Africa Travel Week (ATW) is rallying stakeholders across the African tourism value chain to come together by participating in Walk for Love 2022, a virtual walk to be held on Saturday, 12 February at 9am SAST.
The event forms part of a greater pan-African advocacy campaign for the aviation, travel, tourism and hospitality sectors to foster intra-continental development and solidarity after almost two years of Covid-related disruptions.
“ATW is working with the tourism trade on all fronts this year and supporting Walk for Love forms part of our greater efforts to nurture our industry’s recovery momentum and morale,” says Megan Oberholzer, ATW Portfolio Director.
Initiated by Toni Ukwachukwu from Nigeria, the Walk for Love advocacy group is leveraging the ‘month of love’ to highlight a strong need for those in Africa’s far-reaching tourism chain to show love for themselves and each other.
“Africa’s tourism sector has been severely impacted at all levels, making it crucial for us to find innovative ways to rebound,” he explains. “Through this initiative, we want African businesses to look inwards and work together instead of looking outwards. If we have love, we attract love.”
The virtual Walk for Love event on 12 February will see participants engage in a leisurely 2 km walk wearing branded t-shirts, baseball caps, and masks across multiple destinations, such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Congo, and South Africa.
“The team at ATW is looking forward to supporting the event which not only encourages us to re-connect with industry peers, but to get outdoors, get active, and show the world what tourism in Africa is all about,” adds Oberholzer.
Along with ATW, other bignames currently supporting the initiative include Skål International, Africa African Tourism Board (ATB), and SITE Africa.
“Our involvement in this project is exceptionally important as it aligns with our primary objective to develop incentive travel across the continent which is crucial for bolstering our industry’s recovery,” adds Tes Proos, President, SITE Africa, and Walk for Love Coordinator: South Africa.
Along with the virtual walk, South African performer, Vicky Sampson, will premiere a powerhouse new song across all Walk for Love platforms tying into the official theme for this year’s event: Connect Africa with Love.
“We want to attract other voices to bring home the message that we, as Africans, need to connect, unite and get proactive in conducting business rather than waiting around for the rest of the world,” concludes Ukwachukwu.
For partnership enquiries and participation in Walk for Love 2022, contact: walkforloveafrica@gmail.com or visit: https://linktr.ee/WalkForLoveAfrica
