Growth of African Tourism as industry remains resilient
The festive season in Africa also marks the highest season in the tourism industry, as demand for getaway destinations in the continent surges. According to a Hospitality Report Africa – 2018/19, IATA’s most popular airline destinations in Africa in terms of traffic are South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Nigeria, Tunisia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Mauritius and Tanzania respectively. These being just among other African countries favorited by tourists not only during Christmas seasons but also throughout the year; for their exotic and relaxing nature. Magnificent sceneries, wild and untouched nature for remarkable safaris and inestimable coastlines, Africa is indeed a favorable tourism destination. In the report by Jumia Travel, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary General Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, shares his insights on the growth of African tourism.
Jumia Travel (JT): How is the African tourism sector performing and which are the driving factors?
Zurab Pololikashvili (ZP): International tourist arrivals in Africa are estimated to have increased by 8%. Results were driven by the continued recovery in North Africa and the solid growth in most destinations that reported data. Tunisia continued to rebound strongly in 2017 with a 23% growth in arrivals, while Morocco also enjoyed better results after weaker demand in the previous year. Growing demand from European source markets and a more stable environment contributed to the positive results. In Sub Saharan Africa, strong performance continued in large destinations including Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritius and Zimbabwe. South Africa reported slower growth in arrivals though a strong increase in expenditure. Island destinations Seychelles, Cabo Verde and Reunion Island; all reported double-digit growth in arrivals, benefiting from increased air connectivity.
The driving factors
The Africa agenda 2063 remained a strong driving factor to the growth of the industry; Issuance of the AU e-Passport and creation of visa upon arrival, e-visa and visa-free travel for African citizens in line with the concept of unrestricted movement of persons, goods and services across the countries. Others include; infrastructure development aiming at unlocking intra-regional economic exchange and establishing regional value chains for increased competitiveness, as well as political good will and mainstreaming of national agenda and implementation of tourism transformation policies.
JT: What are the greatest challenges facing the growth and expansion of the tourism sector in Africa?
ZP: Among challenges hindering the growth of the sector are travel advisories by international tourist sources and Political instability at some. Inadequate air travel between the major African cities due to poor intra-African air connectivity and lack of strategic marketing of brand Africa are also among top issues. We are also dealing with negative perception of brand identity and image of the continent. Africa is not a country but a continent, home to more than a billion very creative, entrepreneurial and tech savvy Africans. It is however viewed as the only home to a fascinating wildlife and torn apart by war, poverty and diseases. Last but not least, underdeveloped tourism infrastructure, visa restrictions and lack of a common visa policy, and lack of access to adequate funding and underfunding at the ministerial level.
In response to these challenges, the UNWTO is aligning and developing national tourism strategies and policies in line with national agenda. The 10-point UNWTO Africa Agenda is a road map towards the maximization of Africa’s tourism potential. We are putting emphasis on travel and Tourism as a driver of jobs growth and economic recovery, provision of technical support to governments and affiliate private sector organizations for the development and promotion of sustainable tourism at the destinations. UNWTO is also providing Risk and Crisis Management courses in conflict prone zones as well as helping in the establishment of brand and image of African campaigns.
JT: What role is the rising Middle Class playing in boosting Africa’s domestic tourism, as a contribution towards achieving the middle-income status?
ZP: People’s movement is no longer a luxury set aside for the few with high per capita income but a basic need for the ever-increasing majority of the middle class who create and shape the future generation entrepreneurs. A growing middle class is a sign of a robust economy. The existence of domestic tourists who have more money to spend at their disposal and thus willing to travel more, has led to the mushrooming of low cost airlines, upward growth of bed capacity in main cities, flourishing of the so called shared economy etc.
Traditionally, tourism was seen as a thing for the foreigners, but this myth has been demystified by the fact that travel and leisure is not the sole domain of foreigners but also, for the locals to have a real-life experience of the richness and diversity of their countries which translates positively into the national economy.
Credit: Josephine Wawira
World Tourism Organization announces finalists of 15th UNWTO Awards
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has announced the finalists to win the 15th UNWTO Awards, which recognize inspirational projects having made an invaluable contribution to advance sustainable tourism. The nominees are praised for contributing to advance the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Initiatives from Canada, Colombia, India, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the Philippines made it to the list of finalists for 2019’s UNWTO Awards, ranging from community-based tourism development and innovation-driven nature conservation to heritage tourism and promotion of accessible tourism.
