The functioning of a continent-wide, private-sector tourism alliance is gathering momentum with 36 leading associations and 51 private companies across 18 countries signed up as members.

Officially established during the 2022 Africa Tourism Leadership Forum (ATLF) in Botswana, the Africa Tourism Private Sector Alliance (ATPSA) is seeking to solidify its position as the sole Pan-African apex private-sector tourism body.

The initiative has been endorsed by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) with the interim committee comprising CEOs of apex industry bodies such as the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry and the Kenya Tourism Federation.

In a progress report presented to industry, Kwakye Donkor, CEO of Africa Tourism Partners – which currently funds the non-profit alliance as one of its social impact programmes – said the entity is legally registered in Ghana and registration in Kenya and South Africa is underway. Satellite offices have been set up in all three of these countries.

“We have done a lot of ground work to ensure this isn’t something we just talk about without coming to fruition. We have now built up the critical mass we need to move the initiative forward,” said Donkor.

Removal of barriers to travel

Donkor said the main goal of the alliance is to enhance and strengthen the competitiveness of the continent’s tourism economy through the following mechanisms: 

• Promoting market access development under the “Brand Africa” banner in collaboration with AfCFTA.
• Improving visa openness and connectivity between African countries and reducing the cost of travel.
• Skills development and capacity building.
• Improved quality standards and assurance.
• Research, innovation and digitalisation.

“We have the opportunity to utilise the extensive combined reach and expertise of each association, and AfCFTA’s considerable leverage with governments, to advocate together on these issues,” said Donkor.

The alliance’s strong links with the AfCFTA will enable members to better harness the benefits provided by the agreement, he added. Tourism is one of the five priority sectors covered under the AfCFTA’s trade in services protocol. Negotiations on the protocol are currently underway. The African Union Assembly has so far adopted 22 schedules of commitment – five have been published (Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda).

The ATPSA will be closely linked with other ATP-led initiatives, including the Africa Tourism Innovation Hub – a physical and virtual learning hub established together with UN Tourism, Durban University of Technology, Namibia University of Science and Technology and Cornell University.

With a corporate identity now developed, the alliance and its members can begin to make their presence felt at leading regional and international trade shows, added Donkor.

Becoming self-sustainable

The alliance has submitted a proposal for grant seed funding to the AfCFTA to fund its initial work. The aim is then to become self-sustaining through mechanisms such as project fees and commissions, membership fees, donations and fundraising activities, marketing and advertising fees as well as training and masterclasses hosted by the alliance.

“The interim committee will work to ensure this becomes a self-funding and self-sustainable organisation with the goal of appointing additional staff and creating a permanent governance structure,” said Donkor.

ATP, in collaboration with the AfCFTA, has prepared a State of Africa Tourism Report, in collaboration with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, to be published early next year, he added. It will help the alliance improve its skills development, capacity building and investment advocacy.

The alliance has also embarked on an aggressive drive to bring hospitality and tourism schools across the continent on board to drive research goals.

One fully functional, the alliance will house various departments dedicated to specific industry issues, including tourism crisis management teams, to timeously respond to “perception crises” due to disease outbreaks, natural disasters and political instability.

The alliance aims to achieve a minimum of 10% growth in active members per year and a minimum brand awareness level of 30% among industry leaders.