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Assembly.
Zimbabwe and Zambia won the bid to co-host the UNWTO General Assembly in Victoria Falls and Livingstone.
The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the WTO and its ordinary sessions, held every two years, are attended by delegates of the full and associate members, as well as representatives from the business council.
During the 19th session of the UNWTO General Assembly in South Korea held in October, Zambia and Zimbabwe won the bid to co-host the 20th session of the UNWTO General Assembly in 2013.
Concerns have been raised that the two nations do not have sufficient capacity to accommodate the expected number of delegates for the mega conference whose proposed venues would be Elephant Hills Hotel and the Convention Centre at Royal Livingstone.
Neither of the venues accommodates more than 2 000 delegates.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi said his ministry was working on meeting all the requirements of the UNWTO General Assembly.
Minister Mzembi noted that his ministry had forged a tripartite alliance with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and the World Travel and Tourism Council to ensure that the country would successfully host the 2013 UNWTO General Assembly.
“We are working flat out and the minister is not going on leave,” he said. “We are set to meet the requirements for the UNWTO.”
The UNWTO consists of 155 countries, seven territories and over 400 affiliate members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities. – New Ziana.
Online Reporter