The Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa

What The Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa does

The Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa (APTA) is a non-profit, B-2-B trade association founded in 1980 in Los Angeles and currently headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado. The organization serves as a two-sided marketplace connecting over 250 North American travel agents and tour operators (individual members) with more than 75 African tourism suppliers (corporate members), including hotels, safari lodges, destination management companies, airlines, and African national tourism organizations. Its core offerings comprise a tiered membership program, a comprehensive online member directory, weekly industry news (APTA Dispatches), a webinar library, immersive educational study trips to Africa, and a flagship annual APTA Global Forum that rotates between US and African locations.

APTA's underlying technology is intentionally minimal: the organization operates primarily as a membership and community platform built around a website (apta-africa.org), an online member directory, webinar infrastructure, email newsletters, and social media presence. No proprietary technology platform, AI/ML systems, or APIs are described in the source material. Distribution and member engagement are instead delivered through a national chapter network of seven geographic chapters (Northeast/New York, Florida, Midwest/Chicago, Rocky Mountain/Denver, San Diego, Sacramento, Orange County/California) plus a virtual chapter established in 2019, each governed by its own volunteer board.

Revenue mechanics are straightforward: APTA is funded primarily through recurring membership dues paid by both Individual and Corporate members, with fee levels determined by the Executive Board and local Chapter Boards. Specific pricing tiers are not publicly disclosed. The organization is governed by a national executive board and local chapter boards staffed by volunteer travel professionals, with a small professional staff led by an Executive Director (Olivia Havens), a President (Jane Behrend), and a Treasurer handling finance (Kiersten Liedberg). Its go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, relying on chapter activities, webinars, study trips, and the annual Global Forum for member acquisition and retention.

Name

The Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa

Legal name

The Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa

Website

https://apta.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

APTA is a non-profit trade association connecting over 250 North American travel agents and tour operators with 75+ African tourism suppliers via membership, US chapters, an annual Global Forum, weekly industry news, and educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Evergreen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: APTA generates revenue through membership fees and dues from both Individual and Corporate members. Active Members (Corporate or Individual) are obligated to pay membership fees and dues as determined by the Executive Board. The organization is structured as a non-profit B-2-B association.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

APTA is a non-profit B-2-B trade association that operates a membership platform connecting North American travel agents and tour operators (over 250 individual members) with African tourism suppliers (over 75 corporate members including hotels, lodges, destination management companies, airlines, and tourism organizations). It delivers this connection through Individual and Corporate Memberships, an annual Global Forum event, US regional and virtual chapters, weekly APTA Dispatches industry news, a Webinar Library, an online Member Directory, educational study trips to Africa, and social responsibility initiatives coordinated through chapters.

Product overview

APTA is a non-profit, B-2-B trade association that operates as a platform connecting buyers and sellers in the African travel and hospitality industry. Rather than a technology product, APTA provides a suite of membership-based services including: individual and corporate membership programs, an annual Global Forum event, geographic and virtual chapters throughout the United States, APTA Dispatches weekly news, a Webinar Library for educational content, and a Member Directory. APTA also facilitates educational study trips to Africa and coordinates social responsibility initiatives across the continent. The organization connects North American travel professionals with African suppliers through educational programs, networking opportunities, and marketing support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• APTA Membership (Individual and Corporate) Individual and corporate membership program connecting North American travel agents, tour operators, airlines, hotels, lodges, and tourism service providers to promote African tourism. Includes networking, marketing, and educational opportunities via the annual Global Forum, regional chapters, APTA Dispatches, webinars, and the Member Directory.
• APTA Global Forum (Annual Conference) Annual flagship forum event bringing together North American travel professionals and African tourism suppliers for networking, education, and product discovery. Rotates host city between the United States and African destinations.
• APTA Chapters (Regional and Virtual Chapter Network) Geographic chapter network of seven active regional chapters (Northeast/New York, Florida, Midwest/Chicago, Rocky Mountain/Denver, San Diego, Sacramento, Orange County/California) plus a Virtual Chapter. Each chapter delivers local networking, educational programming, and member engagement for Africa-focused travel professionals.
• APTA Dispatches (Weekly Industry News Publication) Weekly news publication (APTA News/Dispatches) covering African travel industry updates, new camp openings, airline developments, destination news, and member announcements distributed to the APTA membership.
• APTA Webinar Library Online library of recorded webinars providing Africa destination education for APTA members and travel agents/tour operators seeking to deepen their product knowledge.
• APTA Member Directory Online searchable directory of active APTA members, including African travel suppliers, products, representatives, and services. Acts as the comprehensive registry of African travel trade for North American buyers.
• Educational Study Trips to Africa Immersive educational travel experiences organized by APTA for members to gain firsthand knowledge of African destinations, accommodations, and experiences, strengthening members' ability to sell African travel products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 250 active travel agent and tour operator members and over 75 corporate members representing the African travel and hospitality industry
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA): ASTA is the largest US-based trade association for travel advisors and agencies, offering membership, advocacy, education, and events. Directly comparable to APTA as a B2B membership organization serving US travel professionals. APTA is a niche vertical focused on Africa within the same model.
• Society of Incentive & Travel Executives (SITE): SITE is a global trade association for the incentive travel industry, with membership, education, and an annual conference. Directly comparable to APTA as a B2B travel trade association serving professionals with events and networking.
• Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA): ATTA is a membership-based trade association for the adventure travel industry with events, research, and a member directory. Directly comparable to APTA's model of connecting B2B travel buyers and suppliers through events and an industry directory.
• African Travel Association (ATA): ATA is the original Africa-focused travel trade organization from which APTA's founders split in 1980 over political disputes. Directly comparable to APTA in mission and constituency, though the two organizations have historically pursued parallel paths.
• United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA): USTOA is a trade association for tour operators, with a model of membership, advocacy, and an annual conference. Comparable to APTA in serving tour operators and travel agents through B2B membership and events, though USTOA covers a broader destination portfolio.

Others

• Brand USA: Brand USA is the destination marketing organization for the United States, promoting inbound travel through trade outreach, including engagement with travel agents. Comparable to APTA in mission (destination promotion through the trade channel) but operates at a national level as a quasi-public agency rather than a non-profit trade association.
• Skift: Skift is a media and research company covering the travel industry, including events, newsletters, and the Skift Forum. Comparable to APTA in serving the travel trade with news, events, and intelligence, but operates as a for-profit media business rather than a member association.
• Phocuswright: Phocuswright is a travel industry research and events firm, with conferences like Phocuswright Europe. Comparable to APTA in providing events and intelligence to travel professionals, but operates as a paid research intelligence platform rather than a member association.

Broad incumbents

• Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA): CLIA is a large, established cruise industry trade association with global membership, training, advocacy, and events. Comparable to APTA as a B2B travel trade association, but operates in a much broader and more lucrative vertical (cruise) with similar membership and event-driven model.
• International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN): IATAN is an industry-recognized body that supports travel agents and promotes professionalism through accreditation and education. Comparable to APTA in supporting travel agents in the US, though it focuses on accreditation standards rather than destination-specific promotion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/APTAisAfrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-association-for-the-promotion-of-tourism-to-africa
• Instagraminstagram.com/aptaafrica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa