Speakers

Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa is the Chief Executive Officer of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA). Tshifhiwa is a strategic, versatile, and innovative marketing, tourism, communications, and business executive. His experience spans 2 decades, with a track record of visionary leadership, strategic project development and execution, travel and tourism events management and communications. In the over 20 years since his first foray into the world of work, Tshifhiwa has worked for various companies in the tourism value chain including South African Tourism, Myriad Marketing, FEDHASA, Rennies Travel, SARS, and others. He has also consulted for various companies. Tshifhiwa serves on several boards in the tourism space including the global Board of Advisors for “The Sigmund Project” which supports innovation and collaboration in Tourism across the globe. Tshifhiwa has positioned himself as a thought leader and advocate for the South African tourism sector. He is an ambassador for tourism development in South Africa and Africa. He regularly writes, debates and comments on tourism development and growth in South Africa. He has been a panel member in several discussions about how the South African tourism sector can leverage innovation and technology to boost the hospitality industry. “Digital innovation in terms of tourism is very important, if you look at the last ten years for example, we have seen transition from paper check ins at airports to the use of smartphones to board a flight. We need to figure out how to create symbiosis between technology advancements and the traditional roles in the sector. This includes training hospitality staff to be ready for jobs of the future.’ Says Tshivhengwa