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NEPAD Work on Sustainable Tourism MEETING OF THE MINISTERIAL WORKING GROUP ON THE TOURISM SECTOR DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR AFRICA: AU AGENDA 2063 SEYCHELLES , 13-14 MARCH 2014 by Mrs. Estherine Fotabong, Director of Programme Implementation and Coordination, NEPAD Agency.
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NEPAD Work on Sustainable Tourism MEETING OF THE MINISTERIAL WORKING GROUP ON THE TOURISM SECTOR DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR AFRICA: AU AGENDA 2063 SEYCHELLES, 13-14 MARCH 2014 by Mrs. Estherine Fotabong, Director of Programme Implementation and Coordination, NEPAD Agency
Summary of Presentation • Tourism and Africa’s Development • AU-NEPAD Tourism Action Plan (TAP) • Goals and Objectives of TAP • TAP Focus Areas • Progress of TAP Implementation • Tourism and Agenda 2063 • Review of TAP • Conclusion
Tourism and Africa’s Development • Africa is endowed with huge environmental assets, natural resources and cultural heritage • Natural resources contributed greatly to the continents economic growth for the past decade, with an average growth of 5.2% annually • Contribution was higher than the global average of 4.2% in the past decade • Tourism contributes to the economic growth of the continent (diversification and foreign exchange earnings) • About US$43.6 Billion international tourism receipts in 2012 in Africa
AU-NEPAD Tourism Action Plan (TAP) • AU recognized the contribution of tourism in the continent. Thus, strategic interventions in tourism was necessary to catalyze growth in other areas of the economy (agriculture, horticulture and the service sector) • AU-NEPAD Tourism Action Plan (TAP) was developed under the guidance of the African Ministers of Tourism, who meet annually under the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) Commission for Africa (CAF) • TAP was adopted at the 3rd General Assembly of the African Union (AU) in July 2004 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Background:
; Goals and Objectives of TAP Goal: To contribute to the socio-economic development of the continent, particularly through the diversification of African economies and generation of foreign exchange earnings Key Objectives of the TAP
TAP • Policies and regulatory environment; • Institutional capacity; • Tourism marketing; • Research and development; • Investment in tourism infrastructure and products, and • Human resources and quality assurance. Focus Areas
TAP Implementation • Contributed to growing international tourist arrivals in Africa • Contributed to the “Future We Want” Rio+ 20 Decision on Sustainable Tourism • Development and adoption of the TAP at the highest political level • Establishment and inaugural meeting of the Tourism Ministerial Committee for TAP • Development of Draft Guidelines for Tourism Investment Promotion in SADC • South Africa Tourism Ndaba (Consultative Forum) Key Achievements
TAP Implementation • The NEPAD Cities Programme: • Seven Cities (Bamako, Douala, Durban, Lagos, Lusaka, Nairobi and Rabat) • Has strong rural linkages and a symbiotic relationship with its hinterland and beyond • Contributes to regional integration and creation of a critical mass for profitable investment (exports diversification and infrastructure improvements) Key Achievements
Challenges • Environmental Climate Change Natural Disasters • Security Conflicts Terrorism • Governance Unclear policies, rules & regulations Corruption Inadequate Infrastructure Human Resource Capacity
Tourism and Agenda 2063 Agenda 2063: “A Prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development” • Inclusive growth must create jobs (70% the continent’s population is below 25, which is 37% of labour force) • That is about 60% of total unemployment in Africa • How do we build on the achievements from TAP implementation and other initiatives towards Agenda 2063?
Review of TAP • Review of TAP for its revitalization, 10 years after inception • Convene an expert meeting to validate review report • Develop an updated Tourism Action Plan for Africa(to support the objectives of Agenda 2063) • Identify centres of excellence for knowledge sharing and exchange (youths visits) • Conduct capacity development training
Conclusion There is need to: • strengthen the Africa platform for sharing experiences • Identify potentials for job creation through touristic activities- Value Chain; Green Jobs • Document good experiences and best practices for peer learning • Better coordinate and monitor tourism developments in the continent • Adopt a code of Conduct &Ethics for tourism