How Dr. Taleb Rifai is making Africa a better place?
“Whatever our business in life may be, let us always remember that our core business is, and will always be, to make this world a better place.” The person who said these words – and is a mentor for many in the travel and tourism industry – is now also part of the African Tourism Board (ATB).
Dr. Taleb Rifai, the former UNWTO Secretary-General is now officially a board member and honorary patron of the African Tourism Board leadership team. Where Africa becomes ONE tourism destination of choice in the world was the dream behind this initiative when it was started by ICTP Chairman Juergen Steinmetz at World Travel Market in London in November of 2018.
The new minister from Zambia loves tourism and singing
Ronald Chitotela is the new minister of tourism of Zambia’s., Ronald Chitotela was the former minister of infrastructure. This was announced after Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu’s latest government reshuffle last week Friday.
“We have not time to wait, we have to hit the ground running… We shall continue from where our brother left from in making sure the Tourism sector brings the much-needed revenue to the country. Local and international doors ought to be opened as a matter of urgency,” says the minister on his new Facebook page.
Tourism Minister Arrested for Corruption!
Tourism in Zimbabwe is seen as the biggest money earner left in Zimbabwe after the overthrow of the Mugabe regime. In charge of tourism is the Honorable Minister of Prisca Mupfumira. As of today, this minister is in a Harare jail, arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.
Prisca Mupfumira was in charge as the Minister of Public Service during the Mugabe government and at the time Dr. Walter Mzembi served as the longest-serving Minister of Zimbabwe.
The Caribbean urged to look within to grow tourism
Leaders in the Caribbean tourism industry have been advised to embrace and develop the strengths of their people to keep the industry among the most competitive in the world.
The charge came from the acting secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Neil Walters speaking at the Grenada Tourism Authority’s inaugural awards ceremony held at the Spice Island Beach Resort in Grenada.
“Yes, we can have the most beautiful properties, the best airports, the best seaports, but it is the people who make the Caribbean tourism product what it is. It is your welcoming and hospitable spirit which encourages visitors to return,” said Walters.
The acting SG said demands from visitors for experiences beyond the traditional ‘sun, sea and sand’, only served to enhance the need for the industry to equip the hospitality workforce to perform at the highest level.
“If we took a snapshot of tourism at this point in time, we will see that one of the strongest reasons for the continued growth in the number of persons visiting our shores is the spirit exuded by the amazing individuals who get up and go out and work on the front line every day. The individuals who don’t just see it as a job but see the value of the service they are giving. That is the thing success stories in this industry are made of,” said Walters.
UNWTO leads discussion on “Tourism Financing for the 2030 Agenda” in Geneva
Tourism’s unique potential as a tool for driving the global sustainable development agenda has taken center stage at a special event hosted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Geneva, Switzerland.
The session, entitled “Tourism Financing for the 2030 Agenda” was held during the 2019 Global Review of Aid for Trade at the headquarters of the World Trade Organization (WTO). UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili began the discussions by highlighting the key role that the global tourism sector plays in economic growth and job creation.
Ministers, development partners and financing institutions need to better understand and recognize how tourism can contribute to the 2030 Sustainable Agenda. Tourism is explicitly mentioned as a target in three of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (8, 12 and 14), though, as speakers at the Geneva session noted, for the sector to really realize its enormous potential, the amount of aid and development financing directed towards tourism needs to be increased significantly. Unlocking Tourism’s potential for realizing the 2030 Agenda requires a combination of effective and robust policy frameworks, enhanced private sector action, and an innovative approach to partnerships for development cooperation.
“This is an important time for both the tourism and the international development sectors,” said Mr. Pololikashvili.
“Strengthening and unlocking aid flows for tourism will help the sector be a driver of job creation, as well as of social and economic development and economic diversity. UNWTO welcomes the opportunity to join ministers, tourism leaders and our partners for these important talks here in Geneva. Working together we can harness the power of the new aid architecture and ensure that nobody gets left behind as tourism transforms lives around the world.”
Also joining Mr Pololikashvili for the session were Ms. Arancha González, Executive Director, International Trade Centre (ITC), H.E Dr. Rania Al- Mashat, Minister of Tourism, The Arab Republic of Egypt, Mr. Toshiyuki Nakamura, Director General, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Ms. Caroline Freund, Director of Trade, Regional Integration and Investment Climate, World Bank.