"AAPSO" Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity Organization is a non-Government body emerging from the International Conference held in Bandung-Indonesia in 1955. And it is a global Non-Government Organization dedicated to the principles of national liberation and solidarity of under-developed and emerging countries’ people, spreading all kinds of love, peace, lenity and development in all aspects.
For that purpose, it was announced as an NGO in the name of the Afro-Asian Solidarity Council and during the first conference conducted by the organization in 1958 in its Cairo permanent headquarters, Arab Republic of Egypt. And in the presence of 607 participants out of its founding countries.
AAPSO main goal is sustainability. and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to transform our world. AAPSO call, is taking actions to end poverty, inequality, protect our planet, and ensure health, justice and prosperity of people.
AAPSO goals are in line with United Nations 2030 Agenda. The organization, with the presence of this large number of members around the world, is seriously working as a soft power to achieve the goals of 2030.
It has a special interest in supporting the tourism, investment, and health and wellness sectors, it has established a special sector for sustainable development.
In order to achieve these noble goals, AAPSO has established an executive arm, which is the African-Asian Union, (AFASU) to help achieving its goals within Asia and Africa.
AAPSO is currently globally headed by Prof. Dr. Helmy El-Hadidi – the former Minister of Health in the Arab Republic of Egypt, and it is under the financial and administrative supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Egypt.
The Afro-Asian People' Solidarity Organization (AAPSO) is a mass non-government organization with national committees, and their members in more than 90 countries in Asia and Africa and has associate member committees in Europe, Russia and Latin America.
It is an associate, active and observer member in many major international organizations such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the League of Arab States, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and most organizations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
This is a highly significant global organization with a rich and extensive background in African and Asian nations. It holds the distinction of being the oldest non-governmental organization globally, with a widespread membership that extends beyond Africa and Asia.
The Union is founded under the umbrella of (AAPSO) As an executive arm to achieve all the objectives of the parent organization.
AFASU is to support all sectors and local community to alleviate poverty and raising the quality of Life of people in the Afro-Asian member (90) countries of AFASU.
THE AFASU Union aims to focus on a union supporting Africa and Asia development and integration in all sectors. (Tourism, handicrafts, development, technology, E-Commerce, training, etc.....)
AFASU Union has been founded & established under the presidency of Dr. Hossam Darwish – the first & current president in addition to being an international tourism expert, and one of the founders of the science of e-commerce, E-tourism, and digital marketing in the middle east.
Dr. Hossam Darwish worked for many and varied international organizations such as the United Nations and the League of Arab States (the Arab Tourism Organization). He organized dozens of local, Arab, and international conferences, seminars, and workshops, travelling around 71 countries.
He has participated, supported & supervised tens of Master & PHD theses all over the middle east, in addition to traveling across more than 55 countries, he has been honored domestically, regionally, and internationally for his well noted efforts in his specialties and spreading awareness for e-commerce and digital tourism & transformation & crafts in the Middle East.
He is a well-known speaker at all international forums in the field of tourism and travel, tourism marketing, E-tourism, in addition, Dr Hossam, is a pioneer in creating an innovative in all areas of digital and traditional tourism marketing, he also participated in setting the strategy for Arab tourism (ATO) in the League of Arab States.
Turning the disruption in tourism into new opportunities for improved competitiveness is essential for Asian and Africa’s recovery from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the main aim for AFASU union team.
The AFASU UNION has promptly taken action to help African and Asian countries in line with their goal. Representatives were dispatched to different nations in both regions to bolster tourism, medical tourism, and attract investments in the tourism sector. The union placed strong emphasis on assisting small and medium-sized businesses in investing in the tourism field.
Dr. Hossam Darwish, one of the creators of the concept of the Arab tourism capital that many countries vie for and take pride in, and in AFASU union has create various accolades for the tourism industry. The most significant among them is the "African Tourism Capital" Award and the "Asian Tourism Capital" Award, which are given annually to a city that meets the criteria established by a committee of renowned tourism professionals in all aspects.
