At the recent 25th International Tourism Safety Conference held in Las Vegas, CEO of Africa Tourism Partners Kwakye Donkor announced an Africa Tourism Leadership Forum, with an aim to address Africa’s brand equity deficit.
The Tourism Safety Conference provides delegates with new information, trends, strategies and best practices in keeping tourists safe, with attendees from over 22 countries.
Speaking passionately about destination Africa and proudly flying the the African flag high, Kwakye Donkor said Africa is a multi-faceted destination with 54 unique destinations, and tourists to Africa will always be spoilt for choice. “Africa is a continent and a world in one continent with unique attractions, vibrant culture and experiences beyond wildlife. Even though tourism safety and security is an issue, it all depends on whether one sees the glass as half full or half empty, but to him the glass is always half full,” he explained
Donkor’s key message is, the issue of tourism safety and security in Africa is not as bad as it is in other parts of the world, simply because African countries and their security agencies know the hot spots of safety and security, and are pro-actively dealing with these. “Our major challenge, however, is brand equity and perception deficit the continent faces. Therefore, African governments, particularly, tourism agencies and their parent ministries will have to collaborate with their private sector entities to change these perceptions. If not, the momentum building and creating more power brand Africa will not just continue of its own accord,” he emphasised.
Underscoring the glass half full scenario he said Africa Tourism Partners with the support of Ghana Tourism Board and its parent Ministry Ghana Africa, is hosting the inaugural Africa Tourism Leadership Forum and Awards on 31 August and 1 September, 2018 in Accra, Ghana, as their contribution to alleviating the issue of brand equity deficit that destination Africa faces. This effort has been recognized by one of the leading African tourism media company, Voyages Afriq, which has just joined the Forum’s media partnership. “We hope this will put more spotlight on Africa’s tourism attractiveness, good stories, investment opportunities and enhance positive perceptions rather than focusing on its safety, securities and other socio-economic challenges only.” he said
“The safety and security of visitors and residents is a top priority for any destination’s tourism industry, so it’s imperative to be aware of the current trends and information,” said Ray Suppe, president of the International Tourism Safety Association and executive director of customer safety for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA.) “For more than two decades, Las Vegas has proudly hosted this important conference where tourism security officials can come together to learn, grown and develop professionally.”
