UNWTO, in collaboration with UNDP, prepared a Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy and Master Plan for the Government of the Republic of Congo, from April to November 2015. 

In addition to the Master Plan, UNWTO also prepared the National Tourism Policy. The project was implemented in two phases. During the first phase, conducted between April to June 2015, a team of 18 international and national experts undertook a detailed situation analysis of the current factors impacting on tourism development in the country and identified the main areas for opportunity and growth. 

 A national seminar was held on 8 July 2015 to present the situation analysis and main areas of focus of the proposed Policy, Strategy and Master Plan to public and private sector stakeholders. The second phase of the Master Plan was conducted between August to November 2015 and included the formulation of the Policy, Strategy and Master Plan. These were presented to the stakeholders for validation at a national conference held on 18 November 2015, presided by the Minister of Tourism and Environment, Josue Rodrigue Ngouonimba. The country is committed to making tourism one of the key components of its economic and social development and to achieve a 10% GDP contribution of the sector.

The 58^th UNWTO Regional Commission meeting for Africa (CAF) is set to take place in Abidjan, Cote d´Ivoire from 19 to 21 April, 2016. The annual regional meeting will bring together Tourism Ministers and leaders of the sector to deliberate on the UNWTO programme of work for the region and discuss key issues affecting the sector in Africa. 

Members attending the meeting will also have the opportunity to participate at the opening of the International Tourism Fair of Abidjan (SITA 2016). SITA is an important platform for participants to promote their destinations and explore the different facets of Cote d'Ivoire´s rich natural, cultural and religious diversity.

On the occasion, Cote D’Ivoire will also host the 10YFP Sustainable Tourism Conference & Symposium on Accelerating the Shift towards Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns. The event will provide participants the opportunity to exchange experiences on how to best develop Africa’s tourism in a sustainable manner and accelerate the shift towards sustainable consumption and production (SCP) patterns in the region. The Symposium will brings together the Stakeholders of the Programme and sustainable tourism experts from around the world.

African Tourism Ministers, led by the UNWTO CAF Chairperson and Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry of Zimbabwe, H.E. Dr. Eng. Walter Mzembi, together with the Executive Director for Technical Cooperation and Services of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Zhu Shanzhong, met the Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, to discuss the role of tourism in the AU’s 2063 Agenda on 19 October 2015 at the organization’s Headquarters, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 

During the meeting Ministers reinforced the importance of placing the tourism sector higher in the Agenda of the AU. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma commended UNWTO and the CAF Chairman for this important initiative and recognized that due to the socio-economic importance and the transversal nature of tourism there was indeed a great need to ensure that the sector is mainstreamed in the AU agenda 2063. UNWTO Executive Director for Technical Coorperation and Services, Zhu Shanzhong also used the opportunity to assure the AU Chairperson, of UNWTO‘s commitment to work with and in support of African Tourism Ministers to bring the tourism sector to the fore in the discussions with the AU.

The meeting follows up the MOU signed between UNWTO and the AU in July 2014. In this context, Dr. Elham Ibrahim, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, has since participated at several UNWTO activities strengthening the relationship between UNWTO and the AU and providing an opportunity to discuss the need of mainstreaming tourism in the AU agenda 2063. 

In conclusion, the AU Chairperson suggested the inclusion of tourism on the agenda of the upcoming meeting of the AU African Finance Ministers to be held in March 2016 and invited African Tourism Ministers to participate. The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Ethiopia, Aisha Mohammed Mussa, delegates from Cameroon, Ghana and Zimbabwe. The outcome of the meeting was subsequently shared with the AU Permanent Representatives' Committee for  information. 

The 57^th meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Africa (CAF) was held on 12 September 2015, within the framework of the 21^st session of the UNWTO General Assembly in Medellin, Columbia. The meeting was attended by over 80 delegates, from 32 African countries including eleven African Tourism Ministers, Representatives of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Casa Africa (Representative of the Spanish Government), the West African Economic Monetary Union (UEMOA), the International Fair of Madrid (IFEMA), the International Nightlife Association (UNWTO Affiliate Member) and the Regional Tourism organization of Southern Africa (RETOSA).

Opening the meeting, the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry of Zimbabwe and CAF Chairman, Walter Mzembi, warmly welcomed all the delegates and thanked the host country Colombia, and in particular the Minister in charge of tourism and their collaborators for their excellent organization of the event and their hospitality.

In his opening address, UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, expressed his appreciation to the Chairman and thanked the Colombian Government for being an excellent host and for the seamless organization of this 21^st session of the General Assembly. He also underlined the remarkably presence of African Ministers and emphasized the importance of the theme of the General Assembly - Tourism: Fostering Inclusive Development and Social Transformation – for Africa. Mr. Rifai recalled in this context the approval of the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs and the inclusion of tourism in the SDGs.

