UN Tourism continues to deliver on its Agenda for Africa, bringing the region’s Members together around a focus on investments, multilateral cooperation and education.
The 67th meeting of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for Africa (22-24 July) welcomed public and private sector leaders from across the region. The Member States met as Africa’s tourism sector experiences strong recovery. During the first quarter of 2024, arrivals were up 5% compared to pre-pandemic levels. This positions the continent as the second-best performer globally, surpassing all regions except the Middle East.
Zambia, as the whole African region, is an excellent example of the positive impact of tourism, which leads to new investments and job creation.
Secretary General, Zurab Pololikashvili, stated, “Zambia, as the whole African region, is an excellent example of the positive impact of tourism, which leads to new investments and job creation. Furthermore, our Members come together in Livingstone as Zambia is celebrates 60 years of peace and independence, an inspiration as we get set to mark World Tourism Day around the theme of ‘tourism and peace’ in September.”
Investing in African tourism
In the last 10 years alone, Africa has attracted over 160 greenfield projects in tourism, representing a total capital investment of USD 10.7 billion, and the potential to create over 24,000 jobs. Recognizing this positive trend, the Commission Meeting Session featured a special Ministerial-level discussion focused on global tourism investment trends, with a special emphasis on the promising tourism outlook in Zambia. The session offered insights into sustainable development opportunities and strategies to attract and secure tourism investments. Key talking points included sustainable tourism development strategies, enhancing Africa’s global tourism competitiveness and innovation in tourism marketing and branding.
The meeting also saw the launch of a new set of the Investment Guidelines for Zambia. The publication focuses on tourism and inclusive growth in Zambia, which aligns with the UN Tourism Agenda for Africa, identifying opportunities for global investors.
New tourism Academies planned for Africa
At the meeting, Memorandums of Understanding were signed for the creation of the Tourism Centre of Excellence in Livingstone, Zambia and the Academy for Culinary Arts in Zimbabwe.
The Academies will add to the growing network of education centres supported by UN Tourism, helping give workers the skills they need to thrive in the sector and so drive economic growth and social opportunity. Secretary-General Pololikashviki also announced 100 scholarships for the UN Tourism Online Academy to each of the countries.
Technical support for African Members
Out of 50 technical cooperation projects worldwide, UN Tourism is currently working on 13 in 10 African countries covering areas such as tourism statistics, digital transformation or skills development. Several technical cooperation projects are currently being developed in the region, aligning with the five pillars of the Agenda for Africa: branding, connectivity, innovation, education, and investments. Secretary-General Pololikashvili also confirmed that UN Tourism will work with its Members across the region to develop and implement a new communication strategy designed to showcase the uniqueness of African destinations.
Additionally, Members embraced the Secretariat’s emphasis on safety and security recommendations in the UN Tourism Agenda for Africa which includes a tourism police initiative in collaboration with The West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
With the aim of widening the portfolio and expanding on-the-ground presence of the organization, the establishment of a new Regional Office in Marrakesh is currently under discussion.
Expanding global cooperation
Looking ahead, UN Tourism will hold a first joint meeting of its Regional Departments for Africa and the Americas (Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, 3-5 October 2024). Here, Members of both Commissions will meet to discuss South-South cooperation through investments, education, cultural roots, creative industries, and innovation.