2017 Review

2017 AWOTTA HIGHLIGHTS

CELEBRATING OUR 6TH BIRTHDAY!

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Tuesday 5th September 2017

Thank you to all members of AWOTTA and guests who attended our Annual General Meeting and helped us celebrate our 6th Anniversary. We would also like to extend a special thank you to guest speaker Ms Dorothy Massawe (Representative of the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources); presenters Bi Saabah Ali (Chairperson of Zanzibar Commission for Tourism) and Eunice Ulomi (National College of Tourism); and the Tanzania Tourist Board (MD Devota Mdachi) for kindly providing us with the meeting space.

For further information please contact Mary Kalikawe (Chairwomen) at mkalikawe@awotta.org

INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

MEMBER AWARD WINNERS

Mary Kalikawe has been awarded by CEO Global, the 2017 Country and Regional winner in the Tourism and Leisure sector. CEO Global is recognised as the pre-eminent recognition platform for the important role women play in the development of society.

Devota Kasanda Mdachi, Managing Director of the Tanzania Tourist Board, was a winner of the 2017 ‘Africa Travel 100 Women Awards‘.

Zainab Ansell, CEO and Director of Zara Tours, was a winner of the 2017 ‘Africa Travel 100 Women Awards‘.

CAMPAIGNS SUPPORTED

AWOTTA supports International Women’s Day 8th March 2017 campaign

#Be Bold For Change

Each of us – with men and women joining forces – can be a leader within our own spheres of influence and take bold pragmatic action to accelerate gender parity. Collectively, we can help women advance and unleash the limitless potential offered to economies the world over.

A message from AWOTTA Chairwoman on IWD 2017

“Looking at our changing world is similar to looking at reflections in a fast moving car mirror. As we approach International Women’s Day (IOD), we as Women in Tourism Tanzania, must stand together with all women of our nation and the world, to reflect on and commit our allegiance to this years theme – “BE BOLD FOR CHANGE”.

This theme has two main calls. One being an accretion that the world is changing rapidly and women must not be left behind. We must leave our comfort zones, embrace change and strive to take on more leadership with courage. The other is to be bold, to change and to celebrate who we are. I read somewhere that, “Forceful men do not like women who are too bold”. The times when women did only what pleased men are long past. We need to separate ourselves from the feeling that “we are not good enough”, because we are!

This thought draws my memory back to 2011 when the Tanzania National Women’s soccer team was starting to play international games. I went to watch their game against Malawi at the national stadium in Dar es Salaam. These girls changed my world with their beautiful skilful play and went on to win in front of a then skeptical crowd. Each player did their best to make Tanzania proud and to make women proud, and continue to be winning flag bearers of both today. This change from the male dominance of soccer to women doing it with triumph is a living example of what can happen when we believe in ourselves and are bold in our actions.

Let us continue to break the barriers and embrace the unfolding opportunities that lie ahead.”

HAVE A HAPPY WOMEN’S DAY!

Mary Kalikawe

A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM AWOTTA CHAIRWOMAN ON WORLD TOURISM DAY 2017

As our beloved country Tanzania once again takes the industrialization path, we as Women in Tourism Tanzania on this World Tourism Day 2017 look at sustainable tourism. The year 2017 has been designated the international year of sustainable tourism. For this reason we stop and contemplate on what is in all this for us and for our country.

The search for sustainable development continues to advocate for creating balance between development (especially population growth, technology and consumption patterns ) and its impact on the environment. Obviously there are challenges facing the future of sustainable tourism including: the continued poor use of land practices (e.g.deforestation); poaching of elephants and rhinos; growing industrial waste seeping into important water resources (e.g.Lake Victoria); carbon emissions; and increased natural disasters. These all add to the burden on women increasing their vulnerability, poverty and continued lack of resources.

However, industrialization has a positive side too, including larger economic growth resulting in the creation of more jobs and increased income. Women need to be continuously empowered to grab the opportunities that will avail, and encourage the larger masses of women in Tanzania to join the growing value and supply chains of tourism. We realize tourism is one sector that has many opportunities for participation of women entrepreneurs in accommodation, restaurants, ticketing, crafts and heritage preservation. Industrialised Tanzania will help in improving sectors (such as traditional crafts), and avail markets as a result of accompanying improvement in infrastructure and transportation; availability of clean water, rural electrification and expansion of business development services.

We at AWOTTA celebrate World Tourism Day 2017 after celebrating our 6^th year of existence. We have designed a project that allows us to take a great leap forward in establishing a powerful and sustainable organisation, to achieve not only the objectives of our members but that of the Government of Tanzania i.e. to inspire, educate and support women across Tanzania to achieve economic independence, contribute to our nations industrial growth and drive responsible environmental practises through the tourism sector.

HAPPY WORLD TOURISM DAY TO YOU ALL!

Mary Kalikawe

AWOTTA supports United Nations resolution of 2017 as the ‘Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development’

“This is a unique opportunity for all of us to come together to promote the contribution of travel and tourism as a grand 21st century human activity, to build a better future for people, planet, peace and prosperity.”

Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

This resolution recognizes the importance of international tourism, and particularly of the designation of an international year of sustainable tourism for development, in fostering better understanding among peoples everywhere, in leading to a greater awareness of the rich heritage of various civilizations and in bringing about a better appreciation of the inherent values of different cultures, thereby contributing to the strengthening of peace in the world.

2017 offers us a unique opportunity to advance the contribution of the tourism sector to the three pillars of sustainability (economic, social and environmental), whilst raising awareness of its importance within Tanzania.