Leading tourism industry officials will convene with American and African private sector representatives in Atlantic City this fall to help businesses explore travel and gaming opportunities on the African continent. The 2002 Africa Travel, Tourism and Gaming Trade Show and Conference, hosted by the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), is the first travel industry trade show dedicated to the entire continent of Africa and held on American soil. It will take place Monday, September 30 through Wednesday, October 2, 2002 at the Atlantic City Convention Center.
As the first event of its kind, the conference will offer representatives from the American and African travel industries the unique opportunity to identify agents, representatives and suppliers, as well as explore joint venture partnerships and strategic alliances. U.S. operators will learn about Africa first-hand from African and American professionals who already know Africa s appeal.
Designed to promote the potential of Africa s 53 countries to leisure and corporate travelers, the show is scheduled at a time when travel to Africa is anticipated to increase. Over 30 million tourists currently visit the continent annually and more are expected. Tourism is second only to oil as the largest source of revenue for Africa earning $12 billion a year. A successful opening of the U.S. market could generate another $6 billion in revenue. With the U.S. government providing incentives for American businesses to invest in Africa, this conference provides a timely setting for the American travel industry to take advantage of these opportunities.
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Participants at the conference will be able to learn about Africa through a variety of exhibits, workshops and plenary sessions. Topics for the workshops include: Marketing Business and Leisure Travel to Africa, Safety and Security in Travel, Gaming: Economic Opportunities, Tourism Infrastructure Projects, Cross Border Travel, Tourism as an Economic Driver, and Eco-Tourism: A Practical Approach.
Conference registration will be held Monday, from 12 noon to 6 p.m., followed by an evening reception. Hours on Tuesday and Wednesday are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will include trade show exhibits, plenary breakfasts, plenary lunches and workshop sessions.
Exhibitors at the conference will include travel destinations, hotels, airlines, travel buyers, meeting and travel planners, tour and casino operators, and business starting and expanding their gaming operations. Registered participants will come from throughout the U.S., as well as South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Senegal, Guinea, Ghana, Angola, Mauritius, Cameroon, Nigeria, Tanzania, Botswana, and Zambia.
Registration is $450 per person, excluding accommodations and travel. Exhibition booth space is $795. For more information, contact Kerry Varano at the Corporate Council on Africa, (202) 835-1115 or kvarano@africacncl.org mailto:kvarano@africacncl.org.
CCA, established in 1992, is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization of nearly 150 American companies dedicated to strengthening trade and investment ties between the United States and Africa. CCA members represent nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private sector investments in Africa.
