Uncover the transformative AFASU commerce mission to Egypt, fostering collaboration between African and Asian tourism sectors. Uncover insights on Egypt’s tourism potential, sustainable practices, and academic initiatives driving business innovation.
In a latest and notable initiative below the auspices of the Afro-Asian Union (AFASU), a delegation comprising esteemed leaders within the tourism and journey business, together with former Minister of Tourism Mr. Alain St. Ange, Mr. Theodore Koumelis, CEO of Journey Every day Information, and myself, Dr. Jens Thraenhart, Founding Companion & CEO of Chameleon Methods and editor of BalancedTourism.com, launched into a commerce mission to Egypt. Our host, Dr. Hossam Darwish, President of AFASU, orchestrated this enterprise with a imaginative and prescient to fortify connections between Africa and Asia within the realms of tourism, tradition, and e-commerce. As a participant on this commerce mission to Egypt, I had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the immense potential for this historic nation to solidify its place as a world chief in tourism, expertise, and sustainable growth. This mission served as a catalyst for collaborative motion and the trade of modern concepts.
AFASU Board Assembly in Cairo, Egypt put collectively an in depth motion plan.
The AFASU Board of Administrators assembly, coinciding with the mission, below the chairmanship of Dr. Adel Almuslimany, emphasised the necessary mandate and put collectively an in depth motion plan.
The Mandate of AFASU: A Bridge Between Continents
L-R: Dr. Hossam Darwish – President of AFASU, Mr. Alain St. Ange – Seychelles former Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Main Normal Khaled Fouda – Governor of South Sinai, Dr. Jens Thraenhart – Founding Companion & CEO of Chameleon Methods and editor of BalancedTourism.com, Bushra Ghali – Businessman, Founding father of MUSE On-line Reserving Platform, Theodore Koumelis – Co-Founder & CEO of TravelDailyNews Media Community.
AFASU’s core mission is to function a catalyst for fostering collaboration and growth between African and Asian nations, providing a singular platform for nations to collaborate and harness the immense potential inside these areas. Egypt, as a historic and cultural powerhouse, holds a major position inside this imaginative and prescient. This initiative is important in as we speak’s globalized world, the place understanding and cooperation between completely different areas are paramount. The commerce mission to Egypt is a testomony to AFASU’s dedication to this trigger, particularly aimed toward exploring and enhancing the tourism sector’s potential.
Egypt’s Alternative: A Native Strategy to World Connectivity
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- Group picture in the course of the presentation occasion for MUSE On-line Reserving Platform
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- Dr. Hossam Darwish presents the idea of MUSE On-line Reserving Platform
One key takeaway was the potential for Egypt to develop a strong on-line journey company (OTA) with a distinctly native focus. Our delegation was invited to provide our ideas on the announcement of the Muse digital platform in Cairo, to an viewers of TV, authorities, and journey business. Growing public-private partnerships like these are the inspiration of a resilient journey and tourism ecosystem of any vacation spot. This transformative platform might empower Egyptian tourism suppliers to attach instantly with international vacationers, showcasing the huge array of genuine experiences that go far past the long-lasting pyramids and temples. By selling lesser-known locations, distinctive cultural encounters, and locally-owned companies, Egypt can scale back financial leakage and retain a higher share of tourism income inside its borders. This profitable mannequin echoes the groundbreaking initiatives like BookBarbados.com, which has pushed notable advantages for tourism stakeholders within the Caribbean. This method not solely guarantees to counterpoint the vacationer expertise but additionally goals to retain extra income throughout the nation, Revolutionary expertise to encourage vacationers leveraging synthetic intelligence, video, and collaborative marketing campaign executions are to be strategic pillars, to drive service, belief and security of the locations.
Sharm El Sheikh: A Beacon of Protected and Inexperienced Tourism
I used to be honored to witness AFASU’s formal recognition of Sharm El Sheikh as a secure tourism vacation spot and the distinctive management of the Governor of South Sinai, Main Normal Dr. Khaled Fouda in selling sustainable practices within the area, highlighting the dedication of Egypt to supply a safe and welcoming atmosphere for vacationers. Sharm El Sheikh’s dedication to inexperienced tourism and security protocols sends a robust message to the worldwide journey neighborhood, setting a benchmark for locations striving for long-term success. Town has taken vital steps in direction of sustainability and minimizing its ecological affect. By showcasing its dedication to inexperienced practices, Sharm El Sheikh has positioned itself as a number one vacation spot within the area of sustainable tourism, specific after internet hosting COP27 in 2022. Moreover, it’s essential to emphasise the distinctiveness of Sharm El Sheikh and its huge potential as a tourism vacation spot. Its distinctive positioning as a haven for each nature lovers and journey fans, together with its accessibility and welcoming infrastructure, make it a vacation spot to observe within the years to return. Town’s distinctive place, nestled between the desert and the ocean, presents a mix of pure magnificence, cultural depth, and modern tourism practices, the area has a lot to supply past the Pyramids. By selling the idea of mixing civilization and tourism, Egypt can appeal to vacationers searching for immersive experiences that transcend the standard vacationer path.
