The ministers and representatives of the tourism from 51 countries in Africa and 27 countries in America met for the first time to address the opportunities of joint work between these two continents, with the aim of promoting the tourism as an economic activity and engine of environmental, historical and cultural wealth.
The investment strategic, the training continuous development of human capital, the search for innovation in the industry and the inclusion of more cultural and creative industries were the four pillars that the United Nations Development Organization Tourism (UN Tourism) encouraged to put on the table at the first Summit of UN Tourism for Africa and Americas.
“Our joint vision requires a deep commitment and a shared responsibility to build bridges of brotherhood, cooperation and goodwill in the Atlantic through the cooperation South-South, using the tourism as a tool of unity,” emphasized the Vice President of the Republic, Raquel Peña, during her speech yesterday, held from October 3 to 5 in Tip Cane.
Peña encouraged tourism leaders from both regions to strengthen the collaboration interregional, exchanging experiences that allow, from the creation of training networks, to the implementation of common policies for the development of the tourism responsible. “Our success will depend on our ability to work together,” he said.
For the Secretary General of UN TourismAccording to Zurab Pololikashvili, the summit represents a “historic” event that gives way to a roadmap that improves the positioning of both regions in the international tourism market, and expands the tourisman activity that has already recovered from the crisis generated by the covid-19 pandemic.
“This is the opportunity to dialogue and design common solutions,” he said.
Example for the Americas
The vice president explained that it was thanks to the collaboration public and private that the Dominican Republic was able to take correct measures to reactivate the tourism sector in the face of the covid-19 pandemic, which represented a brake on 90 years of growth of the country’s main economic activity.
“This joint effort allowed us to strengthen the sector, promoting new forms of tourismand using the crisis as an opportunity to reinvent ourselves and strengthen our sustainable practices,” he said.
He maintained that the country’s success story in terms of recovery from tourism “is an example for Americas“and must serve as fuel to raise the tourism Dominican even more.
The minister of TourismDavid Collado, who indicated that the country constantly seeks to strengthen its connectivity aerialcounting on:
- More than 200 routes operated by more than 100 airlines
- 93 cruise lines
- More than 85,000 hotel rooms
- Eight airports
- Seven cruise ports.
This infrastructure made it possible to overcome the arrival of one visitor per inhabitant last year, reaching more than 10,036,000 foreign and ethnic people.
Connectivity aerial
Collado told the press that the connectivity aerial It is the first step that African countries must work on and America to engage in a profitable tourist exchange. “It is extremely important to unify efforts between the African continent and the Dominican Republic, and the entire American continent,” he said.
In fact, more than 94% of africans that travel towards America They must stop in another country – mainly Europe – to reach their final destination, said the regional vice president of the International Air Transport Association, Peter Cerdá.
He indicated that social and political instabilities, added to the high costs of transportation and taxes on airlines in America America are limitations that must be overcome so that the connectivity between both regions begins to be profitable.
In the case of the Dominican Republic, Collado emphasized that the cost of the tickets to and from the territory continues to be “extremely high” and they continue to “fight” to obtain competitive prices through open skies agreements, such as that of the United States and Argentina, which announced yesterday at the summit that it is willing to sign a agreement with Quisqueya.
Statement of Tip Cane
After a session of several hours in which the main representatives of the tourism sector reflected on the opportunities to work to strengthen strategic alliances between both regions, the Statement of Tip Cana, a document that reaffirms the commitment of the summit and promotes the initiatives to work on.
In order to promote the investment strategic in the sector, the countries committed themselves by promoting associations public-private partnerships to mobilize resources and exchange recognition, implement support policies that create a favorable environment for investing in tourism sustainable and facilitate access to innovative financing mechanisms.
Likewise, both regions committed to prioritizing the education and training to guarantee a well-trained workforce in the tourism sector, which adapts to the needs of each sector, under a sustainable, community and diverse approach.
Supporting the development of new technologies that increase the sustainability of the sector and encourage MSMEs, in addition to the inclusion of cultural and creative industries for the development of unique and attractive destinations were other of the two major components addressed in this declaration.
“We are sure that, through joint efforts (…), we will be able to open new avenues for the growth mutual, the cooperation and sustainable development,” highlights the declaration, in which the leaders assumed the responsibility of holding this type of meeting every two years.
