Africa Day 2022

• Africa
• 25 May 2022

Dear Friends,

I send my warmest wishes to all those celebrating Africa Day.

This is a chance for us to come together to recognize the richness of this diverse continent, its people and its destinations, while at the same time noting the challenges and opportunities we face. And this year we focus on food security and nutrition, one of the most pressing issues for so many people in Africa.

Africa is endowed with 70% of arable land and agriculture is one of the most important economic sectors in the continent. To be sure, there are many challenges to address to transform the sector, to make it more sustainable and to secure food access and distribution. But we have good reason to be optimistic about the future.

Africa is home to the fastest growing urban populations on Earth and its growth is being driven by a buoyant youth possessing incredible talent and ingenuity. Moreover, tourism is returning across Africa, and our sector has the power to deliver positive change and inspire transformation.

Right now, around one-third of all the money tourists spend globally goes on food. In Africa, this supports businesses and both local and national economies. It also supports jobs and provides opportunities, most notably for women, for youth and for many people living in rural areas. But this enormous potential is yet to be fully realized.

We need to invest in human capital as a main pillar of recovery, giving people capacity, skills development and the right tools for entrepreneurship. MSMEs that are the backbone of the sector must receive the necessary support from government to drive the sector and secure millions of jobs in Africa.

Africa is rich in immense natural and cultural resources and the diversification of the economy through tourism will be key to build resilience against external shocks and so build economic stability and greater food security.

Domestic and regional intra and inter tourism are valuable sources of income and can boost infrastructures. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) are paramount for advancing Africa’s agenda on sustainable development.

Through the UNWTO Agenda for Africa –Tourism for Inclusive Growth, we will continue to support the continent and grow the sector as a pillar of opportunity for all. And we will continue to support Africa tourism with major flagship events:

In October, UNWTO will hold its 65th UNWTO Commission meeting for the region in Tanzania. And then in November, we will meet in Nigeria for the Global conference on Linking Tourism, Culture and Creative Industries, Pathways to Recovery and Inclusive Development.

And above all, we will continue to champion Africa, its people, its rich heritage and vibrant cities and its rich gastronomy.

On behalf of everyone at UNWTO, I wish you all a happy Africa Day.

• Download in PDF

Opportunities for Member States through the 2022 UNGA Report on the promotion of sustainable tourism, including ecotourism, for poverty eradication and environment protection

• Africa
• 4 May 2022

Every two years, the Secretariat of UNWTO prepares global and regional reports for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), on the implementation of UN resolutions, within its mandate, which include recommendations on ways and means to promote sustainable and resilient tourism development.

The previous global report on the “Promotion of Sustainable Tourism including Ecotourism for Poverty Eradication and Environment Protection” was prepared in 2020 and is therefore due for preparation again in 2022.

The upcoming report and its subsequent resolution offer many opportunities and benefits for Member States from all regions, as key instruments for devising new approaches, strategic actions and accelerators to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on sustainable development and to promote a sustainable recovery in the tourism sector; to better respond to today's global sustainability challenges, such as biodiversity loss and climate change and to advance new ideas for the resilience of the tourism sector.

In order to prepare this report, UNWTO will send a Note Verbale to its Member States in the first quarter of 2022 requesting substantive contributions and updates since the last report, providing them with early and effective opportunities to contribute to the preparation of the report, including through consultations until the submission of the report to the UNGA in July when the document is sent to the conference management service in New York to be edited and translated in time for the 77th session of the UNGA in September 2022.

In Africa, Member States have much to say about the issues addressed in the report, by submitting inputs on both, progress and challenges encountered on the development and practical implementation of tourism strategies and policies, as well as on new strategic proposals that strengthen tourism as a powerful vehicle for inclusive growth and job creation, for the protection of  their natural and cultural heritage, and the overall promotion of tourism as an effective enabler of sustainable development, as a  sector that energizes economies and drives the socio-economic transformation of African countries.

After the submission of the report, there are also many opportunities for engagement in the negotiation process of the related draft resolution under the Second Committee of the UNGA, which Member States will negotiate after the presentation of the report. The draft resolution is an important political element in trying to reach consensus on any new proposals put forward in the report, offering leadership opportunities for Member States as the main sponsor(s) of the draft resolution.  Classically, this negotiation is expected to take place around October 2022 between the diplomatic representations of Member States to the UNGA.

