Preparations For The Inaugural Tourism Investment Forum Africa (TIFA) Underway

Preparations for the inaugural Tourism Investment Forum Africa (TIFA) are currently underway, with a range of eminent stakeholders in the tourism and investment space, confirming their participation.

The Forum will be held under the theme “Forging Global Partnerships for Inclusive Local Economic Development Through Sustainable Investment”, at the African Vineyard Hotel on Kanoneiland, Upington, South Africa from 7-9 June 2023.

As part of the Forum, South African representatives will unveil and showcase a range of investment opportunities across the tourism and related industry sectors  Click here for more information.

The inaugural TIFA has already attracted a range of speakers and experts from across South Africa, the continent and internationally. The conference will comprise discussions focused on addressing key barriers to investment, presentations on investment opportunities that exist across the host destination, South Africa and the continent.  

Areas that will be addressed during the conference will include: the role the African Continental Free Trade Area can play in improving tourism, trade and investment across the continent; trends in investment across the globe particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic; how to finance projects sustainably; green opportunities and new models for environmental-social-and governance (ESG) practices; the digital economy and implications for investment and tourism; and infrastructure development.

Importantly, the conversations will look at how to create sustainable ways of supporting tourism and investment while creating mutually beneficial opportunities for all parties.

Some of the speakers who will be joining the conference include the Ministers of Tourism from Ghana and Namibia, representatives of the UNWTO and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.  For more on the profile of speakers and experts attending the TIFA click here

More about TIFA

TIFA was conceptualised as a vehicle to promote trade, investment and finance solutions and opportunities between the South Africa and the continent.  As “a global platform for local action”, the Forum also aims to afford the host destination the opportunity to promote investment into priority sectors of its economy and in particular the tourism sector, thereby contributing to inclusive and sustainable local economic growth and development, particularly job creation. 

In addition to promoting investment projects and opportunities in the travel and tourism industry across the SADC and other regions, the TIFA will promote transversal projects and investment opportunities in critical sectors such as infrastructure, transport, real estate and the green economy, which are key to the development and growth of tourism through their stimulation of development in related sectors. 

A key pillar of the platform is the facilitation of meaningful business-to-business (B2B) and business to government (B2G) exchanges to facilitate investment, networking, sharing of knowledge and market insights as well as other trade development opportunities.