The Pan-African Travel Association, The TeamAfrica (TTA) has concluded arrangements to begin the search for 21 Wonders of Africa on the 27th September which is globally recognised as World Tourism Day.
The launch of the search for 21 Wonders of Africa on the 27th September may be significant not just for the World Tourism Day every September 27 but African Union was also launched in September 1999.
Against this development, the Pan-African Travel Association will be opening up its membership log to accommodate more members.
The Team Leader, Ikechi Uko had explained to the foundation members that membership was kept closed since March this year because the legal registration processes were not complete.
He told the members that finally the legal registration and the Trademark processes have been completed as The Team Africa is now a properly registered organisation.
“New members can now join TeamAfrica on recommendation of any registered member and approved by the founders or through the website wwww.theteamafrica.org. New members can join from all over Africa and the Diaspora once the person or organisation can provide evidence of interest and involvement in the promotion of Africa as a destination,” Uko said.
Earlier in March the long-awaited guidelines for membership of the New pan African travel association TeamAfrica was released.
TeamAfrica is open to anyone who meets the criteria outlined in the guidelines.
Uko also explained that the 21 Wonders of Africa which is the flagship project of the group will be launched immediately after registering new members.
He stated that the delay in the take-off of the project is because of legal issues that needed to be sorted before take-off.
While waiting for the registration process of the association, the body had been busy articulating positions on Pan-African issues including a widely used press statement on the African Passport.
TheTeamafrica had applauded the efforts of the AU leadership to bring about seamless travels within Africa for Africans.
It will be recalled that the AU leaders launched a new African Passport at its annual General Assembly in Kigali for Diplomats as a way of bringing to the fore the issue of free and easy movement within the continent.
For members of TeamAfrica who discussed the issue exhaustively, it was agreed that the launch of the AU document is noteworthy but symbolic as it has no real value as at now. They pointed out the difficulty of implementing the Yammousokro Decision to open African skies for Aviation which has not been implemented since 1999.
According to the AU chairperson Dlamina Zulu this delay in implementing an AU decision since 2003 has cost Africa 40 percent market share in Aviation on the continent. So the implementation of the African Passport may face similar difficulties.
TTA argued that immediate implementation of Visa on Arrival for all Africans is easier to Implement and adopt. Ghana recently joined Rwanda and Seychelles in Implementing Visa on Arrive for all Africans and it has taken off successfully and Nigeria announcing it will start with it in 2017.The Team recommends this route as a faster way of integrating Africa while discussions on the modality of how implementation of the AU Passport is being worked out between Nations.
The TeamAfrica is an association for players in Travel and Tourism business in African. It’s major role is to encourage Travel within Africa for Africans as most Africans do not travel much within African.
TTA aims to grow travel within Africa by jointly promoting events within Africa and pressure governments to adopt policies that encourage intra African Travels.It was formed in Kigali Rwanda last year and has since grown to include practitioners from over 15 countries.
Its landmark project is the expected Launch of the search for the 21 Wonders of Africa.
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