Today the new COVID-19 Task Force for the Tauler africà de turisme (ATB) will meet virtually to discuss the way forward. Currently, infection numbers in Africa are climbing, travel and tourism are at a standstill.

Government across Africa followed the rest of the world in closing their countries and urging their citizen to wash hands and keep social distances.

A high-level task force was formed by the African Tourism Board to work side by side with officials across Africa, the EU, and important source markets to assist. The African Tourism Board’s focus is to bring governments and tourism stakeholders together.

The initial members of the task force for Africa are:

Dr. Taleb Rifai, Chairman of the Task Force. & ATB Honors Circle and Advisory Board Member. Dr. Rifai was the former Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and is the Co-Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience Council – Jordan
Alain St. Ange, Vice Chairman, President ATB, former Minister of Tourism for Seychelles and President of ATB – Seychelles
Cuthbert Ncube, Chairman ATB – South Africa
Doris Woerfel, CEP ATB – South Africa
Simba Mandinyenya, COO ATB – UK
Juergen Steinmetz, Founding Chairman & CMCO ATB – USA
Frank Tetzel, Chair of the Recourse Mobilization Committee- Germany
Percy Mkhosi, Chair of the Sustainable Tourism Committee – South Africa
Santo Mayise, Brand Ambassador Representative – South Africa
Hon Min Najib Balala, ATB Honours Circle and Advisory Board Member, Cabinet Secretary of Tourism Kenya, Chair of the UNWTO Executive Council, Chair Commission of Africa (CAF) – Kenya
Hisham Zaazou, ATB Advisory Committee, former Minister of Tourism Egypt- Egypt
Hon. Minister Edmund Bartlett. ATB Advisory Committee, Minister of Tourism Jamaica, Co-Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience Council, Chair of the Board of Affiliate Members UNWTO – Jamaica
Prof. Geoffrey Lipman, ATB Advisory Committee, President SUNx, President ICTP
Louis D’Amore, ATB Honor Circle, President and Founder International Institute for Peace Through Tourism
In addition members of the Advisory Board, Patrons and Honor Circle Members are invited as to the meeting.