The oldest travel organisation dedicated to Unitd States, US-Africa tourism since 1975 and long considered the top global organisation promoting tourism to Africa will become an operating element under the Corporate Council on Africa.
The formal announcement was made at the New York Times Travel Show on January 8, 2016.
President and chief exectutive officer of the Corporate Council on Africa, CCA Stephen Hayes said: “The addition of the Africa Travel Association (ATA) to our portfolio of activities strengthens both
the Africa Travel Association and the Corporate Council on Africa. Tourism is an essential
ingredient in growing the economies of Africa. The potential for growth and investment in
tourism in nearly every country in Africa is simply huge, regardless of the stage of development.”
The opportunity to combine the two organisation presented itself when long-time African Travel Association, ATA ‎executive director, Edward Bergman, announced he would step down from his position at the  end of 2015, following the successful ATA 40th Annual World Congress in Nairobi, Kenya this past November.
Edward Bergman added:“Finding a home for the Africa Travel Association at the Council
provides an opportunity for the travel industry within Africa and between the United States and the countries of Africa to reach new heights.
The Corporate Council’s focus on investment and development matches the requirements of
today and supplements ATA’s existing cultural and historic tourism endeavors throughout
Africa. It was hard to imagine a better match for both organisations.”
CCA has been a leading advocate for US-Africa trade and investment since its founding in 1993 through a grant from then Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown and the United States Agency for International Development.
In the past 23 years, the council has grown to incorporate one hundred and eighty corporations representing approximately eighty-five percent of all US private investment in Africa. CCA focuses on various sectors for investment including infrastructure, financing, health, energy, power, and agribusiness.
Mr. Hayes said: “Our background in working with major corporate players and investors who are looking for new opportunities in Africa is a perfect fit for the historical mission of the ATA for driving tourism growth on the African continent beyond its current global market share of three percent of international travel.”
ATA will operate in Washington, DC as a division of the Corporate Council on Africa.