WTM Africa is excited to be able to unveil a dynamic new content format at upcoming events in more than a week. The rethinked programme will showcase a series of theme-based mini-conferences designed to tackle the most pressing challenges in the tourism industry as leaders gather in Cape Town on April 9-11.
This approach is unique as most tourism meetings still rely on disconnected panel discussion A, making it difficult for participants to piece together the overall picture of key industry challenges and solutions.
By building content into a cohesive learning journey, WTM Africa 2025 ensures that representatives follow a clear narrative and gain actionable insights, rather than simply listening to fragmented perspectives. This model reflects the way experts actually learn through context, continuity and engagement, rather than isolated soundbites.
“Tourism in Africa faces complex challenges that cannot be addressed by isolated conversations,” said Megan de Jager, portfolio director at RX Africa. “We're creating spaces where solutions can appear by clustering related sessions.”
Mayor Hill Lewis said: “This reconstructed approach gives tourism experts the context they need to truly understand the complex challenges. Tourism has the power to drive economic change. He highlighted the role of Cape Town's host cities. “Tourism is about job creation, infrastructure and economic change. Cape Town is proud to offer a stage of discussion that will shape Africa's future in global travel.”
WTM Africa 2025 will feature over 100 experts participating in the content program from April 9th to 11th, 2025. In addition to three stages, the event spans an interactive brainbox for hands-on workshops and an innovative super reality dome for selected sessions.
The flagship Africa Tourism Investment Conference on April 10th fixed the focus of the event's economic development, bringing financial institutions, developers and government officials together for a day's structured dialogue. JLL Africa CEO Wayne Godwin will be taking part in by Nedbank's Warrick Haskell, IDC's Ken Ogwang, and Safari industry leaders to ease the debate examining what investors want from African tourism projects.
“Africa tourism growth requires targeted capital. The summit connects the project directly with potential funders,” De Jager said. “We expect a real business conversation to take place here.”
The dedicated aviation focus on April 10 will be addressed by AASA CEO Aaron Munetsi and Flysafair's Kirby Gordon, facing the challenges of permanent connectivity on the continent, addressing pricing barriers and visa restrictions.
The Media & Narrative Miniconference on April 9th will feature “Can African destinations thrive during headwinds?” The Africa Travel Week Media Award will follow along with Wesgro's Monika Iuel and international journalist Omololu Olumuyiwa, recognizing the best African journalists.
Responsible Tourism Programming culminated in the WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Award on April 10th, and will last for two days under the guidance of global expert Dr. Harold Goodwin.
The theme of inclusion and diversity is TEDX speaker Ruth Rathblott's keynote speech on Unhide & Seek: Building Inclusion and Bulindence in Travel, alongside practical workshops that create a sense-friendly African experience and leverage the diversity market.
The highly anticipated state of the industry committee on April 11th will be moderated by Global Travel Intelligence Leader Skift. That insight director, Michel Gaunden, will lead a data-driven discussion of the current position and future trajectory of African tourism. This session draws on Auromonitor International's comprehensive research, with its analyst Christy Tawii presenting key findings on market trends, consumer behavior, and growth forecasts that will shape destination strategies over the coming years.
Wine Tourism will be released as a dedicated track on April 11th, complementing the sector's evolution and business possibilities by tasting special wine revitalization areas with experts including Carolyn Martin from Creation Wines and Steyn Flullard from Weltevrede.
Southern Sun Hotels returns as the official hospitality partner of WTM Africa's Host Buyer Program and sponsors exclusive welcome evening and networking events designed to connect international buyers with key industry stakeholders. Complete program details are available at https://www.wtm.com/africa/en-gb/conference-programme/programme.html#/sessions
