Airbnb announced that it will host its Africa Travel Summit at Victoria Yards, Johannesburg, from October 23 to 24.
According to the e-hosting platform, more than 200 policymakers, tourism experts, innovators and change makers from across the continent will converge to collaborate on innovative ideas on building an inclusive and sustainable tourism industry across Africa.
The summit will be moderated by Afua Osei, co-founder of She Leads Africa, and the event will convene a line-up of more than 20 speakers and panellists who will facilitate an interactive day of discussion and networking around the role of tourism and technology in driving continued inclusive and sustainable economic empowerment and growth across the continent.
Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille will take the stage for the welcome note, alongside other notable thought leaders, including Bankole Oluwafemi, founder of TechCabal; Juliette Langlais, Airbnb’s director of public policy and campaigns for Europe, Middle East and Africa; and Anita Mendiratta, global strategic adviser on tourism and development.
Airbnb said they will be joined by representatives from Unesco and the WTTC, as well as change makers in inclusivity, sustainability and tech regulation.
Zozibini Tunzi, actress, model and advocate of empowerment and inclusivity, will present the final keynote and the evening will end with a performance by world-renowned recording artist Bongeziwe Mabandla.
“Each speaker and delegate will bring a unique perspective to the overarching theme of the summit – sharing lived experience, research findings and thoughts on best practices around how travel and technology can drive a more inclusive and sustainable future, and help support the recovery of tourism post-pandemic,” said the e-hosting platform.
The e-hosting platform said that the Airbnb Africa Travel Summit builds on its commitment to inclusive tourism in South Africa, and its proposal for new measures that will help build a more inclusive tourism economy, and enable the government and the private sector to work together to address important issues, such as systemic barriers to entry and inequality.
Velma Corcoran, regional lead Middle East Africa at Airbnb, said that in support of the continued recovery and growth of the tourism industry, the Africa Travel Summit will bring together the leading thinkers from across the continent to discuss how we can leverage technology and innovation to empower more local families and their communities to benefit from African travel.
“We look forward to facilitating important discussions amongst industry, policymakers and change makers to collaboratively build a sustainable and inclusive tourism model that benefits everyone.
“An event that we are certain will both inspire and ignite entrepreneurial spirit across Africa,” said Corcoran.
The event is by invitation only. For more details on the event, including registration, go to airbnb.co.za/e/airbnbafricatravelsummit.