A new, free online resource on Africa for tour operators and agents, The Africa Hub, officially launched as a new brand this week

The platform had a soft launch in 2020 as a sub-brand of specialist UK-based African representative company, Small World Marketing. Due to the success of the brand, The Africa Hub was launched as a separate entity with its own dedicated website and brand.

“The industry anticipates unprecedented demand for Africa when people are able to travel again, and The Africa Hub helps open up the opportunities of the whole incredible continent. Through our network of specialists it offers expertise, insights and a wealth of practical information to those selling Africa post-COVID,” said The Africa Hub MD, Anita Powell.

The platform will host webinars from industry experts – including DMCs and other specialist partners (Zambian Ground Handlers, New Frontiers Tours, Great Lakes Safaris and Bush Tracks Africa amongst others) – who will provide impartial, in-depth presentations focused on, amongst others, suggested itineraries, maps and comprehensive fact files on a destination.

“As a continent, Africa has multiple tourist bodies of differing levels of prominence, so The Africa Hub meets a gap in the market for impartial, cohesive, continent-wide information,” said CEO of the African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA), Chris Mears.

According to an ATTA press statement, The Africa Hub will help those selling Africa to expand their knowledge and navigate dynamic and unpredictable times.

“It is equally relevant as a means to keep up to date with the latest information; as a comprehensive training tool; and as a resource to help with the bounce-back demand for Africa as people plan to travel again. Whilst conceived primarily with a trade audience in mind, it is also accessible for any interested consumer undertaking their own travel research into destinations in Africa,” added Mears.

Six different destinations are live now (South Africa, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia), with five more (Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi) rolling out by the end of the first quarter of this year.

The Africa Hub is supported by an advisory panel of industry contacts, including Mears, and a handful of leading Africa specialist tour operators, who will identify the right collaborators for every destination.

In addition to country coverage there will also be themed topics, for example ‘Family Travel’ or ‘Most Intrepid’.