The 5th and 2023 Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit, hosted by the Namibia Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism in partnership with Africa Tourism Partners, UNWTO, and BDO, was a tremendous success.
The Summit, held in Swakopmund, Namibia, from May 30 to June 2, 2023, drew a large number of physical and virtual participants from the African continent and around the world. Participants included youth in tourism, entrepreneurs, start-ups, and small businesses, and they had the chance to reconnect, participate, and learn.
Top Three Innovation Challenge Participants Announced
The strong competitiveness among African youth innovators in the travel and tourism industry went another step as the Top Three winners in the innovation challenge emerged. This was after several exchanges, boot camp, mentorship, presentations and judging.
Cornelius Ugwunwa of Nigeria, Ntshabo Lehong of South Africa, and Gloria Kisilu of Kenya are the top three participants.
The winner of the 5th and 2023 Africa Youth In Tourism Innovation Awards will be announced during the Africa Tourism Leadership Forum & Awards in Botswana later this year.
International Hosted Buyers & B2B Session
The B2B session and hosted buyers programme are significant components of the Africa Youth In Tourism Innovation Summit.
Besides attending the Summit, international hosted buyers had the opportunity to participate in the Social Media, Digital Marketing and MICE Masterclass. The hosted buyer program was uniquely packaged by the host country to expose Namibia’s tourism attractions, culture, gastronomy and activities to enable the hosted buyers to craft packages and market the country from a knowledgeable angle.