Africa Tourism Partners Chief Executive Officer, Kwakye Donkor, says this year's Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit and Challenge has registered a low turnout compared to last year.

Donkor highlighted this in an interview with nbc News ahead of the Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit and Challenge at Swakopmund, where about 38 countries from Africa will be taking part either physically or virtually.

The Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit and Challenge is being hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism.

The Summit provides a platform for African youth, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and students to engage in income-generating activities and career development.

"For the young ones who are here, we are looking at startups; we are looking at entrepreneurs' career development; there are a lot of mentors that are here that they can learn from, and we would like each and everyone to get that opportunity to meet people and engage constructively. So that, by the end of the summit, they can have that one person to connect to and one idea they like to take home and grow and commercialise."

As a key component of the African Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit, the Tourism Innovation Challenge is expected to unleash innovative projects and initiatives that will transform Africa's tourism ecosystem.

Donkor says many programmes have been developed to support the next generation and promote economic growth.

He adds that paving the way for the youth represents a way to cultivate future African leaders capable of overcoming current and future complex global challenges.

Donkor says the participation of young people at the summit is a sign that they have begun to think outside the box and are running innovative projects that will transform the landscape of tourism in Africa.