For this edition the jury committee was made up of eight tourism experts from the public sector, private companies and universities:
1. Ms. Diana Robino, Global Tourism Partnerships Lead, MasterCard
2. Prof. Dimitrios Buhalis, Head of Department Tourism and Hospitality, Bournemouth University, United Kingdom (Affiliate Member)
3. Mr. Eduardo Santander, Executive Director/CEO, European Travel Commission
4. Mr. Istvan Ujhelyi, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, European Parliament
5. Mr. Jae-sung Rhee, CEO, Seoul Tourism Organization (Affiliate Member)
6. Ms. Judy Kepher-Gona, Founder & Director, Sustainable Travel and Tourism Agenda – STTA Kenya
7. Professor Kaye Chon, Dean and Chair Professor Walter Kwok Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Affiliate Member)
8. Ms. Sally Davey, Director, Industry Affairs, Trip Advisor (Affiliate Member)
The UNWTO Awards recognize the contribution of public and private institutions, as well as NGOs, in the development of a more competitive, responsible and sustainable tourism sector that works towards achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and its 17 SDGs.
For the 15th year of the UNWTO Awards competition, a total of 190 applications from 71 countries were received in the three categories: Public Policy and Governance, Enterprises, and Non-Governmental Organizations.
List of Finalists (in alphabetical order):
UNWTO Award in Public Policy and Governance
1. Tourism and Peace Programme, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Colombia
2. Love San Sebastián, Live Donostia, San Sebastian Turismo & Convention Bureau, Spain
3. Sustainability Whale Watching Charter, SPET – Turismo De Tenerife, Spain
UNWTO Award in Enterprises
1. Community Impact by V Resorts, V Resorts (under the aegis of Bliss Inns Pvt. Ltd.), India
2. Fighting food waste at sea: 4GOODFOOD programme, Costa Crociere S.p.A., Italy
3. Masungi Georeserve: Innovations for Conservation, Masungi Georeserve Foundation, The Philippines
UNWTO Award in Non-Governmental Organizations
1. Embracing Our Potential, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, Canada
2. Amuse Project, Fundacion Once, Spain
3. Treadright Foundation Heritage Initiative, Treadright Foundation, Switzerland
SA Tourism CEO to sit on prestigious advisory board of UNWTO.QUEST
South African Tourism CEO, Sisa Ntshona, has been appointed onto the advisory board of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) QUEST program.
UNWTO.QUEST is a program designed by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to enhance governance, planning and management in Destination Management Organizations (DMOs). Through the program, UNWTO supports DMOs to strengthen the three main key performance areas in destination management: Strategic Leadership, Effective Execution and Efficient Governance.
“It is a privilege and honour for me to be appointed on to this prestigious advisory board,” commented Ntshona. “The program’s focus areas of Strategic Leadership, Effective Execution and Efficient Governance are indeed vital to the competitiveness and sustainability of DMOs and this is something I am passionate about.”
“As we know, tourism has many impacts on many fronts. Tourism changes and improves lives, and I look forward to sharing my ideas and contributing positively to the Global Tourism Industry,” concluded Ntshona.
Ntshona will join private and public sector leaders from around the world who will sit on the UNWTO.QUEST advisory board.
Why Iran is important for UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili?
Iran is an important country for the UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. Iran is a member of the UNWTO Executive Council and if Pololikashvili wants to run for his second term needs the support of Iran and other Executive Council members.
Pololikashvili is very comfortable around the diplomatic community in Madrid having represented Georgia as their ambassador before he was elected to the UNWTO job.
Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili and Iran’s Ambassador to Spain Hassan Qashqavi have called for increased cooperation on tourism. This was reported in the Teheran Times this morning.
After reading the report it doesn’t appear clear how this expanded cooperation between UNWTO and Iran may look like. According to the report, the officials explored ways for deepening mutual assistance in a Tuesday meeting in Madrid.
The Iranian envoy elaborated on Tehran’s strategic policies in the field of tourism as he pointed to existing facilities for simplification in the visa regulations.
Active presence of Iranian companies in the FITUR tourism trade fair and holding various cultural exhibits were among examples the Iranian official set to highlight tourism ties between Iran and Spain.
Pololikashvili, for his part, said the UN body is ready for contributing to the development of the industry. He hailed Iran’s tourist attractions as well.
