Since 2014, the UNWTO Knowledge Network, in collaboration with UNWTO Affiliate Member the Faculty of International Tourism and Management from the City University of Macau, has offered scholarships to outstanding young students and professionals from UNWTO Affiliate Members and institutions with UNWTO TedQual-certified programmes in Africa. As of last year, nine students from Zambia and Morocco, five in their first year and four in their second year, studied in Macao, China expanding their knowledge and expertise.

For more information on the programme, please visit the City University of Macau website at: http://www.cityu.edu.mo/fitm/course.html and direct any questions regarding the application process to knetwork@unwto.org.

For the period 2016-2017, four students will benefit from the scholarship for the Masters Program of International Hospitality and Tourism Management (three scholarships equivalent to US$ 11,500) and the Doctoral Programme in International Tourism Management, (one scholarship equivalent to US$ 26,900). Both programmes are UNWTO TedQual-certified.

This ongoing initiative is part of the UNWTO Knowledge Network Talent Development Platform, which aims to nurture young talent through internships, knowledge transfer and research, as well as promoting student mobility worldwide. 

Since 2014, the UNWTO Knowledge Network, in collaboration with UNWTO Affiliate Member the Faculty of International Tourism and Management from the City University of Macau, has offered scholarships to outstanding young students and professionals from UNWTO Affiliate Members and institutions with UNWTO TedQual-certified programmes in Africa. As of last year, nine students from Zambia and Morocco, five in their first year and four in their second year, studied in Macao, China expanding their knowledge and expertise.

For more information on the programme, please visit the City University of Macau website at: http://www.cityu.edu.mo/fitm/course.html and direct any questions regarding the application process to knetwork@unwto.org.

For the period 2016-2017, four students will benefit from the scholarship for the Masters Program of International Hospitality and Tourism Management (three scholarships equivalent to US$ 11,500) and the Doctoral Programme in International Tourism Management, (one scholarship equivalent to US$ 26,900). Both programmes are UNWTO TedQual-certified.

This ongoing initiative is part of the UNWTO Knowledge Network Talent Development Platform, which aims to nurture young talent through internships, knowledge transfer and research, as well as promoting student mobility worldwide. 

The eighth edition of the Investment and Business Forum for Africa (INVESTOUR), jointly organized annually by the UNWTO, FITUR and Casa África, will take place on 19 January 2017 in Madrid, Spain. This forum brings together tourism stakeholders and potential investors interested in Africa, to discuss the opportunities and the potential that the continent offers in terms of sustainable tourism development.

Africa’s potential in the tourism sector is undeniable. In 2015, the continent welcomed 53 million international tourists and earned a total of US$ 33 billion in international tourism receipts. The future outlook remains positive; UNWTO forecasts 134 million arrivals to the region by 2030. As the flow of tourists increases in the continent, there is greater need for expanding the infrastructure, which calls for more investments. In this context, INVESTOUR constitutes once again a strategic platform promoting investment and commercial opportunities in Africa.

 

This year’s edition will focus on technology and the design of new tourism products and on skills development, youth and women’s employment in tourism.

We encourage you to join us. For more information: http://www.investour-africa.com

These topics are extremely relevant to the development of the tourism sector. This platform will give us the opportunity to learn what is being done on the continent and how is it impacting tourism in the region.     

As in previous editions, the business-to-business (B2B) meetings will provide the opportunity to bring together African tourism project leaders and potential international partners willing to invest in Africa.

The eighth edition of the Investment and Business Forum for Africa (INVESTOUR), jointly organized annually by the UNWTO, FITUR and Casa África, will take place on 19 January 2017 in Madrid, Spain. This forum brings together tourism stakeholders and potential investors interested in Africa, to discuss the opportunities and the potential that the continent offers in terms of sustainable tourism development.

Africa’s potential in the tourism sector is undeniable. In 2015, the continent welcomed 53 million international tourists and earned a total of US$ 33 billion in international tourism receipts. The future outlook remains positive; UNWTO forecasts 134 million arrivals to the region by 2030. As the flow of tourists increases in the continent, there is greater need for expanding the infrastructure, which calls for more investments. In this context, INVESTOUR constitutes once again a strategic platform promoting investment and commercial opportunities in Africa.

 

This year’s edition will focus on technology and the design of new tourism products and on skills development, youth and women’s employment in tourism.

We encourage you to join us. For more information: http://www.investour-africa.com

These topics are extremely relevant to the development of the tourism sector. This platform will give us the opportunity to learn what is being done on the continent and how is it impacting tourism in the region.     

As in previous editions, the business-to-business (B2B) meetings will provide the opportunity to bring together African tourism project leaders and potential international partners willing to invest in Africa.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ethiopia jointly organized a Regional Workshop on ‘Keys to Success in Quality Product Development in Tourism Destinations’, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (15-17 September 2016). The  workshop was attended by around 200 participants, including delegates from 17 Member States, UNWTO Affiliate Members, local tourism stakeholders and media representatives.

