The Regional Director of Africa at UNWTO, Seychelles national Elcia Grandcourt, arrived in Tanzania on Saturday, October 1st, for the final touches of the high-level tourism meeting, scheduled to take place from October 5 to 7, 2022, in Arusha, Tanzania’s tourist city.
She will be working on the final touches of the forthcoming 65th Commission for Africa Meeting this week.
Tourism ministers from Africa will meet and discuss the current situation of tourism in Africa under the theme: “Rebuilding Africa’s Tourism Resilience for Inclusive Socio-Economic Development.”
Ms. Grandcourt highlighted the importance of tourism in African economies and with recovery gaining momentum, noting that the forthcoming UNWTO meeting will be held at the right time when tourism in the African continent is taking a new and growth advantage.
The UNWTO Preparatory team had held its meeting with the Tanzanian officials to set the final plans for the meeting through experience sharing and other logistics, an official message from the Ministry of Tourism in Tanzania said.
The UNWTO Regional Commission for Africa is the major institutional platform where ministers in charge of tourism discuss the sector’s latest trends at the continental and global level and the implementation of their work program. The Commission of Africa Meeting is held annually as part of UNWTO’s statutory events.
Tanzania received unanimous approval during the 64th Commission Meeting in Sal Island, Cape Verde, to host the 65th session.
Despite positive prospects in tourism, the challenging economic environment in Africa and impacts outside the continent have posed a risk to the ongoing recovery of international tourism, which Africa rely mostly on upon.
The UNWTO Group of Experts has predicted a potential return of international arrivals and tourism recovery in 2023 after the global slum caused by the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tanzania’s Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr. Pindi Chana has assured the UNWTO and all African regional states of Tanzania’s readiness to host the UNWTO’s Commission for Africa (CAF) Meeting in the East safari capital, Arusha.
She said that the CAF meeting presents a fine opportunity for Tanzania to strengthen customary relations with the international community, mostly on travel and tourism.
Tanzania received 1.52 million tourists and then earned 2.6 billion dollars before the outbreak of Covid-19.
The forthcoming UNWTO’s Regional meeting for Africa is expected to build pragmatic and future plans for credible solutions to enable the African States to maximize and balance the benefits from the future development of tourism in the continent, which is rich with diversified tourist attractions and natural resources, mostly wildlife and nature.
Tanzania was selected and then approved to host the 65th UNWTO Commission for Africa (CAF) meeting at the 64th CAF meeting held in Sal Island, Cape Verde September last year.
It will be the second time Tanzania is hosting a major UNWTO event. Several topics will be discussed during the meeting, including a symposium on Innovation and Digital Marketing, panels on tourism investment and regional integration frameworks, access to conversation finance, and green investment vehicles to rebuild tourism’s resilience in Africa.
Business meetings from various companies and policymakers will also feature the meeting, all targeting tourism development in Africa.
Tags: UNWTO, Tanzania, Elcia Grandcourt
