iii. Strong leadership from the various governments

FOCUS AREA 3:

Setting out a strategic framework for reopening of air travel and creation of new air routes within the continent

i) Reopening of air travel within Africa to enable regional collaboration and promote business events tourism

According to the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), Africa is home to over 1.2 billion people with a huge geographical spread that is largely land-locked. Given the lack of robust alternative infrastructure across the continent (road, rail, water), aviation is the most effective way to get around the continent. After Covid-19 caused most African governments to institute airspace closures and implemented travel restrictions. These initiatives had an adverse impact across many sectors of the tourism industry in the first half of 2020. As such, African governments should view public health as a key component of a resilient aviation transportation system, much like safety and security. Because air travel remains essential in any plans to reopen the business events and tourism sector, it is critical to adopt protocols that protect the health and safety of crew members, ground staff and passengers while ensuring that flight operations can continue.

As in the case of safety and security where stakeholders do not compete, expectations are that the aviation industry will be encouraged to take similar steps to implement guidance on public health risk mitigations, particularly in relation to Covid-19 safety protocols. For instance, governments could collaborate on measures around the testing of incoming and outgoing travellers, a track and trace programme that is secured against privacy and anonymised, and provision of proof of medical cover from travellers when travelling between countries on the continent. The framework for implementing public health measures in the aviation sector to minimise the risk of Covid-19 transmission during travel in the air transportation system should focus on the fundamentals of safety and security, promotion of public health within the air transportation system, and recognise aviation as a driver of economic recovery. To achieve this, the protocols must consider education and communication across the entire stakeholder spectrum including both passengers and aviation employees. (See Annexure 3: BARSA health safety protocols). Aviation operations encompass a wide variety of business models, and as such where possible, collaboration should stipulate where public health measures need to be flexible to ensure that the range of airline and airport operational strategies remain viable and support economic recovery, and

that the competitive structure of the industry is preserved and possibly expanded. Public health measures must therefore be consistent with obligations under international law and should not unnecessarily or unfairly restrict market access for international transportation. Emphasis must be placed on the strategic focus on ensuring that collaboration becomes entrenched in the industry as the business events sector continues to adapt to the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic. Opportunities should be pursued in the areas of partnerships and collaborations, shared value propositions and closer alliances which as proposed may well enable the industry on the African continent to not only adapt but become more resilient post Covid-19.

ii) Strategic framework for the creation of new air routes within the continent

This is not the first time debates on liberalising air transport in Africa would be proposed to governments across the continent. As early as 1999, forty-four member states of the African Union (AU) endorsed the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD), a treaty which called for the implementation of the

open skies across African countries, which became binding in 2002. Though the implementation remained largely unsatisfactory due to the limited adoption of the YD by some of the AU states for more than a decade, twenty-three African countries in January 2018 under the auspices of the AU launched the SAATM, an initiative largely based on the agreements of the Yamoussoukro Decision. Covid-19 has provided stakeholders from governments, business, and the tourism sector to start thinking and acting differently in relation to the economic downturn inspired by the pandemic. Consequently, the opening up of more intra-Africa routes, the establishment of trade relationships and economic development on the continent augur well for business travel and events. As such, governments on the continent will need to establish enabling environments for business to develop through collaborative policy imperatives. Through these policy initiatives, it will become clear what new air transport routes can be established based on their viability. One area where this should be leveraged will be in the area of intra-regional trade and tourism. Opening up of the skies in this instance will require governments and airlines to take a cooperative approach with other players in expanding their capacity in conjunction with tourism service providers. The establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) provides Africa with a massive opportunity to consider the establishment of new routes for air transport within the continent. To achieve this, a detailed analysis of current legacy routes is required. Such analysis will force the operators to face the reality of the economic operational environments within which airlines function. The advantage of this scenario is that it will lead to the shutting down of certain routes, especially in cases where there has been a clear demonstration of misalignment. As such, both governments and airlines will be forced to think differently on strategic leverages to get private capital involved in the sector. Governments therefore will need to work closely with airlines and other aviation stakeholders to formulate, promote or implement policies that support air transport growth. One way to support the growth and development of the aviation industry in Africa, according to SAATM, is the need for the African Development Bank to assist African airlines to increase intra-Africa traffic and improve connectivity in order to be more competitive and profitable.

CONCLUSION

In closing, Africa relies on business events travel and tourism to counter the triple threats of poverty, unemployment and hunger. Major business event travel and tourism client concerns currently are around issues of security, both financial and healthcare, with the global chaos caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Even as the situation is changing rapidly across the globe, Africa is also considering reopening for business events tourism. While it is a great idea to seek ways of responding to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is equally a good time to consider resilience and response in general and for future hardships that may impact the sector. Response and resilience plans should be developed for Covid-19 in a measured and consistent way. The responses should be proportionate to the public health threat and based on local and regional risk assessment, involving every part of the business events tourism value chain – public bodies, private companies, and travellers. Intra-Africa collaboration and cooperation are needed to ensure pandemic panic does not paralyse the business events tourism industry which is so important to the regional economy.

