On January 6, the African Tourism Board (ATB) USA officially opened its doors, marking a significant milestone in the promotion of African tourism to the U.S. market.
Kenya-based Beyond the Plains Safaris became the first private company to join this exciting new initiative, which also includes the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) as a key partner. This collaboration aims to pool resources to effectively target the lucrative and high-spending U.S. tourism market, extending beyond major metropolitan areas to reach broader audiences.
In a momentous move, Ms. Lilly Ajarova, CEO of the Uganda Tourism Board, was welcomed as the first national tourism board partner to the African Tourism Board USA, a testament to Uganda’s commitment to expanding its global tourism reach.
The Uganda Tourism Board will now be represented in the U.S. under the umbrella of African Tourism Marketing USA, a division of the African Tourism Marketing Corporation. Founded in 2017 and based in Hawaii, the African Tourism Board has grown over the past seven years to operate independently in Eswatini. The U.S. office marks a significant expansion of the board’s international presence.
ATB USA is now part of the Travel Marketing Network, a New York-based collective that includes Travel News Group and its media outlets such as eTurboNews, Aviation, and Meetings, along with a global network of PR agencies, consultants, and tourism influencers.
Juergen Steinmetz, founder of the African Tourism Marketing Corporation and CEO of the Travel News Group, praised Ms. Ajarova for her leadership in launching the African Tourism Board USA PR and Marketing Office, and expressed excitement over the partnership with Uganda.
At the same time, John Dante, owner of Beyond the Plains Kenya Safaris, spoke enthusiastically about his company’s new partnership with ATB USA. “We are excited to work with the African Tourism Board USA to expand Beyond the Plains Safaris’ reach, providing North American adventurers with immersive and responsible travel experiences in Kenya and Tanzania,” Dante said.
The formation of the African Tourism Board USA was officially sealed in November at the World Travel Market in London, when Cuthbert Ncube, Chairman of the African Tourism Board, and Juergen Steinmetz shook hands to finalize the U.S. representation.
The African Tourism Board USA will now work with national, regional, and park tourism boards from across Africa, as well as private stakeholders including hotels, airlines, tour operators, transportation companies, and more, to tap into the growing U.S. and Canadian outbound market for African tourism.
Steinmetz emphasised the importance of collaboration in driving Africa’s appeal to American tourists: “After nearly eight years of building a solid foundation, the African Tourism Board is now positioned to help countries and stakeholders work together to make Africa the destination of choice for American visitors.”
African Tourism Board USA is dedicated solely to tourism promotion and is committed to staying neutral in political matters. Tourism boards, as well as private stakeholders like tour operators, safari companies, airlines, hotels, lodges, transportation providers, and even restaurants and taxi operators, are invited to join the effort to promote Africa as a top travel destination in the U.S. market.
“Let’s work together, more effectively and cost-efficiently,” Steinmetz concluded, inviting all interested stakeholders to become part of this collaborative effort.
Credit: eTurboNews