The VA TourismPodcast

In this episode( #8) the CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa elaborates on the magnitude of problems facing South Africa's tourism sector as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. He discusses the council's approach to mitigating the challenges as well as the call to have international borders open. Mr. Tshivhengwa delves into the modus operandi of the TBSA  and finally walks us through his personal life. 

The VA #TourismNewsWrap13 is a 360 roundup of the latest news in the Travel and Tourism sector. It sums up what you missed the previous week. It captures in brief, the major stories. Headlines;Kenya Airways suspends flights to Eight African cities // Zimbabwe unveils Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy // Zambia releases Guidelines to be observed at Ports of Entry// TBCSA launches Covid-19 safety App for Tourism Sector

#In this episode(#7)  David  Gonahasa, Ugandan tech entrepreneur and founder of Tripxio a Shopify like tool looks at how African grown solutions can help address the challenges in the continent's tourism sector and build back better. He discusses how he seeks to help small and medium tourism businesses in Africa digitalize their operations. He previously founded Roundbob.com an online travel agency. David built his first tech business in 2003; Mediaflower.com and Marketuganda.com. He has worked in Advertising in Rwanda and Uganda, IT, and in Mobile payments as CMO for Mobicash Africa supporting the brand and commercial growth in 7 markets across the African Continent.  David was named Uganda Innovation Achiever of the Year 2017 (MTN Innovation Awards), an Alibaba eFounders Fellow and a member of The Africa List. He was also the winner of UNWTO Tourism Tech Adventures (Africa Region) 

In this episode (#5), Yasmine-Hannah Fofana, a gastronomy enthusiast and CEO of Afrofoodie looks at how African destinations can leverage its diverse culinary offerings to promote tourism. She launched Cote d'Ivoire's first food blog in 2012 and the maiden restaurant week in 2017.  She is A 2016 Mandela Washington Fellow and 2017/18 Chevening Scholar, Yasmine-Hannah Fofana is a pioneer when it comes to promoting the culinary scene of Côte d’Ivoire.

In this episode (#4), Michael Sudarkasa, CEO of Africa Business Group, and Co-Convener of the Africa Tourism Investment Summit will help us appreciate the investment opportunities in Africa’s tourism sector. Michael is a U.S. trained attorney and African Economic Development Specialist based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Michael has experience and expertise in facilitating economic development, trade, and investment projects involving business expansion within Africa and beyond.

In this episode (#3),  The Director of Africa at the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Elcia Grandcourt opens up on the Organizations'  activities in the Africa Region and the  UNWTO Agenda for Africa – Tourism for Inclusive Growth.

In this (#2)episode, Judy Kepher-Gona, the Founder of Sustainable Travel and Tourism Agenda (STTA) based in Kenya will help us understand what it means to de-risk tourism as the sector get ready for a  restart. Judy is a sustainability coach with over 20 years of experience working with sustainable tourism and travel qualification systems, community integration, and progressive conservation approaches.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Tourism Board Mrs Sherin Francis in a conversation with Kojo Bentum-Williams gives an update on preparations put in place to welcome back tourists to the Paradise island.