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GHANA
GRAND
TOUR Hon.
Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey,
ATA Past
President, accompanied
by other ATA officials, opens the trade show at the
ATA 31st World Congress in Accra, Ghana. Photo by
Muguette Goufrani. Africa Travel Association
(ATA) 31st Annual World Congress in Accra,
Ghana, Sets Stage For Full Participation from
African Countries and Diaspora As a result of
this week-long series of events, a dynamic new
leadership team was installed, with Hon. Jake
Obetsebi-Lamptey. Minister of Tourism and Diasporan
Relations, Ghana, taking over the ATA presidency
from Hon. Kabinga J. Pande, Zambia's Minister of
Tourism, Environment & Natural
Resources; Social Entrepreneurs Edward
J. Bergman as Executive Director and Robert
Alsbrooks as Executive Programs Director, taking
over from Mira Berman. Details on other new
directors and biographies of executive members will
be available on the website www.africa-ata.org,
along with an update on 26 ATA chapters in Africa
and North America. Prior to the congress, Deputy
Minister Hon. Stephan Asmoah Boateng and a
Ghana tourism team visited ATA USA Chapter to set
the stage. The membership was unanimous in its many
tributes to outgoing Executive Director, Mira
Berman who created key building blocks through
partnerships that form the foundation of the
association's global reach. A major
marketing effort targeting the African Diaspora
communities in the USA, Canada, The Caribbean,
Central and South America through expanded
relations and partnerships, is high on the
association's new agenda. This initiative is in
accord with the "Joseph Project," expressed by the
theme "Coming Back to the Homeland." Details
of the project, initiated by the Republic of Ghana,
were presented as part of the main agenda. Another
ATA objective in marketing and communications is
expanding on Africa's ties to Asia Pacific
Countries, based on the foundation laid in Thailand
at the IIPT Conference. This ATA-PATA partnership
earned an award at the 2005 World Travel Market in
the UK. Other important steps recommended by
Mr. Bergman as the new ATA Executive Director,
are: • Seeking
100 percent African country
membership. • Packaging
sponsorships as multi-year commitments for bundled
benefits. •
Developing new partnerships in untapped areas, such
as aircraft manufacturers, insurance companies and
travel publications. • Seeking
diverse sponsorships for African tourism
publications and materials. •
Collaboration with ATA website developer to
increase revenue generation through advertising and
develop additional website links for member
chapters and countries. • Promoting
the Annual Africa Tourism Yearbook. • Providing
position papers and training for Ministries of
Tourism to access greater tourism resources and
facilitate such introductions. •
Supporting the AU Alliance - voice/ advisors to AU
for tourism development. • Enhancing
Africa's links to Asian tourism market,
specifically China and India. • Creating
an ATA Foundation for education and social
responsibility. • Creating
a New York ATA Forum in conjunction with the United
Nations General Assembly meeting. • Providing
new member benefits such as health and liability
insurance, office equipment and
supplies. • Producing
an Annual Report and Membership
Directory. Full Slate of Travel -
Tourism Topics Congress events
were held at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Golden
Tulip Hotel plus two government conference centers
in Accra. The popular annual session, "Doing
business together," provided an opportunity for
African and North American tour operators,
organizers and ground operators to share ideas and
objectives. • Open
Skies and African Tourism Challenges, a panel
session chaired by Hon. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey.
Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations, Ghana,
involved presentations by key persons from Ghana,
Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Angola,
South Africa, Uganda and others. Christian
Folly-Kossi, Secretary General of the Africa
Airline Association {AFRAA) provided a
comprehensive outline of the current situation and
identified future opportunities in this key area.
One comment by Mr. Folly-Kossi which sized up the
prevailing attitude was; "We do not fully realize
in Africa the macro-economic potentials of the
tourism industry." • The
African Diaspora was another hot topic with
presentations on the Bermuda Triangle and African
Diaspora Heritage Trail by Dr. Gaynelle
Henderson-Bailey and the "Joseph Project," a main
focus of Ghana's 50th Anniversary Celebrations and
Homecoming in 2007. • Other
topics included the Bridal and Honeymoon Markets,
the Mature Traveler (Seniors), Ecotourism
Symposium Review, Ecotourism and Sustainable
Development, Tourism Potential of Ghana's Coastal
Wetlands, Decentralizing Tourism Policies (Moroccan
experience), Touring Ghana &endash; Operators'
Perceptions and Mobilizing External Resources for
Tourism Development. Future ATA Host Countries
in Africa The revised
Calendar of Events includes the ATA 11th Cultural
and Ecotourism Symposium in Abuja, Nigeria
(November 2006), the ATA-IIPT 4th African
Conference on Peace Through Tourism in Kampala,
Uganda (April 2007), and the ATA 32nd World
Congress in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (May 2007).
North American Airlines, which flies between New
York's JFK Airport and Accra, was official
carrier for the 2006 congress, however many ATA
delegates arrived via other
airlines. A Taste of Ghana's Culture
and Hospitality Host Country Day
highlights included a motor trip to the Cape Coast
area, with escorted tours of the Cape Coast Slave
Castle, and a durbar ceremony on the grounds of the
historic Elmina Castle, followed by luncheon on the
Coconut Grove Resort. For several years, the
Tourism Ministry featured "Modernization of the
Capital City," and ATA delegates who have visited
Ghana previously were able to confirm the work in
progress that is transforming Accra and surrounding
areas, with major road building and construction
projects underway. Media delegates from North
America had an opportunity to attend the Aboakyer
Hunting Ceremony at Winneba on the Cape Coast
Highway, featuring local chiefs in their gilded
regalia. ATA's Global
Positioning The Africa
Travel Association (ATA) is the only international
organization promoting tourism to Africa and its
strength is reflected in its membership, the strong
public and private sector partnership on the
International Board as well as Ministers of
Tourism, Airlines, Hoteliers, Tour Operators and
Travel Agents. ATA has chapters throughout
Africa and North America; is a member of ASTA
(American Society of Travel Agents), WTO (World
Tourism Organization), an industry partner with
ARTA (Association of Retail Travel Agents), a
founding member of the Coalition of Partners for
IIPT, International Institute for Peace through
Tourism; and a Green Globe member. ATA organizes an
annual congress and international marketing
conference in Africa; an annual symposium on
environmental and cultural preservation; and
publishes the Africa Travel Magazine and web site
www.africa-ata.org. For further
information e-mail
africatravelasso@aol.com Phone 212 447
1926. Fax 212-725-8253. Karen
Hoffman Sr. Vice
President The Bradford
Group 347 Fifth Ave.
Suite 610 New York, New
York 10016 Tel: (212)
447-0027 Fax: (212)
725-8253 direct email:
Karentravel@aol.com or
Bradfordmktg@aol.com <ATA Press
Release May 16 2006 ATA Appoints Executive
Director.doc> |
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Accra,
Ghana, May 6, 2006. Delegations from sixteen
African countries, the USA and Canada, met in this
rapidly expanding West African capital for the
Africa Travel Association's 31st International
Congress, Marketing Conference, Convocation of
African Tourism Ministers, Annual General Meeting
and Tourism Industry Exposition. Proceedings
were opened May 1, by H.E. Aliu Mahama, Vice
President, Republic of Ghana. The conference theme
was "Ghana- A Golden Experience, Unique Culture and
Unforgettable Adventure."