AAVEA launches boosting attractions, visitor experiences in Africa
Earlier this month, the African Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AAVEA) celebrated its inception with a digital media launch, with the aim to unify and elevate the attractions sector, raising awareness about the contribution that attractions and visitor experiences make to the broader tourism industry.
Sabine Lehmann
In November 2018, based on the success of five Attractions Africa conferences, AAVEA was formed. A membership-driven association, AAVEA is governed by a board, which offers the only educational opportunities for visitor experience and attraction professionals in Africa. At its annual conference, AAVEA members and others in the attractions sector will learn, network, share and seek solutions together.
Sabine Lehmann, the founder of AAVEA and a thought leader in the attractions sector with 25 years of experience in the tourism industry, heads up the new AAVEA Board as its president.
Thrilled about the launch of the association and the impact it will have on the broader tourism industry, Lehmann said: "Visitor experiences and attractions play an important role in the tourism economy and are often the reason people choose to visit a city or region in the first place. Through AAVEA and our conference, we hope to raise the profile of attractions within the tourism industry, be the voice of the attractions sector, and contribute to the quality of attraction and visitor experience management."
Growing the attractions industry in Africa
Another feat for AAVEA, is that the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) has recognised the association as its African representation in its Europe, Middle East, and Africa division, now known as IAAPA EMEA.
"Attractions Africa, now AAVEA, has been instrumental in the growth of the attractions industry in Africa. We are excited to work with them to strengthen our presence on the continent.
"We, as IAAPA EMEA, look forward to co-hosting with AAVEA our Institute for Attraction Managers training course that will be held in Cape Town in the latter part of 2019, and our global leadership forum in South Africa in early 2020," says Jakob Wahl, vice president and executive director of IAAPA.
Attractions Africa, now AAVEA, will hold its fifth annual conference on 21 and 22 August 2019 in Cape Town.
The conference is a two-day event designed for visitor experience and attraction professionals. The programme comprises international speakers sharing trends, benchmarks, and best practice, as well as local examples of excellence, case studies, and white papers presented by local attraction and visitor experience professionals.
For more information, connect with Attractions Africa via Twitter and Facebook.
