adminTourism and Arts Ms Sylivia Masebo has said.
She made the remarks last week on the sidelines of the International Tourism Bourse, the world’s leading tourism and travel exchange, where the two countries were exhibiting, in response to questions from the media on how the two countries had collaborated to ensure they achieve their objective for a truly Africa UNWTO general Assembly.
The Zambian minister, who visited the Zimbabwean stand at the ITB Berlin, said the two countries had worked together effectively at two technical levels, going up to the ministerial level.
“The two countries have been having meetings consistently since the beginning of this whole process and so far our collaboration has been very effective and very good. Both Zambia and Zimbabwe are well prepared for this conference. We have a team of experts that come to check
Zimbabwe and Zambia on the whole process of our preparedness and each time they have been to Zambia and Zimbabwe they make a report,” said
“I think the last time the last inspection was a month and half ago and after that inspection your Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Walter Mzembi and myself travelled to the UNWTO headquarters in Madrid, Spain, where we met the secretary general. We had a series of meetings with the (UNWTO) Secretary General Dr Taleb Rifai and some of his specialists to look at how far we have gone in terms of our preparedness. We got what you would call a good pass for our preparedness,” said Minister Masebo.
She said that as things stand the UNWTO was comfortable that the two southern African countries were well prepared for the event. She added that if the UNWTO were to be called right away both countries would be ready to stage the momentous event.
The Zambian minister said that there always would be challenges in preparing for such tremendous global events, but the two co-hosts had taken them in their stride to promote themselves as the most unique destinations for tourists in the world.
She said that the host countries for this year’s event had done their best to put in place world class infrastructure and also get their respective citizens to participate in the tourism industry.
“We want our people to be at the centre of this so that it benefits all, the tourism, wildlife and culture. We want to ensure that they have true benefits from their natural resources,” she said.
Zimbabwe and Zambia are taking all steps to showcase their tourism endowments, people and culture and using the opportunity to not just make money from the UNWTO event, but ensuring that it leaves a legacy and benefits thattransient time.
Masebo said that it was critical to act together as Zimbabweans, Zambian or Africans to guarantee success of the event as the general assembly had the potential to make or break the host countries. The UNWTO general assembly will take place in Livingstone (Zambia) and Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) from August 24 to August 29 2013.
This is only the second time that the UNWTO general assembly is being hosted on the African continent with Senegal having been the only and first African nation to stage the event. It is against this background that the host countries have roped in the African Union to make this a continental event and guarantee that it becomes a success.
The UNWTO recognises the growing importance of Africa as a major tourist destination and has said that the continent recovered from its set back in 2011 when arrivals declined by 1 percent due to negative developments in North Africa due to the Arab Spring chaos to grow by 6 percent.
Arrivals reached a new record of 52 million last year. North Africa recovered by a massive 9 percent having seen visitors to that part of the once unstable region going down by a similar 9 percent in 2011.
Sub-Saharan Africa, which includes Zimbabwe and Zambia registered a 5 percent growth in arrivals last year. Tourism has grown to become
Zimbabwe’s second best performing sector after mining. Other key sectors of the economy include agriculture and manufacturing, but have been seriously weighed down by shortage of funding.
Online Reporter