A ground-breaking partnership between leading African and international attractions associations is providing new opportunities for local providers to expand their reach to global markets.
The African Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AAVEA) has successfully forged a partnership with the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) to host IAAPA’s first-ever summit in Africa. The IAAPA and AAVEA Africa Summit is set to take place in Johannesburg on October 30-31.
The partnership gives AAVEA members additional IAAPA membership for the highly discounted price of R1 300 (€66) per year or R130 (€6.6) per month. The membership affords African providers multiple benefits including global networking opportunities, access to various training and certification programmes and savings on attendance at IAAPA expos.
The summit in Johannesburg will deliver a comprehensive educational programme designed to equip attendees with the latest strategies and insights on the attractions industry landscape. Sessions will delve into critical topics such as Africa’s unique attraction landscape, the influence of global trends on local markets, guest safety and experience, revenue optimisation and sustainability.
The summit will include educational tours to some of Africa’s premier attractions such as Valley of Waves, Waterworld and Mankwe GAMETRACKERS at Sun City as well as Gold Reef City in Johannesburg.
“As a member-based organisation committed to supporting the attractions industry, we found that our goals align closely with those of AAVEA,” said Peter van der Schans, Executive Director and Vice Present of IAAPA’s Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
“By broadening our education programmes and research initiatives, this joint effort aims to foster deeper knowledge and expertise within our community and the greater tourism industry. Additionally, this alliance allows members to connect with industry professionals not only across Africa but also on an international scale.”
Established in 2018, AAVEA is a membership-driven association, governed by a board of experienced industry experts, offering educational opportunities for visitor experience and attractions professionals in Africa.
IAAPA represents leading industry attractions and supplier companies, consultants and individual members from more than 100 countries. Members include professionals from amusement parks, theme parks, attractions, water parks, resorts, family entertainment centres, zoos, aquariums, science centres, museums, cruise lines, manufacturers and suppliers.
