The newly formed Africa Incentive Travel Council (AITC) officially launched in Johannesburg and Cape Town last month, bringing the outbound incentive travel industry together to address industry challenges.
The launch brought together 120 leading outbound incentive travel professionals from across the country, representing over 45 companies ranging from SMEs to large corporates.
Formed to unify and elevate the voice of the outbound travel sector, AITC’s mission is to advocate for the value of incentive travel as a strategic business tool.
Empowering African incentive travel
In an interview with Travel News, Raoul Canetti, MD of U-Cannect, and COO of Tourvest MICE, Thembi Kunene-Msimang, said the Council’s two main priorities are improving training and education for the incentive industry, and encouraging the industry to stand together as we bridge the gap between industry professionals, travel service providers, and corporate clients, to ensure that Africa’s incentive travel sector remains competitive.
“One of the key benefits of coming together and associating ourselves is that we are creating a unified voice as an industry. There is power in a collective voice going to represent the industry’s stories and challenges with clients, suppliers and the government,” said Kunene-Msimang.
Training
“The Council wants to make sure that the industry is sustainably upskilling people and offering new entrants a diverse set of skills. But how do we upskill, empower and develop the next generation in a way that doesn't break the bank?” said Canetti.
He explained that while many candidates enter the industry with impressive certifications on paper, they lack practical experience, not due to a lack of willingness, but because of the socio-economic challenges in the country and a lack of finances.
“As a Council, we have come together and said, let’s combine our intellect and resources, pool our networks and partners to establish an academy,” he added.
The academy will initially offer training models with plans to develop accredited courses.
A tour leading course is also in development, designed to create easier entry into the industry and provide on-site training and travel opportunities for new entrants.
Kunene-Msimang explained that the Council plans to involve not only incentive agencies, but also corporate clients in supporting the academy’s development, which she expects to take shape within the next three to five years.
“We will have an academy that is fully funded by interested parties, including corporates, that understand our vision and buy into our vision and want to be serviced by professionals in the future,” she said.
Communication with corporates
While the AITC aims to empower incentive agents, it is also looking to use its unified voice to educate corporates on the value of the industry.
The Council invited Maureen Masuku, Rand Merchant Bank's Head of Travel and Marketing Sourcing, to speak as a corporate buyer at the launch.
She explained that some of corporates’ biggest challenges with incentive travel are budget management, destination safety and finding destinations and experiences that meet different employees’ preferences. She said that incentive agents are essential to resolving these challenges.
However, Masuku said that incentive agents often sold themselves short in their dealings with corporates, as they often do not articulate their boundaries to their clients in their terms and conditions.
“As much as you (incentive agents) think that you need us to give you business, we as corporates need you more,” said Masuku.
About the African Incentive Travel Council
The AITC announced its founding board members including Gail du Toit from Wow Incentives & Events; Raoul Canetti from U-Cannect; Thembi Kunene-Msimang from Tourvest Meetings & Events; Lidia de Olim Folli from BidTravel; Marya Roux from Bold Engagement; David Sand from Uwin Iwin Incentives and Events; David van Schalkwyk from The Winners Group; and Carla Napoli from Rewards Incentives.
For more information, visit https://aitcouncil.com