During the CAF Meeting various issues were discussed with emphasis on the strengthening of regional tourism blocks and the need for the establishment of a strong institutional tourism presence at the African Union (AU). Furthermore, UNWTO Secretary-General underlined the main priorities to be addressed by the Organization in 2016 - sustainability, safety and security and technology.

The Commission unanimously re-elected Zimbabwe as its Chairperson and Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon were appointed Vice-Chairpersons, for a two-year term (2015-2017). The Regional Director for the Africa Programme, Elcia Grandcourt, thanked the Hon. Tourism Minister of Zimbabwe for his dedicated work as Chairperson of the Commission and also thanked Senegal and Uganda for having performed the duties of Vice-Chairpersons during the period of 2013-2015. All Members welcomed the candidature of Côte d’Ivoire as host country for the 58^th Meeting of UNWTO CAF to be held in Abidjan from 19 to 21 April 2016.

PR No.: PR 16010

After seven editions with progressive increases in terms of both participants and projects, Investour has become on of the prime catalyst for the development of African tourism in Spain, and specifically at FITUR.

“The African continent offers a wealth of opportunities in many areas, but especially in the tourism sector. We feel very proud when we look back on this seventh edition of Investour and see the more than 1,000 projects that have been presented in recent years and how participation has multiplied, making this event an international point of reference,” said the Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Taleb Rifai.  

This seventh edition of the Tourism Investment and Business Forum for Africa, Investour, was attended by more than 400 professionals of the sector during its morning session, which was devoted to the discussion of current issues that are most relevant for the development of African tourism, such as investment, Africa’s image and air connectivity. The afternoon session focused on Business-to-Business (B2B) meetings between African and Spanish companies and destinations. More than 150 entrepreneurs participated in this session, which consists of one-to-one talks between companies seeking to explore shared interests. Exchanging experiences, formalizing contracts and incubating future investment projects are among the objectives of this forum.

Spain’s Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, José Manuel Soria, was present at the inauguration of the Forum and stated that Investour makes available to the African countries the know-how of the sector in Spain and its companies with a view to helping them successfully carry out development projects in Africa.

“This event is a unique example of cooperation between entities of different natures, such as Casa África and the World Tourism Organization, which nevertheless share common interests: facilitating the exchange of experiences and promoting opportunities and investments in the African continent,” said Luis Padrón, Director General of Casa África. 

Investour was attended by representatives of the World Bank, private companies including Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Bench Events and Amahoro Tours, airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines and organizations such as the Spanish Federation of Travel Agencies. The morning session also set the stage for the presentation of the forthcoming meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Africa, to be held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, on 19-21 April.

At Investour, the African tourism ministers expressed their optimism regarding the growth potential of their countries. Africa’s tourist arrivals are expected to grow by between 2% and 5% in 2016. According to estimates, the number of tourists travelling to Africa will reach 134 million in 2030 compared to the current 54 million tourists.

Useful links:

INVESTOUR 2016

UNWTO Regional Programme for Africa

PR No.: PR16007

PR No.: PR16001

The event is structured around two sessions: a morning session dedicated to debating the challenges of investing in Africa and the trends shaping tourism in the region and an afternoon business-to-business (B2B) session. This year’s edition of INVESTOUR will focus on financing and investing in tourism-related projects, technological developments in the hospitality sector, eco-tourism in national parks and protected areas, the promotion of tourism destinations and cultural tourism.

“Tourism has demonstrated an ability to be an engine for sustainable development and growth in Africa. INVESTOUR is a unique platform to discuss and create synergies amongst the private sector to invest and explore new business opportunities in Africa and take full advantage of the recent expansion of the sector in the region” said  UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

 “The opportunities that the African continent offers are immense. By facilitating business interactions and channeling investment interests, INVESTOUR provides a necessary mechanism to maximize these opportunities while being an excellent example of cooperation between the private and public sectors,” said the Executive Director of Casa Africa, Luis Padrón.    

Since its first edition in 2009, INVESTOUR has brought together over 1,200 participants from 32 African countries and more than 800 projects. The 2015 edition of INVESTOUR counted with over 300 participants, including 15 African Ministers of Tourism, a total of 146 projects and over 40 B2B meetings. 

Additional information:  

Register now for INVESTOUR

Watch the video of INVESTOUR 2015
 

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer: Rut Gómez Sobrino

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 

PR No.: PR15090

"On the behalf of the international tourism community, UNWTO conveys its heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

“This attack comes to remind us that terrorism is a global threat that requires a firm and coordinated response by all governments and the international community. The tourism sector is fully available to work even closer with governments around the world to ensure that the sector is included in national security planning and implementation structures and procedures and to develop the appropriate response and recovery plans where necessary.” he added.