by Kitty J. Pope
Alain St. Ange, president of the African Tourism Board was the keynote speaker at the 3rd International Business Tourism Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Because he is a proponent of global peace through tourism, he made it a point to visit the Canadian Museum for Human Rights while in Canada. The largest museum of it’s kind in the world, St. Ange was impressed by the museums majestic structure and the highlighted exhibits of those who have dedicated their lives to peace and equality.
” I was particularly honored to see the traveling exhibit on Nelson Mandela: Struggle for Freedom, since I am African. It bought back mempries of that time period. The museum has done a great job in including global humanitarian efforts outside of Canada,” says St. Ange, who is the recipient of the 2019 IIPT Change Maker of the Year Award in Tourism.
St. Ange presentation at the conference was mainly focused on tourism development. He mentioned environment considerations, sustainability, business growth, and media involvement in terms of tourism. He also mentioned how we must work together to grow tourism and how tourism can be a tool for promoting global peace.
Addressing the topic, Precision, Performance and People (PPP) as key factors in sustaining tourism, St. Ange said: “Most people in business have learned that one cannot stand alone, and that there is strength in having community involvement. The front-line team for tourism growth is always the private sector. How can you expect the government to facilitate everything and get anything out of it? The perfect private sector partnership is necessary for success. This “PPP concept” must be put in progress.” St. Ange stressed that tourism is first and foremost a business that involves people. “Tourism is the only industry that can put money directly in the pockets of so many people,” he explained.
While in Winnipeg, St. Ange, the former Minister of Seychelles Tourism and a past front runner for the Secretary General of UNWTO, also met with tourism officials from Travel Manitoba and Tourism Winnipeg. This was St. Ange’s first visit to Canada and he has plans to return soon. “Winnipeg was a nice, welcoming city,” says St. Ange, who is the creator of the world’s fist international multi-cultural carnival that took placed for many years in Seychelles as an event to bring nations together and promote peace between countries. “I really look forward to learning more about the tourism industry in Canada.”
This conference was organized by TravelLinks.ca and Mr. Gbenga Oluboye. Also at the conference travel journalists Bea Broda of Toronto and Kitty J. Pope, of Atlanta did a presentation on the role of media in tourism.