As part of its online services to the UNWTO Members in 2022, webinars are being offered to Member States in order to explain the process of preparing the report, its coverage, relevance and scope as well as the negotiation process of the related draft resolution.

UNDP and UNWTO join forces to support tourism recovery and local economic development in Tanzania

• Africa
• 29 Mar 2022

UNDP Tanzania and UNWTO have been collaborating to prepare a proposal for a new joint project, titled “Tanzania Tourism Recovery through Digital Transformation and Local Economy Development”.

The main purpose of the project is supporting the Tourism Sector to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic and become more resilient by focusing on building forward better a green, innovative, safe and more inclusive tourism sector in the country. The project builds on the ongoing support that UNDP is providing to the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO), with TATO being the main counterpart of UNDP in the project. Initial activities of the new project focus on the preparation of an Integrated Tourism and Local Economic Development Strategy.

In the first quarter of 2022, the situation analysis report for the Strategy was prepared. On 28 March 2022, UNWTO participated in a stakeholders’ meeting on the Integrated Tourism and Local Economic Development Strategy that took place in Arusha, Tanzania. During the meeting, representatives from public and private sector organizations dealing with tourism shared feedback on the situation analysis report and provided detailed inputs and recommendations for topics to be elaborated in the final Strategy.

The Tourism and Local Economic Development Strategy will pay specific attention to the four main Tourism Circuits in Tanzania Mainland, i.e. the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Lake Zone/Western Circuit. UNWTO collaborated with UNDP and the expert team to undertake field visits to the four circuits from 29 March to 3 April to verify the initial findings, consult stakeholders in various tourism destinations and obtain additional inputs for the Strategy, which is expected to be presented by mid-2022.

As a next step in the joint project, UNDP and UNWTO will collaborate to organize a Training Programme for Tanzania on Tourism International Digital Marketing and Communication. The training programme will build capacities across different levels of government and private sector to Support the adoption of technologically innovative solutions that can restore tourism activities and travellers’ confidence while by increasing protection of travellers, service providers, tour operators, front line employees and local communities.

The new strategy and training programme will provide guidance and build capacities among tourism stakeholders in Tanzania to help accelerate tourism recovery, paying specific attention to applying new technologies and fully involving tourism Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the recovery process.

National Workshop with Tourism Stakeholders in Botswana in Maun on 9 February-Project of the Development of National Tourism Strategy and Master Plan of Botswana

• Africa
• 9 Feb 2022

UNWTO and the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism of Botswana are collaborating to prepare a National Tourism Strategy and Master Plan which will guide tourism development from 2022-2032.

The Tourism Strategy and Master Plan come at a strategic time- where it will address not only measures to stimulate the recovery of the tourism sector during COVID times but also pave the way for the sustainable development of Botswana through tourism. The workshop was organized to convene the stakeholders to prioritize issues to be addressed in the National Tourism Strategy and Master Plan for Botswana.

“We are looking for a Tourism Strategy and Master Plan which is robust, practical and implementable and which will enable Botswana to become the destination of choice” stated Dr. Oduetse Koboto, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism stated at the Opening Ceremony of the National Workshop.

The current phase of the project includes a detailed review of the tourism sector in Botswana, taking into account the Government’s Vision 2036 and Revised Tourism Policy for future tourism development and the role the sector will play in the country’s socio-economic advancement. in addition to the identification of the key areas and issues that should be addressed through the preparation of a long-term National Tourism Development Strategy and Master Plan for Botswana 2022-2032 which will be the next step of the project.

The National Strategy and Master Plan will provide guidance in terms of implementing and managing the Revised Tourism Policy of Botswana with a view toward the efficient management of tourism resources, both cultural and natural; the mainstreaming of tourism in the Government planning process; and the increased participation and ownership of the local communities in the development of the sector.

Tourism Strategy and Master Plan

Tourism Policy of Botswana

Tourism Strategy and Master Plan

Tourism Policy of Botswana

Tourism Strategy and Master Plan

Tourism Policy of Botswana

Tourism Strategy and Master Plan

Tourism Policy of Botswana