Conference Being Held At The Site Of One Of The Seven Wonders Of The World

The 9th Routes Africa, the largest route development event in Africa, will open this weekend in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The event will bring together the leading airports, airlines, tourism authorities, policy-makers and aviation stakeholders to develop new air services to, from and within Africa.

Hosted by the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe, Routes Africa 2014 will take place June 22-24. Over 350 delegates are expected to attend the event representing 40 leading airlines, 50 airports and 15 tourism authorities. Africa's three main airlines, Kenya Airways, South African Airways and Ethiopian Airlines, are joined by two of the big Gulf carriers (Emirates and Etihad Airways) and global carriers such as British Airways, Iberia Airlines and Condor Airlines who are looking into expanding their network to the continent. Low cost carriers, which are increasingly shaping the face of aviation in Africa, will also be out in force with registrations received from pan-African low-cost carrier Fastjet as well as Comair, Fly540 and start-up carrier FlyAfrica.com.

"From the theater of travel, Tourism is about movement of people, and herein lies the critical importance of conferences such as Routes Africa 2014 taking place in this historical town of Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Wonders of the World," said Honorable Engineer Walter Mzembi (MP), Minister of Tourism and Hospitality, Zimbabwe. "It is with great honour that my country Zimbabwe was recently bestowed with the World Best Tourism Destination and the Favorite Cultural Destination for 2014 by the European Council on Tourism and Trade, being the first such award for an African country.

"It is abundantly clear that Africa needs to gain mileage in the sphere of physical travel as well as administratively facilitating travel. Air connectivity is the umbilical cord that links tourism destinations and its source markets. As we look at Travel Tourism with new eyes, let us, at the regional and continental levels, stay connected, focused on cooperation, value addition and super service in order for our beloved continent Africa, to grow its share of the global tourism market. It is not a coincidence that Routes Africa 2014 is focusing on air connectivity issues as one of the strategic 'gates' in boosting tourism."

"Africa is one of the most dynamic and exciting aviation markets in the world right now," said Katie Bland, Director Routes for UBM Live. "The continent might well become the most important geographic part of the world over the next 100 years, which is why African airlines are getting stronger and stronger, and carriers from all over the world are increasingly tapping the African market. The decisions taken at Routes Africa will be decisive in shaping the future of aviation in Africa for years to come."

FMI: www.routesonline.com