The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) made his first trip to an African member state since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The three-day official in Namibia reaffirms UNWTO’s commitment to the continent and included a series of level discussions aimed at strengthening existing partnerships and visualizing a sustainable and resilient future.
As a company specializing in United Nations tourism, UNWTO has actively guided the recovery of the sector and the restart of this unprecedented crisis. To reflect the new challenges, it worked directly with its African Member States, adding Namibia, to adapt the 2030 Agenda for Africa: Tourism for Inclusive Growth, the Historical Roadmap for Responsible Growth Tourism across the continent. This official presented a first possibility of sticking to virtual meetings and advancing arrangements to restart a sector on which millions of African livelihoods depend.
Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili met with His Excellency Mr. Hage G. Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia, to discuss knowledge of the prospects for tourism to enhance sustainable expansion, especially for young people, women and rural communities. The Secretary-General commended the Head of State for his leadership, specifically in the International Tourism Recovery Initiative, which includes the main fitness and protection protocols developed through UNWTO. At the same time, an assembly with Vice-President SENangolo Mbumba gave UNWTO leaders a new opportunity to explain their for African Member States that are using tourism to recover and expand. In addition, the UNWTO delegation met with the Honourable Pohamba Shifeta, Member of Parliament, Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism to identify tactics to expand tourism in the country sector, adding a greater focus to food tourism, rural tourism and networking.
“UNWTO is committed to working vigorously with our African member states to realize the perspective of tourism to help societies recover from the effects of the pandemic and enjoy long-term sustainable growth,” said Secretary-General Pololikashvili. our collective path forward, and I am pleased to see first-hand the Namibian government’s commitment to tourism at this important time and to make the sector a positive replacement engine for all.
Stressing UNWTO’s determination to lead by example, to show that travel is safe and active on the floor when situations permit, the delegation visited several of Namibia’s main tourist sites, such as the Namib Sand Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage site found in Secretary-General Pololikashvili met with the Honourable Neville Andre , governor of Namibia’s Erongo region, to offer the most powerful UNWTO for local tourism, and added businesses.
In addition, the Namibia Tourism Exhibition provided UNWTO with the opportunity to interact with public and personal sector leaders throughout the region and sent a transparent message to the world that Namibia, “The Land of the Brave,” is open and in a position to welcome. tourists again.