BDO to help organise Africa Tourism Leadership Forum in Durban this year
South Africa’s ‘best city’ Durban is set to host this year’s edition of the Africa Tourism Leadership Forum, which is set to take place at the end of August this year. Accounting and advisory firm BDO is set to support the event, alongside firms from the travel and tourism industry.
Tourism has been one of the sectors that is expected to drive Africa’s economic growth story, as the continent looks to diversify beyond the oil and commodity trade. The continent is home to a favourable climate and an abundance of natural beauty, and countries in the region are looking to draw international visitors.
South Africa is among the most prominent tourism markets on the continent, while the Western African nation of Ghana has been drawing the majority of leisure tourism volumes in recent years. The Africa Tourism Leadership Forum is aimed at facilitating collaboration amongst these prominent tourism markets.
A collaborative environment will allow for the exchange of information and best practices amongst various stakeholders in the tourism sector, ranging from travel companies to hospitality groups and government agencies. The event will also feature an awards ceremony to recognise these best practices.
The event will be held on the 29th and 30th of August this year, and will feature a range of talking points. The most prominent among these include visa regulations across the continent, and methods to digitalise the visa application process. Accessibility through air will also feature amongst the areas of focus.
Another key issue that will be addressed is methods to draw more tourism from China. A number of countries have been looking to draw more volume from China, and Uganda recently appointed a consulting firm to support with these goals.
The event will be held in Durban, regarded as the best city in South Africa based on quality of living indicators. The event will be organised in collaboration with accounting and advisory firm BDO, which is growing in profile across the South African market.
Commenting on the event, Provincial Minister for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Sihle Zikalala said, “As the proud host of ATLF 2019, we look forward to welcoming all stakeholders from across the continent and the rest of the world, not only this innovative event but, also to experience what South Africa and our beautiful province offer the world. ATLF is an African project that we must all be part of and support.”
