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Tag: Abta

  • ABTA to host forum in Ghana

    ABTA to host forum in Ghana

    THE African Business Travel Association (ABTA) has announced that they would be hosting a business travel industry forum in Accra, Ghana, on February25, 2014.

    The event will focus on opening the lines of communication between business travel buyers and clients, Travel Management Companies (TMC), travel agents, airlines, hotels and other industry suppliers.

    According to founder of ABTA, Monique Swart, “Communication is vital in order to build mutually beneficial and long lasting business relationships. When effective and honest communication between business sectors is not present, a lack of trust, respect and empathy is bred, leading to continuous battles and a lack of productivity, ultimately affecting the bottom line.”

    She goes on to say that globally, TMC’s and travel suppliers (air, hotel etc) work together to support each other, attain shared goals, increase revenue and ensure client satisfaction. But that this is often not the case in many of the emerging African markets where travel agents and suppliers often act in competition to each other without striving for the benefits of partnership, causing a lack of communication and trust.

    This ABTA event will address this lack of communication and give all delegates the opportunity to share, discuss and debate their concerns, challenges and wants in an open and honest industry forum. This will assist all sectors in better understanding the industry from all view points, in order to open lines of communication to improve business relationships and attain shared goals for all sectors.

    “This forum will represent a vital opportunity for all Corporate Travel Buyers and Clients, Travel Agents, TMC’s, Airlines, Hotels and other Suppliers within the business travel industry to get together in order to better understand each other and the industry challenges and opportunities as a whole. All business travel professionals and executives are urged to attend in order to show their support of a more unified industry and in order to gain tremendous value for themselves and their companies” said Swart.

  • ABTA, ACTE to hold events in Nigeria and other countries

    The African Business Travel Association and the Association of Corporate Travel Executives have announced an alliance to collaborate on educational programs and other events commencing with the Johannesburg executive forum on 15 August 2013. According to a joint statement issued by ABTA Founder Monique Swart and ACTE President Suzanne Neufang, the two associations will collaborate on a number of future events emphasizing the role of Africa as a crossroads of global travel.

    “Having  a 13-year history with ACTE, I am delighted our two associations have forged a closer partnership to deliver quality travel management education across the African continent. ACTE’s membership will benefit from ABTA’s expertise in the African business travel industry, while ABTA and its members will gain access to international trends and opportunities through ACTE’s global footprint,” said Swart.

    “ACTE and ABTA have similar priorities in addressing travel management issues and in fulfilling membership needs. Common objectives, shared vision, and realistic expectations  guarantee joint educational endeavors with potent content,” said Neufang. “ACTE has an outstanding reputation for working in concert with other international and regional associations, with full respect for local business cultures and customs. We look forward to working closer with ABTA.”

  • ABTA, ACTE to hold events in Nigeria and other countries

    The African Business

    Travel Association and

    the Association of Corporate Travel Executives have announced an alliance to collaborate on educational programs and other events commencing with the Johannesburg executive forum on 15 August 2013. According to a joint statement issued by ABTA Founder Monique Swart and ACTE President Suzanne Neufang, the two associations will collaborate on a number of future events emphasizing the role of Africa as a crossroads of global travel.

    “Having  a 13-year history with ACTE, I am delighted our two associations have forged a closer partnership to deliver quality travel management education across the African continent. ACTE’s membership will benefit from ABTA’s expertise in the African business travel industry, while ABTA and its members will gain access to international trends and opportunities through ACTE’s global footprint,” said Swart.

    “ACTE and ABTA have similar priorities in addressing travel management issues and in fulfilling membership needs. Common objectives, shared vision, and realistic expectations  guarantee joint educational endeavors with potent content,” said Neufang. “ACTE has an outstanding reputation for working in concert with other international and regional associations, with full respect for local business cultures and customs. We look forward to working closer with ABTA.”

  • Abta hosts business travel forum in Lagos

    Delegates from all over the country will be visiting Lagos on June 11 for the ABTA Business Travel Executive Forum and Cocktail Reception being hosted at The Wheatbaker Hotel.

    This event is aimed at companies who send staff on business travel throughout Africa and across the globe, as well as the region’s leading TMCs, travel agents, airlines, hotels, travel press and more.

    The event will feature keynote sessions delivered by the country’s foremost experts on business travel, addressing the current trends, challenges and opportunities within the West African airline industry, practical solutions for day-to-day difficulties faced when moving travellers around Africa, updates on the business travel best practice in other African hubs and a roundtable open industry discussion on supplier and customer relationship management.

    The event will end with a Networking Cocktail Reception hosted by The Wheatbaker Hotel.

    “We are extremely excited to be visiting Lagos again in June,” said ABTA founder, Monique Swart. “This region is always so extremely vibrant, pulsing with opportunities, and we are looking forward to providing some high-class educational contents and networking opportunities to assist local industry professionals in keeping their finger on the pulse of the Nigerian business travel industry.”