Inspiring the Subsequent Era: The Position of Schooling
An integral a part of our mission centered on participating with the younger technology, fostering expertise throughout the tourism and journey business by way of training. Schooling and expertise growth play a pivotal position in shaping the way forward for the tourism and journey business. Throughout the commerce mission, hosted by the Dean of Sadat College, Professor Noha Azmy, and the Director of the Hospitality and Tourism program, Professor Heba Gaafar, we had the chance to interact with college students and college at Sadat Metropolis College, inspiring and fostering expertise throughout the sector as Mr. Alain St. Ange and I had the privilege of giving a visitor lecturing. I used to be capable of current my six-pillar technique to realize balanced tourism progress, resulting in a sustainable and regenerative tourism vacation spot leveraging digital, knowledge, and synthetic intelligence to execute collaborative storytelling campaigns and constructing passionate micro-niche communities. Mr St. Ange centered his remarks on the significance of creating a robust public-private sector coverage framework that emphasised the protection and disaster administration of the vacation spot, to create belief and confidence with vacationers. This expertise highlighted the significance of inspiring and educating future leaders in tourism, guaranteeing the sustainable progress and innovation of the business.
Past the Pyramids: Egypt’s Wealthy Tapestry of Experiences
A bedouin together with his camel on the newly construct Safari park in Sharm el Sheikh.
Egypt is famend for its historical civilization and iconic Pyramids, but the nation presents way more to the discerning traveler. Egypt’s potential as a tourism vacation spot extends far past its world-renowned landmarks, and the nation in Northern Africa can create a compelling narrative that resonates with historical past vacationers, cultural explorers, and vacationers searching for significant immersion. Our discussions, together with conversations with Authorities Ministers in Egypt, together with the Vice Minister of Tourism, HE Ghada Shalaby, we emphasised the necessity to showcase Egypt’s various native experiences, intertwining the richness of its civilization with the vibrancy of its tourism choices. This idea of mixing civilization and tourism is pivotal, because it invitations vacationers to immerse themselves within the depth of Egypt’s cultural heritage whereas having fun with its modern points of interest, and allow guests an unparalleled mix of historic riches, cultural immersion, and genuine encounters with its folks. It was mentioned for Sadat College to take a management position in turning into a hub of Civilization and Tourism, and Egypt establishing a Middle to convey collectively the private and non-private sectors from everywhere in the world from iconic websites together with Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Nice Wall of China to Machu Pichu in Peru and the Taj Mahal in India. Whereas heritage encompasses the tangible and intangible legacies of the previous, from monuments and traditions to data methods, offering a window into historical past and id, civilization focuses on grand historic societies, their achievements, and the ruins they go away behind, drawing vacationers fascinated by historical wonders, and emphasize accountable practices to make sure the preservation for generations to return.
Conclusion
The AFASU commerce mission to Egypt marks a major step in direction of realizing the untapped potential of Egypt’s tourism sector. By constructing bridges between Africa and Asia, fostering native expertise, and embracing modern approaches to tourism, we are able to unlock new avenues for cultural trade, financial growth, and sustainable tourism practices.
The way forward for Egyptian tourism is shiny. By strategically harnessing expertise, prioritizing sustainable growth, and empowering its subsequent technology of leaders, Egypt is poised to grow to be a mannequin for accountable, regenerative tourism that drives financial prosperity and cultural pleasure for all stakeholders. Egypt’s journey in direction of turning into a number one vacation spot for vacationers searching for authenticity, security, and sustainability is effectively underway, promising a brighter future for its tourism business and its folks. I applaud AFASU for facilitating missions like these that are essential to provide tourism ministries and tourism authorities an out of doors view from former tourism board CEOs and tourism ministers – a service that we’re about to launch as a part of the Chameleon Methods Advisory.
With over 30 years of world journey and tourism experience, Dr. Jens Thraenhart is the Founding Companion of 25-year-old bespoke technique consulting agency Chameleon Methods, the 2nd Vice Chair of the World Tourism Group’s UNWTO Affiliate Members, the previous Chief Govt Officer of the Barbados Tourism Advertising and marketing, Inc. (Go to Barbados), the previous Govt Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Workplace, the founding father of private-sector-led tourism advertising group Vacation spot Mekong, and former Board Member of the Caribbean Tourism Group (CTO).
Beforehand energetic in China, in 2009, he co-founded acclaimed advertising company Dragon Path and revealed the China Journey Traits books and web site. Jens has additionally held management positions with Vacation spot Canada and Fairmont Resorts & Resorts (now Accor).
As founding father of the Vacation spot Movie Discussion board, he’s additionally an enormous proponent of the facility of storytelling, having been acknowledged as one of many high 10 Most Influential Leaders in Journey in 2022 by Journey Vertical, rating first within the class of Creativity and Model Storytelling, and served on the Jury of the Cannes Lion Worldwide Movie Awards.
Different recognitions for his work embrace being one of many journey business’s high 100 rising stars by Journey Agent Journal in 2003, certainly one of HSMAI’s 25 Most Extraordinary Gross sales and Advertising and marketing Minds in Hospitality and Journey in 2004 and 2005, one of many High 20 Extraordinary Minds in European Journey and Hospitality in 2014, and honored as one of many World Journey Heroes in 2021.
He accomplished his Physician in Tourism Administration at The Hong Kong Polytechnic College and graduated from Cornell College with a Masters in Hospitality Administration.
He publishes his three tourism business blogs: (1) Tourism-Campaigns.com; (2) BalancedTourism.com; (3) PurposePicks.com.
