2014 ATA Uganda World Congress Impact Report

ATA’S 39TH ANNUAL WORLD

CONGRESS IMPACT

REPORT Kampala, Uganda

Official Congress Airline ATA Congress Partners

November 2014

TOURISM IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS

2014 Host Partners

Official Congress Airline

Hotel Partner

Congress Media Partners

Media Delegation

Congress Supporters

2 ATA UGANDA WORLD CONGRESS REPORT

CONGRESS AT A GLANCE: TOURISM IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS

■ The 2014 World Congress brought together

more than 500 delegates from over 20 countries

■ More than 20 international media partners

covered the Congress through print, online,

radio, social media, and blogs as part of the

media delegation

■ The hashtags #ATAUganda and #Africhat were

trending in the top 10 on Twitter in Uganda

during the Congress

■ The 2014 Africa Tourism Monitor was launched

with NYU Africa House and the African

Development Bank

■ The year’s Congress featured a full-day Tourism

Investment Forum for business leaders, industry

stakeholders, and investors to discuss the latest

tourism investments and opportunities

■ The Congress received more than 100 media

impressions before, during, and post-Congress

About ATA’s 39th ANNUAL WORLD CONGRESS

The Africa Travel Association held its 39th

Annual World Congress in Kampala, Uganda

from November 11-16 at the Speke Resort

Munyonyo. The theme of the 2014 World

Congress was “Tourism is Everyone’s

Business,” which emphasized the potential

of travel and tourism to provide inclusive

development for sustainable African

economies.

Peter Greenberg, Travel Editor of CBS News,

delivered the keynote address on the

Future of Global Tourism. The Congress also

featured professional development

breakout sessions for delegates to have

in-depth conversations with industry leaders

on the topics of Product Development and

Marketing and Branding.

The 39th Annual World Congress had a

number of high-level presenters and guests,

including H.E. Yoweri K. Museveni, the

President of the Republic of Uganda, the

U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, Scott DeLisi,

and delegates representing more than 20

countries.

98%

of delegates responded

that Congress speakers

were Good or Excellent


1%

5%

10%2%

1%

4%

62%

1% 13%

1%

ATA Delegates by Country Cameroon

International Other

Kenya

Nigeria

Rwanda

Tanzania

Uganda

United Kingdom

USA

Zimbabwe

The ATA Annual World Congress provides a unique capacity building platform for Host Countries

to bring global industry leaders and experts to interface directly with the local tourism industry,

while international delegates have the opportunity to experience the Host Country firsthand.

8%

26%

12%

2%

52%

ATA Delegates by Industry

Academia

Government

Media

Other

Travel

Governments include Ministries of Tourism,

Tourism Boards, United Nations agencies,

national parks, and government agencies.

Travel delegates represent hospitality

groups, airlines, local and international tour

operators, buyers and suppliers, travel agents,

and consultancy firms.

Academia includes universities, students,

training and vocational training institutes, and

NGOs

involved with vocational capacity building

programs.

Other is comprised of international

foundations and community based NGOs.

Other International Countries Include: Canada, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Italy,

Liberia, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa,

Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Zambia.

Delegate Demographics ATA UGANDA WORLD CONGRESS


H.E. Amb.

Amina S. Ali

Permanent

Representative

of the African

Union Mission to

the United

States

H.E. Amb. Scott

DeLisi

United States

Ambassador to

Republic of

Uganda

Hon. Minister

Phyllis Kandie

Cabinet

Secretary, East

African Affairs,

Commerce &

Tourism, Kenya

Hon. Bello Bouba

Maigari

Minister of State,

Ministry of Tourism

& Leisure,

Cameroon

Hon. Dr. Maria

Mutagamba, MP

Uganda Minister of

Tourism, Wildlife, &

Antiquities

Hon. Lazaro

Nyalandu, MP

Minister of

Natural

Resources &

Tourism,

Tanzania

Hon. Pohamba

Shifeta

Deputy Minister of

Environment &

Tourism,

Namibia

Stuart Cooke

Managing

Director, Protea

Hotels, Uganda

Maya Kulycky

East Africa Head,

CNBC Africa &

Forbes Africa

Rosemary Mugambi

Regional Sales &

Marketing Director,

Serena Hotels

Estelle Verdier

Managing Director,

Jovago East Africa

Trevor Ward

Principal,

W Hospitality

Group

Hotel Development Panel

Sally Osure

Area Manager East

Africa, International

Air Transport

Association (IATA)

Abebe Angessa

Uganda Country

Manager, Ethiopian

Airlines

Jimmy Eichelgruen

Director of Sales,

Africa, Middle East,

India, Delta Air Lines

Aaron Muntesi

Regional General

Manager, South

African Airways

Sebastiaan Spijkers

Country Manager

for Uganda &

South Sudan,

Brussels Airlines

Airline Industry Panel

Peter Greenberg

Travel Editor,

CBS News;

Keynote Speaker

2014 ATA Uganda Congress Distinguished Hosts & Keynote Speakers

His Excellency

Yoweri Museveni

President, Republic

of Uganda

Her Excellency

Janet Museveni

First Lady, Republic

of Uganda, Patron

Susan Muhwezi

ATA Uganda

Chapter President;

Chair, UHOA

Eng. Dr. Ajedra

Gadison Aridru

Minister of State;

Keynote Speaker

Please Note: Select speakers from ATA Uganda Congress program.

