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. 

In order to be able to meet the needs of as many Member States as possible, the UNWTO has developed a capacity building programme on tourism statistics. Tourism statistics are necessary for designing marketing strategies, strengthening inter-institutional relations, evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of management decisions and measuring tourism throughout the national economy.

This program will span over a period of three years (2016-2018) and will include a series of capacity building workshops for officials from National Tourism Administrations (NTA), National Statistical Offices (NSO), Central Banks (CB), and Migration Authorities (MA).  The program is being jointly organized by UNWTO and the Ministry of National Planning, Tourism and Handicrafts, Government of the Republic of Algeria.. (read more)

The first capacity building workshop will take place in the beautiful city of Oran, Algeria, 24-26 October 2016, in Le Méridien Oran Hotel & Convention Centre. UNWTO will also conduct the workshops with the close collaboration of The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), as partner for the event.

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.

UNWTO and Casa África have launched in 2015 a special report dedicated to tourism product development in Africa. 

The report reviews the current situation of Africa’s tourist markets as well as its future potential and includes several case studies from public and private sectors on tourism product development including key concepts, methodology and best practices.

The report available in English, French and Spanish can be downloaded at the UNWTO Elibrary

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PR No.: 15055

In an effort to unlock the tourism potential of East Africa, the first UNWTO East Africa Tourism Development Forum gathered regional tourism leaders and stakeholders to identify opportunities to maximize sustainable tourism development through regional collaboration.

Opening the Forum, the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, William Samoei Ruto, said “Tourism is a critical component of the East African economy and an important part of our common destiny. Our biggest challenge is to work together to improve every aspect of the experience we offer to our visitors, from their arrival at the airport, their movement within and across our countries, the accommodation and facilities that we offer, and the affordability across all income brackets. We are better, stronger and more attractive together than individually. This Forum presents an opportunity to compare notes on our experiences, programmes and aspirations in the development of tourism in our region”.

“UNWTO maintains great confidence in the East African Community´s ability to position itself as a leading tourism destination, by delivering one compelling, highly competitive offering. In this context, I wish to welcome the recent introduction of the East Africa Tourist Visa, which allows travel between Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, boosting regional tourism  and creating opportunities for tourists to explore the diversity of multiple destinations in the region,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

Phyllis Kandie, Cabinet Secretary for East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism, Kenya said: “By pulling and working together to address issues of competitiveness, positioning our destination globally and  responding to environmental challenges, we can ensure that  East African and indeed the whole African continent gets its fair share of tourist arrivals. Most importantly, we need to remember that we are not competitors. We are one people with a common destiny. Let us rise up to this challenge.”

Alongside Mrs. Kandie, the African Tourism Ministers of Seychelles, Sudan and Uganda, as well as senior officials from the Ministry of Tourism of Tanzania also participated in the Forum. They were joined by high-level representatives for the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), the East Africa Community (EAC), the International Air transport Association (IATA), and Kenya Airways. Forum participants stressed the need to put in place joint institutional frameworks and policy measures to spur further tourism growth throughout East Africa, including establishing a positive narrative of East-Africa as a destination, and developing regional policies in the areas of marketing and promotion, product development and travel facilitation (visa facilitation and connectivity).

In a Ministerial meeting held on the occasion of the Forum, a future common East African Tourism Agenda was outlined. The Agenda will include agreements on regional priorities and concrete actions for cooperation. The Ministers also agreed to work towards further mainstreaming tourism in the agenda of the African Union stressing that the sector can make a key contribution to the peace and development objectives of Africa.

Note to editors:

In 2014, Africa welcomed 56 million international tourists representing an increase of 2% compared to 2013 and generating US$ 34 billion in exports (7% of total exports in Africa). The next 20 years show clear signs of continued tourism growth for the continent. According to UNWTO forecasts, Africa will receive 134 million tourists by 2030.

Useful links:

UNWTO Regional Programme for Africa

UNWTO East Africa Tourism Development Forum

Contacts:

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

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

PR No.: 15054

Hosted by the Government of Ghana, the Conference was opened by the President of Ghana, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, who emphasized the importance Africa places on the potential of tourism to accelerate the development of its economies. “Tourism for us in Ghana is a major foreign exchange earner, contributing today 4.7% of our GDP. Through a number of strategies, Ghana has achieved the target of 1 million tourist arrivals, and we are working to improve on the arrivals and revenue from tourism. Tourism currently stands as the 4th largest contributor of revenue to the national economy after cocoa, gold and oil and gas”, he said.

Addressing the issue of the region´s image, President Mahama stressed the need to change perceptions and be innovative in telling the story of Africa “We must change the negative perception that has been built over the years. Africa is not one country, it is 54 different countries. Africa is the fastest growing continent in terms of population. Six African countries are among the top ten fastest growing economies of the world. There are more mobile subscribers in Africa than Europe and America combined. And there are many more unique selling points of this continent that we can package for the world. If we package Africa, the international media will respond”, he added.

“It is a tragedy that many of the positive stories of Africa are often hidden from the headlines. Rarely do we ever hear news about Africa´s fastest growing economies, its medical breakthroughs or how new technologies are transforming its industries and societies. This absence leaves a wide hole in the full story of Africa. To not tell this full story is to flatten our perspective of Africa´s reality” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, opening the Conference, alongside President Mahama, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts of Ghana, Ms. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare and the Mayor of Accra, Mr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije.

Zain Asher, anchor of CNN International’s ‘Newsroom' and ‘CNN Marketplace Africa', recalled that half of the international tourists visiting Africa come from Africa and that Africa needs to “own its own story”. Conclusions from the Conference include the need for African destinations to:

1.       'Own their narrative';

2.       Engage civil society, particularly women and youth, in communicating ‘new messages’;

3.       Embrace technology and social media (the campaign #theAfricatheMediaNeverShowsYou was shared as an example);

4.       Build 54 strong country brands as the pillar of Brand Africa;

5.       Enhance regional cooperation in areas such as visas and air connectivity;

6.       Build partnerships with media, civil society and the private sector acknowledging the new role of destination marketing organizations as ‘facilitators’ of people’s stories;

7.       Invest in crisis preparedness in the area of communication;

8.       Advance capacity building in communications and marketing.

Participating in the meeting were the Ministers of Tourism of Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Seychelles, Zimbabwe and Ghana, the representative of the African Union (AU), public and private sector representatives from over 40 countries.

On the occasion, President Mahama was presented with the UNWTO/WTTC Open Letter on Travel and Tourism, which aims to rally the support of Heads of State and Government from around the world to advance the contribution that the sector can make to socio-economic development. Since it was launched in 2011, the Open Letter has been presented to 74 Heads of State and Government.

The conclusions of the Conference, which was supported by partners CNN International and Ethiopian Airlines, will be communicated to the 57th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Africa gathering African Tourism Ministers at the 21st UNWTO General Assembly taking place in Colombia between 14-17 September.

Useful links:

UNWTO Regional Conference Enhancing Brand Africa - Fostering Tourism Development

UNWTO/WTTC Open Letter on Travel and Tourism

Contacts:

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

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