In her opening remarks, Mrs. Elcia Grandcourt, Director of UNWTO's Regional Programme for Africa, shared with the participants the encouraging growth figures in international tourism to the region during the first half of the year.

Addressing participants H.E. Engineer Aisha Mohammed Mussa, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, acknowledged the good relationship between UNWTO and the Government of Ethiopia. Commenting on the importance of tourism as one of the prime sources of income and employment,  the Minister said “I think countries are by now well aware of this fact and are doing all their best to tap the immense potentials emanating from this sector”. 

In order to gain tangible economic benefits from the tourism sector and to reduce the capacity gaps that exist across the continent, the Minister encouraged more technical workshops to be organized within the region.

In welcoming the participants, ECA's  Deputy Executive Secretary Ms. Giovanie Biha reiterated the timeliness of the workshop to support African Member States as they shift their attention from the traditional productive sectors to other sectors that could speed up their much-needed structural transformation and the tourism sector is emerging as one of these sectors.

She reaffirmed ECA’s continued support to enhancing tourism development in Africa, and in particular the tourism action plan for Africa through strong partnerships with sister organizations UNWTO and the African Union, the regional economic communities and Member States.

Prior to the closing of the workshop Ms. Esencan Terzibasoglu, Director of the UNWTO Destination Management and Quality Programme, shared the conclusions of the two days’ work. The Workshop:

Ø  Provided a global insight into the positioning of African destinations along with the new dynamics and trends in the overall market place;

Ø  Highlighted the need to develop and deliver quality, ethical and attractive tourism products and services to enhance competitiveness;

Ø  Explored the ways innovation can stimulate new products and niche markets;

Ø  Gave an overview of various challenges and constraints and discussed strategic approaches to cope with sustainability issues while maximizing benefits for local destinations;

Ø  Illustrated good cases on possible areas of co-operation and partnership at different levels of governance and among stakeholders; and

Ø  Stressed that effective policy and governance instruments are key drivers for destination performance as the government/public sector has a crucial role in product development.

Lalibela - One of Ethiopia's holiest cities.

 

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ethiopia jointly organized a Regional Workshop on ‘Keys to Success in Quality Product Development in Tourism Destinations’, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (15-17 September 2016). The  workshop was attended by around 200 participants, including delegates from 17 Member States, UNWTO Affiliate Members, local tourism stakeholders and media representatives.

In her opening remarks, Mrs. Elcia Grandcourt, Director of UNWTO's Regional Programme for Africa, shared with the participants the encouraging growth figures in international tourism to the region during the first half of the year.

Addressing participants H.E. Engineer Aisha Mohammed Mussa, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, acknowledged the good relationship between UNWTO and the Government of Ethiopia. Commenting on the importance of tourism as one of the prime sources of income and employment,  the Minister said “I think countries are by now well aware of this fact and are doing all their best to tap the immense potentials emanating from this sector”. 

In order to gain tangible economic benefits from the tourism sector and to reduce the capacity gaps that exist across the continent, the Minister encouraged more technical workshops to be organized within the region.

In welcoming the participants, ECA's  Deputy Executive Secretary Ms. Giovanie Biha reiterated the timeliness of the workshop to support African Member States as they shift their attention from the traditional productive sectors to other sectors that could speed up their much-needed structural transformation and the tourism sector is emerging as one of these sectors.

She reaffirmed ECA’s continued support to enhancing tourism development in Africa, and in particular the tourism action plan for Africa through strong partnerships with sister organizations UNWTO and the African Union, the regional economic communities and Member States.

Prior to the closing of the workshop Ms. Esencan Terzibasoglu, Director of the UNWTO Destination Management and Quality Programme, shared the conclusions of the two days’ work. The Workshop:

Ø  Provided a global insight into the positioning of African destinations along with the new dynamics and trends in the overall market place;

Ø  Highlighted the need to develop and deliver quality, ethical and attractive tourism products and services to enhance competitiveness;

Ø  Explored the ways innovation can stimulate new products and niche markets;

Ø  Gave an overview of various challenges and constraints and discussed strategic approaches to cope with sustainability issues while maximizing benefits for local destinations;

Ø  Illustrated good cases on possible areas of co-operation and partnership at different levels of governance and among stakeholders; and

Ø  Stressed that effective policy and governance instruments are key drivers for destination performance as the government/public sector has a crucial role in product development.

 

Lalibela - One of Ethiopia's holiest cities.

 

One of the main objectives of the UNWTO Regional Programme for Africa is to continuously strengthen the Member relations by inviting African Tourism Ministers to pay courtesy calls to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in a view of sharing their priority areas on the tourism sector and update their knowledge on new services and products offered.

In this regard, technical meetings and working sessions are organized together with Mr. Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General, UNWTO Executive Directors, The Regional Director Programme for Africa, and Directors of Technical and Support Programmes based on the request of the country to discuss issues and concerns of the member state on the tourism industry.