Stephen Asiimwe

CEO, Uganda

Tourism Board

Ministers’ Roundtable & High-Level Government Representatives


ATA UGANDA WORLD CONGRESS

Networking & Connecting

Evening Dinners & Receptions

Professional Development Sessions

Congress Panels & Roundtables

#ATAUganda was a top-trending hashtag in

Uganda during the 3-day Congress


Uganda Host Country Day

In 2014, ATA worked closely with the Uganda tourism industry, media, and partners to provide maximum

exposure, professional development, and learning opportunities for the Host Country. ATA’s 39th Annual

World Congress highlights include:

■ A targeted Pre-Congress promotional campaign, which included a 5-city U.S. Road Show bringing

together hundreds of industry professionals (with stops in San Diego at the Uganda North America

Association Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Washington, and New York), multiple email blasts

to ATA’s network of 5,000+, extensive social media coverage, features in travel trade publications

and Forbes Africa

■ A Ministers’ Roundtable featuring Tourism Ministers from Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, and Uganda

discussing cutting edge policy and ways to maximize media coverage of African destinations

■ The launch of Professional Development Sessions allowing Congress delegates to engage with

industry experts on the topics of Product Development and Marketing and Branding

■ Comprehensive media coverage of the Congress from more than 20 media delegation partners

including international travel trade publications, print, online, and blogs from media outlets like

AFAR, CNBC Africa, Forbes Africa, Matador Network, National Geographic, and Travel World News

ATA UGANDA WORLD CONGRESS

During the Uganda Host Country Day, delegates experienced the “Pearl of Africa” firsthand

by visiting the adventure city of Jinja, the source of the mighty River Nile. The Speaker of

Parliament in Uganda, Hon. Rebecca A. Kadaga, welcomed delegates to Jinja. “It’s been a

blessing and a privilege for us to host you in our country, which is also your home,” Kadaga

said.

In a gesture towards sustainable tourism and an ATA congress tradition, the Uganda Ministry

of Tourism and Tourism Board gave each delegate a sapling to plant on the river bank in Jinja.

Each delegate registered their tree and Ugandan hosts encouraged them to return to

Uganda in the future to check on the growth of their trees.

Following the tree planting ceremony, delegates encountered an exciting boating regatta

and musical performances along the Nile. Delegates then enjoyed a boat ride to the Jinja

Sailing Club where they shared traditional Ugandan cuisine for lunch.

...EXPERIENCING THE PEARL OF AFRICA

95%

of delegates responded

that Uganda Culture Night

was Good or Excellent


"The ATA World Congress in Uganda offered up an impressive number of high-quality presentations on a wide variety of issues effecting the travel

industry. It was also a terrific opportunity to meet influencers in the African travel trade. I'm already looking forward to Kenya."

Rainer Jenss, President & Founder, Family Travel Association; Correspondent, National Geographic

“The ATA Congress was a great opportunity to meet with various stakeholders of the tourism industry in Africa, share experiences and prepare

together the growth of the industry. I would strongly recommend this event.”

Estelle Verdier, Managing Director, Jovago.com East Africa

“Strolling through the stalls of a farmers market on the bank of Lake Victoria was a feast of the senses that opened my eyes to the enormous potential

of Uganda's culinary tourism. Such a moment as well as the great networking opportunities were among the highlights of ATA's 39th World Congress.”

Pierre Thiam, Chef & Author of “Yolele! Recipes from the Heart of Senegal”

“The conference exceeded my expectations! It was a tremendous opportunity to interact and share ideas with partners from a wide diversity of

industries bringing out the inter-connectivity with the travel and tourism industry. Excellent for networking! The sessions were very informative and

presented by an excellent selection of talented travel industry and media experts. It was well worth my time.”

Sally Osure, Area Manager - Eastern Africa, International Air Transport Association (IATA)

“One of the greatest achievements of the ATA is the ability to bring together young people from across the globe, to discuss the future of Tourism in

Africa. The ATA Young Professionals Program (YPP) session was a great platform for sharing and shaping ideas on how to improve the Tourism

industry.”

Rumbidzai Mudzengerere, Marketing Executive Americas, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA);

Senior Project Manager at Zimbabwe Youth Development Trust

“The 2014 ATA Congress in Uganda brought together the most critical stakeholders, both from Africa and the rest of world, to share the most

compelling ideas not just on travel, but every facet of tourism-related economic development. Over three days, attendees experienced programs to

challenge thinking, opportunities to engage with senior governmental officials and policymakers, and connected with the host country all aimed at

building toward a better future.”

Robert A. Boland, Esq., Clinical Associate Professor of Sports Management, New York University;

Principal, Boland Sports Practice, LLC

“ATA's 39th Annual World Congress in Uganda provided a unique forum for discussing the most pertinent trends to impact tourism in Africa. The range

of speakers and attendees was highly diverse from across the travel spectrum, with a vested interest in driving forward Africa tourism in a responsible

way and sharing best practice.”

Caroline Bremner, Head of Travel and Tourism, Euromonitor International

“Professional gatherings are an important way for any industry's leaders to advance important agendas and exchange large amounts of information,

along with the observations and advice of experts. That is what the ATA World Congress in Uganda was -- a fantastic opportunity to teach and learn

about issues of vital contemporary concern to tourism practitioners in Africa. That is also, of course, what I got out of it, as well as a brilliant opportunity

to experience firsthand the hospitality and unique attractions of Uganda, the host country.”

Ethan Gelber, Co-founder, Outbounding & The Travel Word; Director of Content, RW Social

If you are interested in participating in or sponsoring an ATA World Congress, please contact us at:

[email protected] or +1 (212) 447-1357.

Editorial & Research by: Declan Galvin

Concept by: Andrea Papitto

Design by: Vinay Vaswani

Photo Credits: Uganda Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife & Antiquities; Uganda Tourism Board; Katherine Alexander;

Marie Claire Andrea; Yvonne Noel; Gorillas & East Africa Safari

Delegate Testimonials 2014 ATA UGANDA CONGRESS

Documents

2014 ATA Uganda World Congress Impact Report