Lipian Mtandabari, Managing Director of Ntsako Travel Africa, has been awarded the first International LGBTQ+ Travel Association Foundation scholarship, to pursue a master’s level program at CETT, the School of Tourism, Hospitality, and Gastronomy at the University of Barcelona.
The virtual one-year program in LGBTQ+ tourism is the first of its kind, allowing learners to become change agents in the tourism industry by following a model based on respect and inclusiveness.
Ntsako Travel Africa was founded by Lipian, a Zimbabwean, in 2018 to promote LGBTQ+ travel in Africa, with an emphasis on Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia. However, he says that moving the narrative forward is difficult without a formal education, despite years of experience in tourism.
“Being a professional specializing in LGBTQ+ tourism on the African continent, a continent where education still plays a great role in the validation of one’s expertise and career proficiency, has many challenges,” Lipian said. “I believe this qualification will allow me to increase my knowledge skills and be more relevant to the cause that I am so passionate about day in and day out. I am grateful to be selected and have no doubt that my efforts in advancing LGBTQ+ tourism will now be amplified.”
This scholarship was created with the generous collaboration of Queer Destinations to benefit a small business member of IGLTA and support CETT’s ground-breaking new master’s course, which launched its first module this month.
The IGLTAF scholarship committee was inspired by Lipian’s story and dedication to LGBTQ+ tourism. He previously received an IGLTAF David Martin Small Business Fellowship to attend the 2019 IGLTA Global Convention in New York City.
“We congratulate Lipian on being selected for the CETT program for 2022. His application rose to the top because of his passion for positively impacting LGBTQ+ tourism not only in Africa but globally, and we know he will make great contributions to our industry,” said IGLTAF Co-Secretary Eddie Canaday, who headed the selection committee. “We received applications from a wonderful group of IGLTA business candidates, and we applaud them all for their commitment to LGBTQ+ tourism and hope to offer more opportunities like this in the years to come.”
Serving on the IGLTAF scholarship selection committee: Eddie Canaday, Visit Salt Lake; Pamela Herr, PH Events; Rika Jean-Francois, ITB Berlin; Dougal Mckenzie, Google; Jim McMichael, Las Vegas CVA; and Gary Murakami, Teneo Hospitality Group.