Earlier this month, Pololikashvili held a meeting with Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization Director Ali-Asghar Mounesan, discussing the issue of establishing a handicrafts academy.
In November, Pololikashvili paid a visit to Iran. He gave a keynote speech at the 40th UNWTO Affiliate Members Plenary Session held in the city of Hamedan.
How did UNWTO perform in 2018? The verdict is in!
Last week WorldTourismWire turned to readers to get input from UNWTO member countries, UNWTO affiliated members, and other tourism leaders about their take on the new UNWTO and the performance of the new Secretary General.
eTN received 89 responses:
4 gave the new leadership a thumbs up and a 4-5 star rating.
3 had a neutral approach with 3-star rating.
82 did not approve of the way the UNWTO is heading and gave a 1-2 star feedback.
Today, eTurboNews received a Holiday Greeting card from the UNWTO. This was a welcoming message and
On January 1, 2018, a new UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvil, took the helm of the global UN affiliate organization in charge to lead the largest industry in the world – the travel and tourism industry. Zurab Pololikashvil was the former ambassador for Georgia in Spain.
Before Pololikashvil the former Secretary-General, Dr. Taleb Rifai, was known to be traveling the glove constantly. He was accessible, responsive, and he truly cared to build a global network based on trust and friendship. This trust and his support were essential for Pololikashvil to sit in his chair at UNWTO in Madrid now, and he really sat in this chair staying away from the public and the media.
Interview requests, journalist questions and any attempt to reach someone from the UNWTO communication team were met with silence from the minute the new SG took charge. Zurab Pololikashvil was absent at major events, including the World Travel Market in London. Consequently, no press-conference was held in London during WTM.
It appears the new Secretary General has been concentrating to interact with countries that will be a member of the Executive Council in 2021. This will be the year SG Zurab Pololikashvil will be up for re-election. Executive Council counties are the countries with a vote. The following countries will be on the Executive Council in 2021 Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cabo Verde, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Lithuania, Namibia, Romania, Russia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.
UNWTO is experiencing a new type of leader and leadership. Is this a good or bad?
Here are some of the responses WorldTourismWire received from readers about their take on the new UNWTO 2018 performance:
The former Minister of Tourism from Zambia, who co-hosted a very successful UNWTO General Assembly at Victoria Falls in Zambia and Zimbabwe, Sylvia Masebo responded: UNWTO was a better organization under the leadership of Dr. Taleb Rifai. UNWTO in 2018 could have done better. It’s however too early to judge the new leadership, but I would advise the new leader to consult Dr. Rifai so they could do better. It would help if organizers of past UNWTO conferences are consulted on challenges and successes of hosting upcoming GA so that best practices are employed. A documentary of past conferences should be developed and shared for reference purposes.
Thomas Mueller from Rainmakers in Namibia gave the new UNWTO leadership a 5-star rating and said:
UNWTO is a better organization under the leadership of Amb. Zurab Pololikashvil. Tourism SDGs are really promoted and the Digital Transformation Initiative is a most important initiative. My advice: Get more traction and actually things done in actively working with technology partners in the regions.
From the UAE a stakeholder said: UNWTO is less open, less predictable and less engaged. New staff have not engaged with membership as past ones used to. UNWTO was a better organization under the leadership of Dr. Taleb Rifai.
From Moldova: Since we had the wine tourism conference in Moldova, the level of engagement with UNWTO has become very slim. We do not have the same sort of interaction with the leadership team as before. UNWTO seems distant. UNWTO was a better organization under the leadership of Dr. aleb Rifai.
From Spain: UNWTO appears to have lost stature. It is not prominent in the international tourism scene as it was once was. As Affiliate Members, we are not as pleased as we were. UNWTO seems to be competing in our space and trying to turn itself into a for-profit organization, openly following the money, acting like paid private consulting firms. UNWTO was a better organization under the leadership of Dr. Taleb Rifai.
From the U.S. a reader said: Over 50 years of tourism research and education. Had been active in WTO and UNWTO since 1989. The present Secretary-General is a disaster. UNWTO was a better organization under the leadership of Dr. Taleb Rifai, and I hope for a change of leadership.
