The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) says the gains made by Africa’s tourism last year will continue in 2020 with focus on the ‘’Agenda for Africa 2030 - Tourism for Inclusive Growth’’, which was adopted at the 23rd UNWTO General Assembly in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
UNWTO secretary general Zurab Pololikashvili lauded the continent initiatives, which include the promotion of travel facilitation, innovation and technology, as well as unlocking growth through investment promotion by public private partnerships, empowering youth and women through tourism.
He said the quest for this year is to consolidate the outcomes of the core priority areas that have already been initiated and to start to engage the implementation of other areas.
“The quest for 2020 is to further consolidate the outcomes of those core priority areas that have already been initiated and to start to engaging the implementation of other areas such as; advocating the brand Africa; strengthening tourism statistics systems; expanding of capacity building incl. training facilities; advancing the sustainability agenda (especially biodiversity) [and] promoting cultural heritage,‘’ said Pololikashvili.
He said there is need for the public sector to collaborate with the private sector who have identified sustainable tourism as a transformative tool for inclusive development.
“Tapping into the tourism potential that the continent has to offer would require working closely with the private sector and institutional partners that have identified sustainable tourism as a transformative tool for inclusive development,” said Pololikashvili.
“As we promote the importance of tourism and rural development in 2020, it would be ever more important to leverage on partnerships to expand our outreach to be translated into tangible results on the ground which would have a lasting impact on the livelihoods of the local communities.”
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