Comesa in bid to boost regional tourism

between August 22 and 24 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The meeting is being hosted by the Comesa Secretariat in co-operation with Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism.
Zimbabwe’s recent ascendancy to the presidency of the Africa Travel Association and its pending co-hosting of the 20th Session of the UNWTO General Assembly in 2013, leading to its Presidency-in-Session of that United Nations Specialised Agency for the following two years, give the country a grand vantage point from which to address key regional and global tourism issues.
Comesa Business Council (CBC) secretary-general and former Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce president Mr Trust Chikohora said the key aim of the forum is to develop strategies for promoting sustainable tourism in the region.
“The meeting will analyse the regional diagnostic study of Comesa’s 19 member states, whose aim was to come up with a framework for regional approaches that can be undertaken by both the public and private sector stakeholders to promote a more competitive, investor friendly, sustainable tourism sector in the region,” he said.
The public-private dialogue, with the theme “Shaping the Future of Tourism in Comesa” is expected to bring together over 70 regional participants from tourism boards, investment promotion agencies, tourism businesses and development partners.
“The framework addresses issues such as putting in place a regional policy and strategy that defines tourism in the region, promotes the relaxation of visa requirements for tourists, packages and brands tourism.
“Investment in infrastructure for tourism development, upgrades the sector to meet regional and global standards, promotes investment in key areas of tourism such as hospitality and catering, addresses supply side constraints in the hotel industry, and exploits the quick benefits of e-tourism; among others.”
It is also expected that dignitaries from the tourism sectors of Morocco, Egypt, and the Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (Retosa) will also attend the meeting, which will share the experiences of corporate hotels like Serena Group, Speke Hotel Group, and renowned tour operators from all countries in the Comesa region.
Mr Chikohora said the dip in the performance of the global economy in recent years necessitated a regional approach to boost the tourism performance of Comesa member states.
“In the face of an ever changing economic and political environment, tourism continues to succeed as a well performing sector in regional and international markets.
“While the industry moves towards adopting more sustainable models, the economic outlook of the sector today clearly indicates that there are great benefits to reap through a regional approach to boosting competitiveness, sustainability and investment,” he said.
According to the organisers, among the expected results of the forum is a roadmap and action plan owned by the stakeholders, which will structure tangible approaches towards shaping a sustainable tourism strategy and implementation framework for the Comesa region.
Tourism is the fastest developing enterprise in Africa and one of the continent’s major investment opportunities, standing at 6 percent growth rate the last decade.
Africa receives 4,8 percent of all tourist arrivals in the world and 3,3 percent of the receipts and although it is not at the heart of the global tourist market, this modest proportion of the world’s number one industry is still important for the continent.
In respect of Zimbabwe’s tourism performance in the current year, figures presented by Finance Minister Tendai Biti during the Mid-Term Fiscal Policy Review Statement show that during the first half of the year tourist arrivals are expected to have improved by 7,5 percent from 657 302 in 2011 to 688 288.