaborations with international organizations dealing with hospitality and tourism industry.

·         To provide advice on hospitality and tourism affairs to hospitality and tourist institutions in Africa.

·         To encourage investment in training, service quality, environmental standards and industry codes of practice complainces.

Background

Tourism: Growth sector creating jobs, wealth and African understanding

It is tourism that brings the people of Africa together in appreciation of the richness of Africa’s heritage and each other's culture. Tourism's contribution to Africa’s employment and GDP is crucial and growing.

• More than 7% of Africa's GDP comes from tourism
• Tourism accounts for 20% of African jobs.
• Africa only accounts for less than 5% of world tourism
• The African tourism sector  has shown a growth rate of 7.8 %
• Africa covers 11% of the total employees in the Hotel Industry Worldwide
• The tourism industry is predominantly made up of the private sector and SMEs.

Creating Employment: Realizing tourism's potential

The creation of employment is a major policy objective for Africa - tourism is a key sector for job creation. But, to create those jobs, African policy must recognize the needs of the industry.

• Whilst African tourism industry is growing, Africa is needs to strengthen its market share. Poor regulation, administrative, economic, fiscal and social measures impose unnecessary burdens on the African tourism industry. This inhibits the performance of the sector in its ability to create jobs and wealth.

For tourism to realize its potential to create jobs, there needs to be closer consultation between industry, policy makers and consumers to ensure African policy promotes tourism enterprises.

AHTF strives for the creation of an improved market in tourism services, both within Uganda and throughout Africa within different policy framework.

Stimulating Growth: Realizing tourism's potential

The impact of African measures on tourism must be assessed before they are introduced. Responsibility rests with the African Tourism Program to assess the impact of initiatives through cost-benefit analysis.

The African Ministers for Tourism should meet at least once in a year, to identify and review the impact of African measures on tourism.

The program services should be responsible for all issues related to tourism, including:

• Co-ordination of all tourism policy issues within the region.
• Reviewing all proposed African measures in order to identify those which may impact on tourism.
• Consulting systematically with industry representatives, associations as well as consumers and social partners. This consultation process should include cost-benefit analysis of all proposed measures. The procedure should be transparent, publicly accountable and enshrined in legislation.
• Communicating the progress if policy proposals through the AU to the industry.

All program services should be readily accessible, transparent, and open to continuous and constructive dialogue with the tourism industry.

The entrusted Task Committees should be encouraged to consult fully all affected parties prior to the publication of Opinions and Recommendations.

There should be a Regional Tourism Platform, which brings together members and representatives of the tourism industry, consumers and social partners, should be promoted and strengthened by the African Institutions.

Environment

AHTF calls African tourism to work in partnership to address the Earth Charter's challenge to acknowledge "responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life and to future generations" (Rio Earth Summit 1992) The protection of the natural environment and the creation of more sustainable destinations is a priority for everyone in tourism.

AHTF invites all African tourism industry entrepreneurs to place the principles of sound environmental management at the heart of their agendas when they formulate their business plans.

African Hospitality and Tourism Federation (AHTF)

P.O.Box 29324 Kampala,Uganda.

Email: afritours@yahoo.com ,  ahtfed@gmail.com ,  africanhospitality@aircraftmail.com

Tel: +256 704 762575, +256 794 632211

                             UCA Building, Mezzanine Floor, Suite 108, Nkrumah Rd.