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The Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa>
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History of APTA
 Courtesy of Above and Beyond Africa |
At that very moment APTA was formed. Alana Hayden, suggested that a non-political tourism organization be started that promoted tourism to all of Africa and educated the travel industry on how to sell Africa. At this time, the continent was not very well known and most agents did not understand all Africa had to offer. With the support of the others present a meeting was set-up to form the organization.
A prestigious group of travel professionals gathered together to set out the guidelines and goals of this new organization. The Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa (APTA) was formed in Los Angeles as a non-political, educational, organization whose primary focus is promoting tourism to the full continent of Africa to the travel industry as well as the public without political prejudices.
The first project was creating an informative Africa Educational Manual that explained each country and how to sell these areas to the general public. Monthly meetings were set-up and the travel industry followed with enthusiasm. Travel agents came from all over California.
The interest generated the need to form other chapters. The second was the Orange County Chapter followed by the San Diego Chapter. Not long after there were chapters inDenver, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, and Dallas. The enthusiasm amongst travel professionals has not ceased and in the new millennium APTA has continued to grow with chapters in Florida, New York, Atlanta, and Arizona. Our newest chapter is Sacramento Valley, California.
Since 1980 APTA has provided the travel community with exceptional educational programs, quarterly APTA News, annual Discover Africa trade shows, educational study trips, all orchestrated in partnership with our African suppliers. At our forum in 2000 we embraced Africa as the Continent of Africa and its Islands.
Growing in scope, APTA Chapters have become increasingly involved in local and global African projects that include contributions and support of goods, funds and services to orphanages, schools, anti-poaching operations and community development projects. These activities increase our partnership with the African continent and islands.
We thank our founding members for their foresight:
Larry Schneider, Lufthansa, Chuck Drescher - Travel Agent, Alana Hayden - Born Free Safaris, Louw Wolhuter - South African Tourist Board; First Board in addition to the above - the BACKBONE of APTA: Tony Da Costa, Jim Duffin,,Philip Graham-Bell, Judie Parr, Ralph Rafik, Eve Senn, Nick Stathakis
As APTA thrives in the 21st Century, we continue to grow in many areas and are now recognized internationally as a respected and honorable association with a devotion to our Mission Statement and as an interactive resource for our colleagues and clients who share the feeling for Africa.
Chapters
1980 Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego (CA)
1988 Rocky Mountain (Denver)
1993 Northern California (San Francisco Bay Area)
1994 Midwest (Chicago)
1997 Pacific Northwest (Seattle)
1997 Dallas (TX)
2001 Florida (Miami)
2002 New York (NYC) now Northeast
2002 New England (Boston)merged with Northeast
2003 Atlanta now Southeast
2004 Twin-Cities (Minneapolis) merged with Midwest
2004 Houston (dormant)
2004 Arizona (Phoenix-Scottsdale)
2004 Sacramento Valley
2005 Twin Cities incorporated into the Midwest Chapter
National Forum Hosts
1995 Northern California
1996 Rocky Mountain
1997 Midwest
1998 San Diego
1999 Dallas
2000 Pacific Northwest
2001 Midwest
2002 Los Angeles
2003 Rocky Mountain
2004 Northeast
2005 Florida
2006 Dallas
2007 - Midwest (Chicago).
2008 Rocky Mountain
2009 Arizona
2010 Sacramento
Executive Directors
Current Kathryn Monaco
2005-2008 Nancy Decker-Davidson
2003-2005 Naydine Booth
2002-2003 Beth Lincoln
1999-2002 Bonnie Fogg
1997-1999 Al Tyrcha
1994-1997 Doris Reimers
1992-1994 Terry Myers (first Executive Director)
Revised May 23, 2011