From Vancouver, Canada a travel agency owner and tourism consultant wrote: UNWTO was a better organization under the leadership of Dr. Taleb Rifai. Saddened to see UNWTO not honor the commitment to co-sponsor the International Peace through Tourism Summit in Montreal. And not to attend WTM seems to show disinterest in the industry Pololikashvil is supposed to be leading. Disappointed overall. Honor the IIPT commitment.
A director of tourism policy advisor from Brussels, Belgium wants member states to become again the center of the organization and thinks UNWTO was a better organization under the leadership of Dr. Taleb Rifai.
A leader in the hospitality sector in Madrid thinks UNWTO was a better organization under the leadership of Dr. Taleb Rifai and thinks UNWTO is a complete disaster. It has no visibility, neither retains a good image and recommends to make big changes.
From Barcelona Spain a tourism veteran with 30 years in the sector said: The current SG has no managerial, leadership nor communications skills.
He has no experience in the tourism sector.
Looks like he doesn’t really care about tourism nor UNWTO, but rather has a personal political agenda. He thinks a new Secretary General for UNWTO with the right capabilities is a solution.
A journalist from Montenegro thinks UNWTO was a better organization under the leadership of Dr. Taleb Rifai.
This was echoed by a person with a Costa Rica government email and IP in Costa Rica. This reader said: No leadership; no knowledge of main UNWTO matters; Zurab does not handle any UNWTO topic and does not permit any other to talk; Ministers do not want to attend events; internal persecution does not help. He or she suggested a resignation from Zurab to pursue his real ambition: to become President of Georgia; and putting someone else to recover from the “induced coma” UNWTO.
The only official government representative from Costa Rica, Mr. Hermes Navarro told WorldTourismWire after reading this statement: I am the only Costa Rica representative to UNWTO and did not respond
A tourism professional from Tokyo, Japan writes: UNWTO is a better organization under the leadership of Amb. Zurab Pololikashvil. Programs related to digital transformation on tourism has been started under new administration.That is really important. He suggests Digital related programs should been enhanced in 2019 over just concept.
An independent journalist from Bangalore India thinks UNWTO was a better organization under the leadership of Dr. Taleb Rifai. He thinks the elections for Secretary General were dodgy leaving a bad taste in the mouth. He feels a more democratic and transparent functioning.
Amal from Rabat, Morocco said: It’s too early to say. Dr. Taleb Rifai is a dearest friend of mine, and I did not have the chance to meet yet Amb. Zurab Pololikashvil.
SUNx & EXO Foundation Announce Climate Scholarship Program for SE Asia “A Plan for our Kids”
An SDG 17 Partnership, for Climate-Friendly Travel, was announced on 14th December at COP 24 in Katowice, Poland.
The partnership between EXO Foundation who support Sustainable Development projects through responsible tourism in South East Asia and SUNx the Strong Universal Network, a legacy program for Maurice Strong responding to eXistential Climate Change.
It focusses on a shared commitment to develop the Maurice Strong Legacy Scholarship Program, under the SUNx “Plan for Our Kids” with EXO Foundation as the first regional sponsor.
Speaking from the COP 24, the UNFCCC Climate Change conference Professor Geoffrey Lipman, co-founder of SUNx said:
“We are delighted to announce our partnership with EXO Foundation as our first regional sponsor of our “ Plan for our Kids” and its Maurice Strong Legacy Scholarship Program. Together we have identified an opportunity to help strengthen education on Climate Resilience for Travel & Tourism in South-East Asia. Through our partnership EXO Foundation is supporting the lifetime learning of 21 graduates committed to Sustainable Tourism Development, with a focus on Climate Friendly Travel.
Our strategy is to create a cadre of 100,000 next generation of “Strong Climate Champions” by 2030, to help to drive the behavioural change and influence the fundamental government and industry actions needed to tackle Climate Change.
Strong Climate Champions will be graduates, who engage in the movement for Climate Friendly Travel, for transformation to the New Climate Economy. They will help to build the thinking; drive the behaviour, identify innovations and influence the fundamental government and industry actions needed.”
Lipman added that “The awardees, based on 1000-word essays on practical aspects of Climate Friendly Travel, will be linked with EXO Foundation through a certificate of excellence and lifetime access to the SUNx learning platform. This includes curated information on Climate Resilience, and a Climate Friendly Travel Course, supporting transformation of the sector to the New Climate Economy.”
