South Africa Tourism Partners, UN Tourism and BDO announced the relocation of the Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit and Challenge to Johannesburg, South Africa.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, Nairobi, Kenya, will no longer host the Summit. The Summit will now be held in Johannesburg in partnership with South African Tourism and Johannesburg Tourism,” the organisers said in a release made available to REPORTERS AT LARGE.
The event will run from 24 to 26 June 2025: 24 June – Delegates Arrival and registration; 25 June – Full Summit Day; 26 June – Full Summit Day, and 27 June – Day at Leisure and Delegates Departure.
These dates coincided with South Africa’s Youth Month of June, which is significant to the country.
The Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit gathers young change-makers, ministries of tourism, ICT, hospitality policymakers, venture capitalists, international buyers and investors to engage in discussions that will contribute to the growth of tourism in the African continent.
Through a well-organised exhibition, the summit also provides networking, collaboration, career guidance opportunities, and business growth.
The thematic areas of the Summit, according to the organisers, will include:
- Bridging the Start-Up Divide: Redefining the pathways for capital raising by leveraging the needs of national and international venture capital networks.
- Artificial Intelligence Adoption: Navigating AI disruptions and promising business prospects for youth and start-ups in the future of Africa’s tourism ecosystem.
- Tech-driven Future: Utilising Design Thinking as a strategic tool for powering innovation and creativity in travel, tourism and hospitality entrepreneurship.
- Community Engagement and Inclusive Tourism: Creating tourism clusters as formal and informal commercial villages for youth and women employment and financial inclusion.
- The Dawn of AI Revolution: Turning to AI for tourism, travel and hospitality business growth and profitability.
The first round of the Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Challenge has been completed. The judges have selected the top 20 finalists who will participate in the boot camp before choosing the top five. The Summit in Johannesburg will announce the top five candidates.
Participants are encouraged to register and book a seat for attendance. Desktop exhibition space will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
The exciting 2025 Youth Summit programme will include MICE masterclasses for youth and entrepreneurs, speed marketing, one-on-one meetings, a career guidance clinic, and brand activation platforms.
