Africa Travel WeekThe COVID-19 pandemic brought travel and tourism to a standstill, with billions lost in revenue globally, threatening the survival of many operators worldwide.
At the same time, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) asserts that “the future of tourism will be impacted by large-scale social, economic, political, environmental and technological changes, bringing new and often unseen challenges, threats and opportunities.” The OECD identifies four “megatrends” that will shape the tourism industry’s future, namely evolving visitor demand, sustainable tourism growth, enabling technologies, and travel mobility.
This webinar discussed the industry’s current situation and future prospects, from the perspective of current entrepreneurs, the industry’s key drivers.
THE SPEAKERS
Chima Ezeokoye
Co-founder: WeMove Technologies
Nigeria
Chima is an expert on creative strategies, corporate communications, and partnerships for technology-based businesses.
He is a founding partner of WeMove Technologies Limited a technology business, and winners of the 2019 ADIS award for Impact & Innovation (Silicon Valley/ CA), Outstanding Entrepreneurship Award, 1st runner-up. (ATLF 2019 Kwazulu Natal, South Africa), National Nominee/Most innovative digital solution in Culture & Tourism from Nigeria – World Summit Awards (WSA) 2019 and the top 100 SMEs in Nigeria 2018 by Connect Nigeria/Union Bank. Before this, he has gotten some awards and recognition from Commonwealth, GTBank, and FedEx among others. He is currently the project lead for WeMove Tourism (organizers of the Tourism Technology Bootcamp Africa).
Linh Le
Co-founder: Luxperia
Vietnam
With over 20 years in tourism, Linh is an entrepreneur specialising in high-end travel and speaks publicly to advocate sustainable tourism and the promotion of the southeast Asia region.
Lorna K. Johnson
Principal: Global Linkages, Inc.
USA
Lona K. Johnson is the Principal of Global Linkages, Inc., a management consulting firm, representing a multitude of organizations including a cross-section of nonprofits, educational institutions, faith-based, businesses, and municipalities. Global Linkages builds international partnerships providing, strategic planning, organizational development, governance, fund development, volunteer development, grantsmanship, and program management. It has a particular focus on those organizations whose work includes international and global interest with a special focus on the African continent. With a passion for Africa, she has served organizations, in creating viable partnerships with the continent. Most recently, she has used her experience in Africa to assist and create awareness on the needs of African immigrants in the United States.
Global Linkages has made a footprint in a variety of areas including, but not limited to: alleviation of poverty; gender issues; youth; sustainable tourism; health; housing; HIV/AIDS; and the arts.
Mulemwa Moongwa
Meeting Architect:
Infinite Learning Consultants
Zambia
Mulemwa Moongwa is a Certified Meetings Professional whose Entrepreneurial journey started at age 21. Today, more than fifteen years later, she owns and manages a leading Meetings Management Firm called Infinite Consultants in her home country Zambia where she has found her niche in high profile Government to Government and Government to Business engagements. Evolving from a Learning and Development practitioner to working in Business Tourism, Mulemwa is working hard to raise awareness on the skills gap in the sector and is currently diversifying into becoming an Industry Educator.
Mulemwa coordinates the National Financial Literacy Campaign since inception in 2013 that has been recognized a best practice in the region and beyond. The campaign has won 4 Global Awards and been recognized as a finalist country for seven consecutive years.
Tes Proos
Director: Crystal Events Africa
and Society for Travel Excellence (Site)
South Africa
Tes Proos currently serves as the president of the SITE Africa chapter as well as Chairperson for the new SA Events Council. Her career started in hotels in 1985 and she has been working as a DMC for the past 20 years. She founded Crystal Events Africa in 2009, based in Cape Town but with partners in many African destinations. Tes is passionate about the hospitality industry, hence a champion for skills development and mentoring to constantly uplift our service delivery levels.
THE MODERATOR
Septi M Bukula
Founder: Seeza Tourism SME Network
South Africa
Septi M. Bukula is a nationally recognised specialist in entrepreneurship and SME development policy in South Africa. He has undertaken numerous SME policy and programme advisory assignments in South Africa and other African countries. He regularly hosts prominent international conferences focusing on a broad range of SME development issues. In 2017 he established Seeza Tourism SME Network to promote the interests of tourism SMEs, with particular focus on facilitating domestic and international market access. In 2014 his company, Osiba Management, received South African Tourism’s coveted Lilizela Tourism Award.