Alexandra Michat, EXO Foundation Manager said:
“The vision of EXO Foundation is to use tourism to make destinations better places for people to live in, and for travellers to visit. We aim to be a driving force in actively fostering sustainable development and improving positive societal and environmental changes through the promotion of responsible tourism. Through our partnership with SUNx we want to support the next generation of climate change activists who will help shape the future of the Travel industry in SE Asia. Together we will identify academic partners to promote the call for nominations and support their work on Climate Resilience education to Tourism students.”
Caribbean Tourism Organization declares 2019 ‘The Year of Festivals’ in the Caribbean
On the heels of the past year’s successful Year of Rejuvenation, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has declared 2019 the Year of Festivals in the Caribbean. Throughout 2019, the region will celebrate the unique rhythm and tempo of each CTO destination.
“The Year of Festivals will focus on the fascinating events that have become an integral part of the Caribbean tourism calendar. Festivals help to energize communities across the region, while giving visitors more reasons to enjoy our destinations,” said Hugh Riley, Secretary General of CTO.
“In addition to providing an opportune time for vacationers to visit, these celebrations also emphasize the unique characteristics that define the many diverse backgrounds and traditions which comprise the Caribbean’s cultural tapestry,” added Riley.
The 2019 Caribbean Year of Festivals will be promoted through social media and traditional media channels and will create opportunities for travellers and vacation planners to share their experiences.
“While each destination is unique and inviting in its own right, the common denominator for all Caribbean societies is a yearning to celebrate life – and each Caribbean country provides a beat that can’t be replicated elsewhere,” said Riley.
“The Year of Festivals will highlight music, art, sailing, lights, food, rum, religious, literary and dance festivals celebrated throughout the region. It’s a theme which can easily be embraced by all CTO member destinations,” Riley noted.
Throughout 2019, the CTO will assist member countries with an assortment of promotional concepts and opportunities which can be implemented around the theme of festivals to appeal to consumers, travel professionals and creators of unique vacation experiences.
UNWTO and Unidigital support innovation and entrepreneurship in the Americas
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) provided its support at the inauguration in Argentina of the first specialized hub for tourism in the Americas – Unidigital.
Unidigital is the result of the collaboration between the public and private sectors to promote innovation in tourism. It will offer services, products and training in digital transformation in order to allow the most disruptive entrepreneurs in tourism in the Americas to develop their projects. The Hub was presented as part of the UNWTO Tourism Tech Adventure Forum, held on 11-13 December 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
“Today is a historic day because we have brought together many tourism authorities of the Americas to inaugurate this place, which is open to any entrepreneur, and where together we will do very interesting things and achieve excellent results,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. He added: “We are committed to helping them find investors and give them the opportunity to internationalize not only in the Americas, but also beyond the continent.”
The Minister of Tourism of Argentina and Chair of the UNWTO Executive Council, Gustavo Santos, stressed that “innovation and tourism are allies in generating life opportunities for our people and creating employment”. He added: “This reaffirms our commitment and responsibility towards this sector, which will lead human development in the years to come.”
Unidigital founder and CEO Felipe Durán thanked the authorities for their presence and said: “I am excited for Buenos Aires to be the gateway to the Americas, a place where art, technology and tourism come together; with our projects we are going to get involved in people’s tourism.”
The Unidigital Hub opened in the context of the UNWTO Tourism Adventure Tech Forum, the tourism and technology forum organized by the UNWTO and the Ministry of Tourism of Argentina. The winner of the UNWTO Data Challenge 2018 was also announced at the event, Diego Turconi. This project is organized in collaboration with the ieXL of IE University, whose objective is to demonstrate the ability to generate data-driven solutions.
The regional Startup Competition was won by Eduardo Zenteno del Toro, with his Nenemi project, a platform that seeks to bring Asian travellers to Mexico with potential for expansion in the Americas. He will now have the opportunity to avail Unidigital’s services valued at up to 100,000 dollars.
Participating in the UNWTO Tourism Tech Adventure Forum are leaders in innovation, top-level startups and key actors in the global innovation and digital transformation ecosystem.
It is an unprecedented platform for entrepreneurship and tourism innovation, with the aim of creating synergies between the different actors, exchanging success stories and fostering a venture capital investment culture. Likewise, this space provides solutions to challenges related to digital transformation as a source of employment generation, competitiveness and sustainable development.
In this same context, a seminar aimed at ministers of the Americas and Argentine national ministers was held on how to build successful digitalization strategies. A workshop for startups was also held, addressing the subject of motivation for tourism investors and entrepreneurship.