Africa should learn from destinations that have reopened and are on a recovery path. One of the bigger concerns is the argument of the consideration between public health versus the economy. However, the response should not be about pitting one against the other. Rather debates and discussion should focus on both: the ability for business event tourism to operate safely whilst generating socio-economic benefits across the continent, and simultaneously protecting lives through strict health and safety protocols until such a time that a cure or vaccine is available.

While the business events tourism sector is under pressure at the moment due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there is no doubt that there is a rebound on the horizon, however the ability to bounce back will be enhanced through the continued collaboration between African countries.

It is incumbent on continental authorities to benefit from the fact that the continent reacted early and swiftly in instituting control measures at the very outset of the outbreak of the pandemic. It is therefore critical that governments on the continent develop clear guidelines and protocols, but even more importantly, these have to be communicated in an accurate and unbiased manner.

While the business events and tourism industry are self-regulating, and are putting great public health and safety measures and protocols in place, consistent communication is required to appease business event tourism owners and travellers who are looking for ways to navigate the Covid-19 uncertainties. Restoring consumer confidence will be essential to the recovery of the BETTA sector: without pro-actively adopting new protocol/ standards and communicating them, travel will remain limited. Africa therefore should begin by creating structure and organisational policies that allows the continent to collaborate on such issues.

In the area of human capital management, there should be a heightened emphasis on duty of care and establishing robust human capital management strategies. The institution of practical solutions in relation to how people could work together and how such will be communicated, implemented and monitored is critical. As a critical socio-economic sector in terms of its contribution and impetus in Africa, focus should be on clearly articulating, as a collective, the strategies that are being developed in preparation for the reopening of the business tourism and events sector in Africa.

Governments on the continent are encouraged to swiftly develop policies that will allow for the sector to promote both domestic and intra-Africa travel and trade. Governments should collaborate in developing new recovery models based on the assessment of current trends and the impact of the pandemic which could form baseline strategies for mitigating economic recovery. A borderless Africa should be seen as a foundation for a viable continental market aimed at accelerating growth and allow the continent to be more competitive in global trade. With workable policies, solutions and protocols in place, countries could start collaborating in terms of more inter-regional and intra-African travel. This would allow tourism sectors within the continent to develop across borders, thereby creating economies of scale for potential investors given that investors are more likely to be attracted by markets that are integrated. Therefore, in conclusion, the current Covid-19 pandemic thus presents an opportunity to ensure the realisation of regional tourism and growth. Expressed willingness from all stakeholders must drive the implementation of initiatives such as visa on-arrival and free visa regimes across the continent. To achieve this, strong leadership in policy decisions would see the tourism sector reopening safely and profitably.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Project leader: Tes Proos, president of Site Africa Project research partners: Dr H.K.N Bama and Ms E. Venske (Department of Tourism and Event Management, Cape Peninsula University of Technology) Project research contributors: Dr C.N. Dube, Mr. G. Muresherwa, Ms P. Mokoena, Ms Z. Bavuma and Ms. Z. Tomlinson (Department of Tourism and Event Management, Cape Peninsula University of Technology).

ANNEXURE 1

Key industry stakeholder participants (SITE Africa Summit)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

Name

Tes Proos Jon Howell David Sand

Hugo Slimbrouck Rob Kucera Rosemary Mugambi Didier Scaillet Kwakye Donkor Jacinta Nzioka Jeffers Miruka Lily Rakorong Gary Koetser Frank Murangwa Aaron Munetsi Zuks Ramasia Paul Van Den Brink Toni Ukachukwu Miller Matola Cuthbert Ncube Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa Akwase Agyeman Givemore Chidzidzi Deon Cloete Doris Parsons Linda Pereira Peter Tarlow Mike Lord

Position

President CEO/Founder Founder/CEO Director of Strategic Partnerships District Director East Africa & General Manager Director of Sales & Marketing

Global CEO CEO National Coordinator

CEO/President Board Member CEO Marketing Director African Aviation Enthusiast CEO Senior Project Manager CEO CEO Chairman CEO

CEO CEO (Acting) General Manager Managing Partner

CEO/Senior Partner Founder/President Managing Director

Company or Association

SITE Africa AviaDev Uwin, Iwin Ovation Global DMC

Radisson-Blu Hotels East Africa

Serena Hotels

SITE Global Africa Tourism Partners Kenyan Convention Bureau African Society of Executive Associations/ African Society of Economics Hospitality & Tourism Association Century City Conference Centre Rwanda Convention Bureau Private BARSA WESGRO Aviators Africa Millvest African Tourism Board Tourism Business Council of South Africa Ghana Tourism Authority Zimbabwe Tourism Authority Cape Town International Airport SRC Agency

L&I Communications Group Tourism & More Line Safety Management and Alliance Venue and Facilities Management.

Country

South Africa

South Africa Belgium

Kenya

Kenya

USA Ghana Kenya Kenya

Botswana South Africa Rwanda South Africa South Africa South Africa Nigeria South Africa South Africa South Africa

Ghana Zimbabwe South Africa Tanzania/ Rwanda Portugal USA South Africa