The Africa Free Continental Trade Area (AfCFTA) has endorsed the Africa Tourism Private Sector Alliance (ATPSA).
This took place during the 6th ATLF hosted by the Government of Botswana in October 2023 in Gaborone, Botswana.
The endorsement was witnessed by over 600 industry stakeholders, policymakers, private sector executives, academics and investors who had gathered in Gaborone Botswana for the Africa Tourism Leadership Forum & Awards 2023 held from 3 to 6 October.
The endorsement of the AfCFTA affirms the Africa Tourism Private Sector Alliance (ATPSA) as the only pan-African apex body and platform for national tourism private sector associations and organisations in African Union Member states. Born on the margins of ATLF 2022 in Botswana, the ATPSA will serve as a single voice and platform for positioning Tourism as a priority sector across all African countries.
The primary role of the body is to advocate for the removal of barriers to intra-Africa travel such as visa-free travel for Africans within Africa, improved connectivity within African countries, reduced cost of air travel across Africa, promotion of Africa under the “Brand Africa” banner in collaboration with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Other key priority focus areas of the Alliance are research, creating market access for SMEs through destination marketing, capacity building and learning, best practices and knowledge sharing, thought leadership development, sustainable tourism development, and more.
Championed by AfCFTA, ATPSA is well-positioned to promote sustainable tourism development, improve intra-African travel facilitation, and strengthen sector competitiveness and inclusivity among youth and women.
The interim secretariat of the alliance is hosted by the Society for Aids in Africa (SAA), Accra, Ghana and supported by Kenya Tourism Federation Offices in Nairobi, Kenya. The ATPSA secretariat therefore takes this opportunity to invite all tourism and related industries’ private sector organisations across Africa to join the ATPSA. The Alliance’s work plan and action programme for 2024 is being developed to be validated by AfCFTA, members of African tourism industry stakeholders and related international partners in early 2024.
About Africa Tourism Partners
African Tourism Partners (ATP) is an award-winning, UNWTO-affiliated pan-African tourism development and strategic destination marketing advisory firm. The firm specializes in tourism and MICE strategy formulation, investment facilitation and promotion, research, master planning, destination market development, and capacity building across Africa’s travel, tourism, hospitality, aviation, and golf sub-industries.
Our clients and partners include but are not limited to UNWTO, World Bank, Mastercard Foundation, NEPAD, AfCFTA, South African Tourism, Ghana Tourism Authority, Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, Rwanda Development Board, Rwanda Convention Bureau, Rwanda Chamber of Commerce, SAACI, RwandAir, SAA, Ethiopia Airlines, Tanzania Tourism Board, Kenya Tourism Board, Uganda Tourism Board, Gauteng Tourism Authority, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, Tourism Business Council of South Africa, Nigeria and more.
About Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO)
The government set up the Botswana Tourism Organisation to market tourist products, grade and classify tourist accommodation, and promote investment in the tourism sector.
The organisation has successfully focused its efforts on achieving high standards, developing tourism strategies that exceed customer expectations, and building customer confidence worldwide.
It aims to develop Botswana into a unique tourism destination and increase the sector’s contribution to the nation’s economic growth. To this end, the organisation is constantly expanding and promoting Botswana’s international image.
Dedicated to preserving Botswana’s heritage and environment, the organisation has established conservation policies and ecotourism strategies to ensure that tourism is sustainable for its inhabitants and future generations while meaningfully contributing to the national economy.
About UNWTO
The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) is the United Nations agency that promotes responsible, sustainable, and universally accessible tourism. As the leading international organisation in tourism, UNWTO promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development, and environmental sustainability. It also offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.
About AfCFTA
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a free trade area encompassing most of Africa. It was established in 2018 by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, which has 43 parties and another 11 signatories, making it the largest free-trade area by number of member states, after the World Trade Organization and the largest in population and geographic size, spanning 1.3 billion people across the world’s second-largest continent.