AFASU is keen to launch the concept of the African Tourism Capital, and Asian Tourism Capital, as an annual competition and award in accordance with several criteria developed by a team of experts and consultants, conforming to international standards in similar sectors. Accordingly, the nominated cities will be evaluated to win the best touristic city in the continents of Asia and Africa.
Being bestowed with this award means that the city has earned the highest rating from a prominent committee of travel and tourism experts across all sectors of tourism& travel industry. The ceremony of crowning the winning tourism capital will be held in September/October of each year, whereby only one city will be awarded over each continent as the winning city in the 2023/ 2024 edition of the African and Asian Tourism Capital.
Promoting touristic destinations who strive to improve themselves to offer tourists best possible experience.
A great marketing tools. The award highlights to tourists all over the world a city that truly deserves a visit due to its exceptional offerings and commitment to meeting international standards for quality in tourism.
AFASU aims to keep tourism ahead of the curve, the union plays a big role in developing the tourism industry and supports this sector in the winning city with in-person training sessions, digital educational courses... etc.
We will market the capital of tourism in cooperation with the winner city utilizing all our tools.
The Capital of tourism city winner will be the capital of conferences, festivals, security, and safety, and it is a completely safe investment center for local, regional an international investor. It will be the capital of events of all kinds.
It is the capital of tourism and the capital of attraction for large and small investors and for small and medium companies.
The main objective is to encourage small and medium-sized businesses to explore the investment opportunities available in this city and to emphasize the importance of supporting and promoting these types of companies and investors in the tourism industry. (SMEs account for the majority of businesses worldwide and are important contributors to job creation and global economic development. They represent about 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide. Formal SMEs contribute up to 40% of national income (GDP) in emerging economies.)
AFASU union partners with a panel of travel &tourism industry experts, travel writers and consumer travel buyers from around the globe, all are members of the Afro-Asian Union AFASU, they meet to choose the winner of the African and Asian tourism capital Awards from a compiled short list of nominated cities who successfully matched the set-up criteria.
The Tourism Capital Award is a general award for all sectors, but there are specialized awards for different branches of tourism such as:
In addition to special prizes for tourism investors who supported sustainable tourism development.
Finally, the tourism sector in the African-Asian Union AFASU includes 35 international experts in the field of tourism. The award jury is one of the best tourism experts in the world from all sectors and all nationalities. It votes for the winning city carefully and impartially. On the day of the announcement in the press conference about the city’s victory, it will be announced why we chose the city and its tourist importance as the capital of tourism and how to choose it from among the cities nominated by experts.
Criteria | Description | Indicators | Avg Weight/Score |
---|---|---|---|
Strategic Plan & Tourism Management |
Ensuring the existence of an integrated strategic vision related to the development of the tourism sector in the candidate city. |
(i. eTourism Promotion Board). Devoted funding to be managed collaborated between Industry and Government to be backed up with the policy to promote tourism and develop strategic partnership (co-op marketing) to keep its competitiveness and value propositions. |
15 |
Diversity of Tourism Destinations | Analyzing all tourism attractions and its diversity to match the inbound tourism preferences. |
|
20 |
Infrastructure |
Clarifying the availability of the required tourism infrastructure for inbound tourism and its compliance with international standards. |
|
20 |
Governmental Facilities |
The compatibility of the city strategic plans with the country strategic vision in addition to the governmental leadership and support to encourage and promote inbound tourism to the destination. |
|
10 |
Environmental compatibility and tourism sustainability |
Ensuring the international standards of sustainability and the compatibility between tourism quality standards and sustainability issues |
|
10 |
Tourism technologies |
Indicates how the destination is keeping aligned with rapid technological changes and its response as well as it keeps pace with the digital transformation in all aspects of the tourism industry. |
|
10 |
Proposed Activities and Events |
Clarifying plans and objectives of all proposed events throughout the year as well as highlighting the current and the previous events to promote the destination |
|
10 |
Overall Assessment | 100 |