Various airlines are geared to participate at the first ever Africa Travel, Tourism and Disability Expo and Awards 2021 Edition (ATTD) which is set to take place from 28th to 30th September 2021 in an African country to be announced shortly.
Secretary General of the Africa Airlines Association(AFRAA) , Abderahmane Berthe will be a guest speaker at this long awaited Purple Signs Global initiative.
AFRAA has a remarkable membership of Africa Union Member State airlines driving Africa’s aviation industry connecting Africa to the world .
According to the tourism branch of the UN, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourism and aviation industries can support each other in working towards the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) as well as supporting inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Tourism itself is one of the largest industries in the world.
According to World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) 2017, tourism supported 284 million jobs and contributed 9.8% of global GDP ($7.2 trillion) in 2015.
Out of the 62.7 million jobs supported by the global aviation industry,WTTC highlighted, over 36 million of these are aviation-enabled jobs connected to the tourism industry.
In terms of economic activity, it pointed out, over $892 billion out of the total $2.7 trillion supported by aviation is related to tourism.
“With 54% of all international tourists travelling to their destination by air, it is easy to appreciate how vital air transport is to the tourism industry,” said WTTC.
To the regional level, WTTC said, the role of aviation becomes even more pronounced in certain areas.
“For example, in Africa, 5.8 million of the total 6.8 million jobs enabled by aviation are related to tourism. For Small Island States, the figure stands at 1.2 million of the total 1.4 million jobs. In the case of some countries, it is hard to imagine their economies running without the steady flow of tourists flown in by airlines.”
Apart from airlines, Travel, Tourism and Disability Expo and Awards 2021 Edition will also include an interactive high level panel session highlighting how Sports Tourism can be used as a high income stream option for people with disabilities.
By Joyce Mukucha
