Source: UN Tourism
  • The consultancy was the winner of the Inspiration Africa Branding Challenge
  • The Ubuntu: Africa Invites You To Live campaign developed by ATREVIA has been chosen from the more than 200 proposals received in this international call by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
  • The proposal's creativity, spirit of cooperation and differentiating emphasis on digital innovation in its strategy to position Africa's tourism attractions convinced the jury composed of representatives from UNWTO and CNN

The Ubuntu: Africa Invites You To Live campaign, developed by ATREVIA, a global Communication and Strategic Positioning company, won the Inspiration Africa Branding Challenge organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in collaboration with CNN International. Its proposal was selected from more than 200 entries received.

The international call invited agencies, creative firms and entrepreneurs to present an innovative and original brand strategy with the aim of positioning the diversity of Africa and its destinations in the minds of travellers in the post-COVID era. The challenge was to highlight the continent's strengths, thus fostering a positive image and enhancing the efforts of individual countries and organizations to boost the sustainable growth of the region with tourism as a driver of development.

"It is certainly very rewarding to have been chosen to take on a project as special as this. We are excited to be, in some way, ambassadors of such a spectacular region as Africa, with its infinite possibilities that often escape general knowledge. It's time to rediscover destinations and maximize the use of innovation and digital technology for a mission as important as revitalizing tourism. This approach has guided the work of a fantastic team that has shown, once again, that by integrating talent and multi-disciplinary knowledge, it is possible to overcome the challenges of communication," said Núria Vilanova, president and founder of the consultancy. "At ATREVIA we feel proud and privileged to have the opportunity to contribute to the knowledge and development of such an important sector for the African continent."

"We need solutions that restore confidence in travel to ensure that the many benefits of tourism are widely enjoyed. Africa's potential for tourism is undeniable, as is the potential of tourism to drive inclusive development across the continent. If the restart of tourism is managed in a responsible and coordinated manner, harnessing the power of innovation, entrepreneurship and communication, this sector will be able to transform the lives of millions of people and help protect and preserve Africa's rich cultural and natural heritage and diversity," said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

Ubuntu: Africa Invites You To Live was createdthrough the development of a territorial brand methodology that aims to distil all the attributes of a continent as extensive and plural as Africa within a unified concept that is adaptable to different tourism products and different audiences. A 360-degree campaign will be centred on the notion of "Ubuntu", a traditional term describing people's loyalty and their relationships, and will include the creation of Africa's first emotion map: a digital innovation that helps measure the emotions and feelings generated by travellers visiting the continent. Through social listening and Big Data, comments on experiences are collected and positive feelings discovered in each country are extracted.

About ATREVIA

We are a global Communication and Strategic Positioning Company. Our own offices in 16 countries and our network of partners allow us to offer total global coverage to our clients. With a staff of nearly 400 professionals featuring 30 nationalities and multidisciplinary profiles, we provide comprehensive solutions in more than 20 areas of expertise through our MKT and Communication, Corporate Affairs, Culture and People Engagement and Strategic Surveillance divisions.
ATREVIA, because today Communication faces new challenges. atrevia.com

About UN Tourism

The World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UN Tourism promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

Our Priorities

Mainstreaming tourism in the global agenda: Advocating the value of tourism as a driver of socio-economic growth and development, its inclusion as a priority in national and international policies and the need to create a level playing field for the sector to develop and prosper.

Promoting sustainable tourism development: Supporting sustainable tourism policies and practices: policies which make optimal use of environmental resources, respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities and provide socio-economic benefits for all.

Fostering knowledge, education and capacity building: Supporting countries to assess and address their needs in education and training, as well as providing networks for knowledge creation and exchange.

Improving tourism competitiveness: Improving UN Tourism Members' competitiveness through knowledge creation and exchange, human resources development and the promotion of excellence in areas such as policy planning, statistics and market trends, sustainable tourism development, marketing and promotion, product development and risk and crisis management.

Advancing tourism's contribution to poverty reduction and development: Maximizing the contribution of tourism to poverty reduction and achieving the SDGs by making tourism work as a tool for development and promoting the inclusion of tourism in the development agenda.

Building partnerships: Engaging with the private sector, regional and local tourism organizations, academia and research institutions, civil society and the UN system to build a more sustainable, responsible and competitive tourism sector.

Our Structure

Members: An intergovernmental organization, UN Tourism has 160 Member States, 6 Associate Members, 2 Observers and over 500 Affiliate Members.

Organs: The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the Organization. The Executive Council take all measures, in consultation with the Secretary-General, for the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the General Assembly and reports to the Assembly.

Secretariat: UN Tourism headquarters are based in Madrid, Spain. The Secretariat is led by the Secretary-General and organized into departments covering issues such as sustainability, education, tourism trends and marketing, sustainable development, statistics and the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), destination management, ethics and risk and crisis management. The Technical Cooperation and Silk Road Department carries out development projects in over 100 countries worldwide, while the Regional Departments for Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East serve as the link between UN Tourism and its 160 Member States. The Affiliate Members Department represents UN Tourism's 500 plus Affiliate members.

UNWTO Communications Department
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UN Tourism