Draft:Yasir Baffo
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Last edited by WereSpielChequers (talk | contribs) 7 hours ago. (Update) |
Yasir Baffo | |
|---|---|
| Born | Yasir Mohamed Baffo Mogadishu, Somalia |
| Nationality | Somalian |
| Alma mater | Universiti Utara Malaysia |
| Occupation(s) | Business Executive, Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Tourism |
| Notable work | Tourism Adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism |
| Title | Founder and CEO at Bravo Baffo Ltd |
Yasir Mohamed Baffo is a Somali tourism leader and entrepreneur active in Somalia and Rwanda.[1][2]
Background
[edit]Baffo was born in Mogadishu, Somalia. His father worked in the private sector in Saudi Arabia.In 2003, while still a highschool student, Baffo organized a trip with classmates from Mogadishu to Lafoole (Somalia), symbolically wearing Hawaiian Aloha shirts.[3] This often cited as an early expression of his tourism ambitions.
In 2006, he attended the Universiti Utara Malaysia in Malaysia for Bachelor of Tourism Management, graduating in 2010. While at the university, Yasir was a member of the Somali Students Society in Kuala Lumpur.[4]
Career
[edit]Somalia
[edit]In 2012, Baffo founded the Somali Tourism Association (SOMTA) as a nonprofit organization aimed at making tourism accessible to Somalis and reviving the sector after years of conflict. Through SOMTA, he organized local tours for young Somalis outside Mogadishu, including visits to historical sites near Jazeera Beach, Warsheikh, and Balad.[5]
In 2017, Somalia was admitted to the UN Tourism (UNWTO), a process in which Baffo was involved as a tourist advisor to the federal government’s Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.[6] That same year, Baffo was named Tourism Promoter of the Year and Personality of the Year by Somalia’s Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism and by the mayor of Mogadishu, respectively.[7] In his role he was also involved in the development of the National Tourism Policy, which was approved by the Somali cabinet in 2019.[8]
Rwanda
[edit]In 2014, Baffo founded Bravo Baffo Ltd, a Kigali-based company operating in tourism, hospitality, and MICE.[9] In 2023, Bravo Baffo Ltd coordinated a study funded by the European Union through DAI Global on investment opportunities in Somalia’s tourism and hospitality sectors.[10] Bravo Baffo Ltd was honored as the Best Tourism and Hospitality Somali Company in East Africa at the 2025 East Africa Somali Awards in Nairobi, Kenya.[11]
Advocacy
[edit]In an interview with The New Times in 2014, Baffo praised Rwanda’s approach to tourism and conservation, noting its focus on transparency and quality. He compared perceptions of Rwanda and Somalia as post-conflict states and highlighted Somalia’s eco-tourism potential, while emphasizing the need to build local capacity for the sector’s growth.[12]
While studying in Malaysia, Baffo was enlisted by authorities as a translator in a piracy case involving seven Somali nationals. In interviews at the time, he emphasized that piracy was an isolated issue in Somalia, noting the country growth and rejected portrayals of pirates as representative of Somali society.[13]
Awards
[edit]- 2017: Tourism Promoter of the Year by Somalia’s Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.
- 2017: Personality of the Year by Mayor of Mogadishu.
- 2019: Jet Age Continental Award for Distinguished Youth Personality of the Year.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Somali Tourism Champion receives continental award in Kigali". Somaliwave. 2020-01-13. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
- ^ "Tourists are heading to Somalia to see the ruins of a two-decade civil war | Asian Pacific Post | Chinese newspaper -Vancouver, Richmond, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, North York, Montreal". asianpacificpost.com. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
- ^ "Visiting Somalia? Wear Your Hawaiian Aloha Shirt". 2023-11-26. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
- ^ "Malaysia: Most Somali students are driven to get an education". www.hiiraan.com. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
- ^ "Tourists are heading to Somalia to see the ruins of a two-decade civil war –". Retrieved 2025-09-05.
- ^ "After years of conflict, Somalia eager to recapture former glory as tourism destination". UNSOM. 2018-01-07. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
- ^ a b Williams, Kojo Bentum (2020-01-09). "Somalian Tourism Champion receives continental award in Kigali". Voyages Afriq. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
- ^ Williams, Kojo Bentum (2020-01-02). "Somali Cabinet approves National Tourism Policy". Voyages Afriq. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
- ^ "Ottoman era castle attracts tourists in Somalia". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
- ^ "IRAD - Institute for Research Analysis & Dialogue". www.irad.so. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
- ^ "#2025EastAfricaSomaliAwards - Twitter Hashtag". sotwe. 2025-04-20. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
- ^ "Africa has a lot to learn from Rwanda – Somali tourism chief". The New Times. 2014-07-07. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
- ^ "'Wrong to paint us all as pirates'". www.hiiraan.com. Retrieved 2025-09-05.