UNDP Armenia Implements Training for Effective Management of Sustainable Tourism Development
Armenia shapes its future to be a unique sustainable destination, building capacities in effective tourism planning and managing. A diverse group of tourism and development professionals from across Armenia has joined a blended training program on PM4SD (Project Management for Sustainable Development), and successfully completed the first segment, a 3-week-long tailored online training course. The participants will then undertake an onsite face-to-face training session taking place in Yerevan (December 20-21, 2018), to complete their training and to prepare for the PM4SD-Foundation certification, accredited by APMG International.
Before the on site training, on December 19th, a public event, “Armenia, the path to sustainable tourism” will be organized by UNDP, with the aim of bringing key stakeholders of the tourism value chain to build a common vision and an action plan for sustainable tourism development at the destination level. The event aims to be also the launch event for the PM4SD certification in Armenia. The PM4SD manual has been translated into Armenian as well, thanks to the support of UNDP.
“Tourism provides important opportunities for Armenia, and in particular for rural communities and undiscovered destinations, but we need to ensure tourism growth is sustainable. That’s why it’s critical to focus on training and capacity building. With many of our project managers and planners becoming PM4SD certified, we are able to create a pool of experts who will be able to deliver tangible and lasting benefits through our tourism projects.” – Arman Valesyan, Project Coordinator, UNDP Armenia Integrated Rural Tourism Development (IRTD) Project
Delivered by Jlag (PM4SD Accredited Training Organisation) and TrainingAid for UNDP Armenia, this blended training program provides the opportunities for participants to apply best practices in their own project context, helping improve various local and regional projects supporting sustainable tourism development and destination management.P
This blended training program has been delivered as part of the Integrated Rural Tourism Development (IRTD) project, which is financed by the Russian Federation and implemented by UNDP Armenia in close partnership with the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development.
The training will serve a first pilot strategic action to certify sustainable management skills, with the goal of supporting long-term objective of creating sustainable income-generating opportunities to reduce rural poverty, and to empower community members to achieve sustainable development.
“It has been great to learn about many innovative and forward-thinking project examples from across Armenia, addressing key development challenges and sustainability issues through tourism. With their newly acquired knowledge in effective project management, our training participants will be able to approach their projects in a smarter, more efficient and productive manner, focusing on making a difference for the sustainable development of rural communities.” – Silvia Barbone, PM4SD Trainer, Managing Director, Jlag
The PM4SD certification is an important benchmark for sustainable tourism practitioners, demonstrating their abilities to design innovative tourism projects and to deliver successful outcomes and lasting benefits.
Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Bartlett mourns the death of Senator Frank Pringle
Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has offered condolences to the family of former Minister of Tourism, Senator Donald Frank McKenzie Pringle, who died yesterday, at the age of 88.
“On behalf of the Government of Jamaica, I offer my condolences to the family and loved ones of Ambassador Pringle – especially his daughter, Kerstin and two grandchildren, Israel and Isabell.
The tourism industry has certainly suffered an extreme loss and we remain very grateful for the invaluable contribution he has made to the development of the sector,” said Minister Bartlett.
Senator Pringle was a Cabinet Member and Minister of Tourism from 1989 to 1992, while also serving as senator. He was also a Member of the Jamaica Tourist Board, Director on the Board of Air Jamaica, as well as Jamaica’s representative to the Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
“Senator Pringle dedicated much of his life to Jamaica’s tourism industry, serving both in the public and private sector. He was very passionate about the growth of our tourism product and did an incredible job to ensure that our industry was not only successful, but that it also benefited the people of the country. He was selfless, always putting country above himself and saw the vision of how far tourism could go. His legacy is indelibly etched in our history and will be remembered for years to come,” said the Minister.
Over the years, Ambassador Pringle has served as a diplomat, Justice of the Peace and a member of the Jamaica Parish Council. He was also the Founder and Director of The Tryall Club and founder and President of the Jamaica Association of Villas and Apartments.
Additionally, he was involved in the founding of Round Hill Hotel & Villas, and served as aide-de-camp to the Governor-General.
“It was my hope to honour Ambassador Pringle, while he was alive at the Golden Tourism Day Award Ceremony taking place on Sunday. His sudden passing indeed came as quite a surprise and I am very saddened to know he is no longer with us,” said the Minister.