At the end of the visit, fruitful conclusions and action plans are prepared which will serve as tangible collaboration roadmap between UNWTO and the African Member State towards the development of sustainable tourism in the country.

In 2016, we had the honor to enjoy the official visits of H.E. Mr. Thierno Ousmane Diallo, Minister of Tourism, Hospitality Industry and Handicraft of Guinea, H.E. Mr. Malam Djaura, Minister of Tourism and Handicraft of Guinea-Bissau, Hon. Lai Mohamed, Minister of Information and Culture of Nigeria and H. E. Mrs. Selma Elloumi Rekik, Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts of Tunisia.

The UNWTO Regional Programme for Africa encourages interested African countries to embark on this initiative that demonstrates the strong engagement of UNWTO to put their request at the core of its general programme of work. 

 

Carnival in Bissau

During four days, you will cross savannahs, forests, rivers, lagoons, and meet very traditional people. Carnival in Guinea-Bissau is a great mix of Afro-Portuguese traditions and this is the most important holiday of the country. Guinea-Bissau celebrates an annual carnival in February, where each district prepares a giant mask that is entered in a competition. Every town and village in the country, each ethnic group, prepares to trek to Bissau to represent its culture, traditions, dances, etc. In the afternoon the Carnival explodes with thousands of colours, with the start of the parade of masks of each region and each “bairro” (city district) along the main thoroughfare of Avenida Amilcar Cabral. Drumming, sacred traditional masks, warriors wielding arrows and dressed in crocodile skin, contemporary papier-mâché masks, and not least, young women wearing just strands of pearls at the waist... The frenzied parade goes on for hours, making this carnival an unforgettable popular festival where traditional influences are mixed with the joie de vivre and the magic of Africa. A must-see spectacle! Regardless of the situation the country finds itself in, this tradition is still deeply rooted in Guinea-Bissau society. As the Carnival approaches, everyone jealously keeps their floats and masks hidden to prevent their ideas from being stolen, but by the end of the festivities one can easily go around neighbourhoods asking to see the masks of the previous year. Scary and vividly coloured, these gigantic creations are veritable works of art that would be worthy of an exhibition in the great capitals of the world. Now that’s an idea!

                        

PR No.: PR 16087

The pilot programme, to be launched in Kenya before the end of 2017, will include training for local communities through Amadeus customers. The initiative is expected to be replicated in countries around the world.

Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General, said: “With 1,186 million international tourist arrivals in 2015, tourism is not only a catalyst for development but also for inclusion. Though in most regions women make up the majority of the tourism workforce, they tend to be concentrated in the lowest paid and lowest status jobs, and perform a large amount of unpaid work in family tourism businesses. We thus need to work together to ensure women can access better jobs in tourism".

H.E. Mr. Najib Balala, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, explained: “Tourism is a key backbone to the region’s economic development, with a projected growth of 16% by the end of 2016. This initiative enables us to empower women and our youth whilst building our local tourism and travel industry.”

Svend Leirvaag, Vice President Industry Affairs, Amadeus IT Group, added: “Technology can help to enhance skill levels, professionalism, and also the commitment of the workforce. At Amadeus, we are equipping local communities with new technologies in line with our commitment to sustainable development. However, to really make a difference, this has to be an industry-wide effort”.

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 / rgomez@unwto.org

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@UNWTO.org

PR No.: PR 16081

The workshop conducted by UNWTO on 15-17 September 2016 with the support of the Ministry of Tourism of Ethiopia provided a global insight into the positioning of African destinations along with the new dynamics and trends in the overall marketplace. The sessions highlighted the need to develop and deliver quality, ethical and attractive tourism products and services to enhance competitiveness and to explore innovative strategies to stimulate new products and niche markets.

The meeting was a unique opportunity to discuss challenges and constraints as well as strategic approaches to cope with sustainability issues while maximizing the benefits of tourism for the local destinations. Cooperation between UNWTO and the Government of Ethiopia has results in a number of projects in the last decade such as the implementation of a new hotel classification scheme funded by the World Bank and initiated in 2015.

“This workshop takes place at a significant moment when international tourism shows repeatedly its ability to boost inclusive economic growth of many nations around the world, improve livelihoods of local communities and is an essential tool for conservation and environment protection,” said Elcia Grandcourt, Director of the Regional Programme for Africa at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

According to UNWTO figures, the number of international tourist arrivals in Africa reached 53.5 million in 2015, which represents 5% of the world´s total and contributes a total of US$ 33 billion in terms of exports to the region. The future prospects for the region remain positive. Between January and June 2016, arrivals in Africa grew an estimated 5%. UNWTO estimations project international tourist arrivals in Africa to reach 134 million by 2030.

Useful links:

Programme of the Workshop

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 / rgomez@unwto.org

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@UNWTO.org