Excitement is building in Johannesburg as the city gears up to welcome international delegates for the highly anticipated 7th edition of the Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit and Challenge.
Organisers and host partners are thrilled to announce an impressive lineup of global industry thought leaders who will share their insights at this transformative event from the 24th to the 27th of June 2025 at the Midrand Conference Centre for an unforgettable experience.
This pivotal Summit, organised by Africa Tourism Partners in collaboration with UN Tourism, AfCFTA, and BDO, is a cornerstone for innovation and inspiration in the tourism sector. It will be hosted by South African Tourism, with essential partners nationwide. Notable strategic partners include the Namibia Tourism Board, Mercure Hotel Midrand, Reserved Suites, and Inani Hotel, with Kenya Airways as the official airline partner.
The Summit allows participants to connect, learn, and drive positive change in Africa’s tourism landscape.
Distinguished speakers for this year include UN Tourism Secretary General – H.E. Zurab Pololikashvili, UN Tourism Director, Africa Department – Elcia Grandcourt, UN Tourism Executive Director, Natalia Bayona, South African Tourism’s Chief Strategy Officer – Siyabonga Mthethwa, Bheki Dube, Founder-Curiosity, Ross Volk, Managing Director of MSC Cruises, Southern Africa, H.E Ambassador Albertus Aochamub, Ambassador, France & Spain, Permanent Delegate of Namibia to UNESCO and UN Tourism, Connie-Marlene Theyse, Head of Enterprise Banking FNB, Namibia, York Zucchi, Founder, Startup Tribe, Italy, Mahider Tadesse, Founder, Hallpax, USA & Ethiopia, and Zainab A. Muntari, CEO, Sixth African Region Initiatives, Ghana and Prof Kobby Mensah, FTDC, Ghana among others.
The top 20 finalists for the Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Challenge are currently going through a boot camp with the assistance of their mentors. This stage enables the innovators to fine-tune their projects ahead of the 2025 Pitch Battle—Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Challenge Demos & Lab scheduled for June 24th, 2025.
Participants will immerse themselves in the youth and entrepreneurs’ MICE Masterclasses, B2B sessions, speed marketing, one-on-one meetings, a career guidance clinic, brand activation, and many more activities lined up for this year’s Summit. The programme has a mix of industry leaders and entry-level youth to balance the discussions as Africa seeks to bring actionable solutions to the challenges faced in the Tourism industry at all levels.
An overwhelming number of registrations from interested participants have been received across the globe, and pre-accreditation has commenced for the participants who have confirmed attendance both physically and virtually. A few exhibition spots are still available for grabs via the event’s website. Flights, accommodation, and various activity options are also available on our website, as are pre- and post-summit tour packages.
