A delegation from Abu Dhabi-based Knighthood Global, led by Chairman James Hogan attended the WTTC Summit 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda from November 1 to 3.
Under the theme, Building Bridges to a Sustainable Future, the summit, which attracted a large international audience, was addressed by Paul Kagame, the President of the Republic of Rwanda and senior government counterparts from Burundi and Tanzania, to discuss the big issues facing travel and tourism today.
In a panel discussion entitled “What’s your ETA?” James shared learnings from his 40-year experience in the global airline industry, and spoke about how Africa, with all its social, economic and political diversity could leverage the continent’s strengths in travel and tourism for the future.
Knighthood Global at WTTC Summit
He said: ““There are no simple one-size fits all solutions to these problems. However, working together as an industry and through public and private sector collaboration, we can map out a clear vision for the future and develop workable and realistic policies to achieve a sustainable future.”
Citing a recent New York Times editorial, and a report on the youth boom in Africa, he noted that by 2050, one in four people would be African, while the median age for the continent is 19.
The continent will have the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population, as other major global populations age and lose momentum.
He said this “youthquake” would have enormous implications for how the world perceives and interacts with Africa.
Also presenting an enormous challenge to empower this dynamic and energetic generation and provide meaningful opportunities that could transform the industry.
The discussion also covered investment, partnership and connectivity issues as part of a broader strategic debate on how the continent could leverage new technology, policies and partnerships to grow and compete.
Knighthood Global was also a sponsor of the 2023 summit.
Follow us on
