The executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) said on Thursday that tourism is a gateway to economic prosperity, with revenues of nearly 24 billion dollars this year.
“We cannot afford to view the tourism sector simply as an industry; otherwise, It is a gateway to economic prosperity, cultural exchanges and sustainable development and has great potential.“said Claver Gatete during the official launch of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) East Africa Sustainable Tourism Plan in Addis Ababa.
“The complex macroeconomic, climate and access to finance challenges facing Africa today require that we all leverage our resources for economic development,” said the UN Under-Secretary-General, adding that “the tiny economic space that puts 40% of countries in over-indebtedness or at risk of over-indebtedness remains worsened by unpredictable weather events that wipe out an average of 5% of GDP [Produto Interno Bruto] every year”.
Tourism, Gatete stressed, is also a “Important source of job creation for young Africans”which is particularly important in a context of high unemployment rates on the continent, but also represents an important source of income for governments.
In Africa, “We will reach 92% of the pre-covid tourism level in 2023and the African tourism market is expected to record revenue of $23.37 billion [quase 21 mil milhões de euros], an increase of 7.5%”, he stressed, recalling that the countries of the IGAD region (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda) “are in a unique position to benefit from this growth forecast.”
In his speech, Gatete acknowledged that the region’s natural resources are not sufficient, and that “Intentional actions are needed to unlock the capabilities of the tourism sector that generate sustainable growth and development”listing the development of infrastructure, transportation systems, improvements in connectivity, including broadband in Internet access, hotels, infrastructure for conferences and better energy capacityinter alia.
Taking advantage of the continental free trade agreement, harnessing the productive potential of the private sector and investing in alliances are some of Gatete’s recommendations to governments, which would allow them to compete with the main tourist destinations worldwide.
“There is no reason why we cannot compete with the Eiffel Tower in France or the Statue of Liberty in the United States,” he argued, concluding that “today’s meeting is not just about launching a plan, but about a coalition of stakeholders, from political leaders to private sector actors, and with regional and international partners, in which Everyone has a role to play in realizing this vision.“.
Source: Observadora
