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The first ICAO / UNWTO Ministerial Conference on Tourism and Air Travel in Africa was completed Friday in Sal (Cape Verde) with more than 30 ministers and technical experts on aviation, recognizing the challenges of connectivity on the continent and promising concrete measures to to repair he.
During the three-day conference, ministers and air transport officials from Africa discussed the policies, concerns and difficulties encountered in traveling to the continent, particularly for travel purposes.
"Tourism and air travel are like Siamese twins," said Charles Banda, chairman of the UNWTO (UN World Tourism Organization) executive board, at the closing of the conference.
"You can not separate one from the other. When tourism develops, air transport also develops.
The Honorable Banda, also Zambian Minister of Tourism and the Arts, told CGTN Africa that there was a consensus reached at the crucial meeting, and it was now up to different government representatives to develop proposals adopted to make these intentions a reality.
"More than 1.3 billion tourists travel the world every year. Of these, Africa receives only about 68 million tourists a year, in its 50 countries and more. What would happen if this number reached only 100 million? Asked the minister.
Almost as if to return home, many ministers who attended the conference traveled between 24 and 48 hours to arrive – a clear indication of the exact challenges facing the region.
"Along the east coast of Africa, where Ethiopia and Kenya are located, connectivity is good. In southern Africa, between Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, their connectivity is also good. But the problem comes when you venture to West Africa, "said Dr. Jose da Silva Goncalves, Minister of Tourism and Transport of Cape Verde.
The low number of travelers on the continent to have often attributed to the high cost of travel between African countries and visa restrictions.
The top ten pbadports in Africa, sorted by the reduced number of countries in which citizens require a visa, are in order: Seychelles, Mauritius, South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi, Kenya, Namibia and The Gambia – as evidenced in the Henley 2018 Index.
These, however, make do not indicate the ease of movement of the citizens of these countries in Africa.
The conference took place in the context of a recent air tragedy in which 157 people lost their lives when an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed in the north of the city. 39, Ethiopia at the beginning of the month.
The accident resulted in the grounding of Boeing 737-800 Max aircraft for safety reasons. The issue of aircraft safety was also given special attention at the conference, and steps can be taken to ensure that the resulting investigations can be sufficiently conducted on African soil.
The rally was the first of his nice and organized by the United Nations World Tourism Organization and the Authority for Aviation Safety in Africa, ICAO.
Elements of the draft action plan developed by the states for implementation between 2019 and 2021 include a destination management strategy combining tourism and travel to reduce logistical challenges, institutionalize the single market for air transport. African tourism infrastructure projects and adoption of visa opening solutions.
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