Cape Town, 30 April 2019 – Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) are facing similar opportunities and challenges that either inhibit or enable travel to and around the African continent. A cohesive and economically viable approach is necessary to address this, navigating common issues, identifying successful approaches and cross-pollinating strategies to enable the best possible tourism environment across Africa.
With this objective in mind, the Digital Tourism Think Tank and Cape Town Tourism have partnered up to launch DXO Connect Africa, acting as a collaborator and connector to bring African DMOs and global travel leaders into one place with the first event taking place next year. The announcement of the partnership has taken place during World Travel Market Africa 2019.
The one-day event creates a platform for continued knowledge sharing and the promotion of new approaches to what are both African and global issues, with the key objectives of education, sharing of information and co-creating solutions; advocacy amongst organisations; and the relevance of our continent on a global level.
The first DXO Connect Africa will be held in Africa Week 2020, Cape Town, with the aim of bringing together multi-national, progressive tourism professionals, whose like-minded approach will re-shape the tourism landscape on the continent, providing opportunities for growth and development within this critical sector.
“How can we make the most of tourism opportunities for economic development and the benefit of local businesses and communities locally and across the continent? That’s a question we must constantly build solutions around, and this initiative that meets an adapting market is exactly where we need to be right now.” – Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, including Tourism, Property Management, Strategic Assets, Enterprise and Investment.
“Just as Cape Town has adapted to shifts in the climate, becoming a water-scarce city, so it’s imperative that we evaluate our approach to an evolving tourism marketplace, taking into account that, when travellers adapt in their mindsets, travel habits and preferences, we need to be ahead of those changes to meet expectations. We’re confident that a shift in our approach will lead the way on the continent when it comes to staying dynamic and relevant in the tourism environment.” – Enver Duminy, CEO, Cape Town Tourism.
“We’ve been leading a different way of thinking with DMOs around the world for the past five years and we’re excited to be working with Cape Town Tourism to set up a true platform in Africa. DXO Connect is creating a space for creative thinking amongst African Destinations. We’re thrilled to be bringing our global knowledge and expertise to make this a great initiative.” – Nicholas Hall, CEO, Digital Tourism Think Tank.
This shift from DMO to DXO has been initiated by Cape Town Tourism in partnership with the Digital Tourism Think Tank, along with collaborators Reed Travel Exhibitions and the African Tourism Board.
Supporting Partners
