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
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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)
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Background:
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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
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
Identify key “anchor”
projects at the national
and sub-regional levels,
which will generate
significant spin-offs and
assist in promoting
economic integration
Develop research
capacity in tourism
Promote
partnerships such as
those formed
through Regional
Economic
Communities, private
sector and partners
TAP
Focus
Areas
• Policies and regulatory
environment;
• Institutional capacity;
• Tourism marketing;
• Research and development;
• Investment in tourism
infrastructure and products, and
• Human resources and quality
assurance.
TAP Implementation
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Key
Achieve
ments
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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)
TAP Implementation
• The NEPAD Cities Programme:
Key
Achieve
ments
- 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)
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
Thank you