Sunday, October 6, 2024 at 5:02 p.m.
Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) – Africa and the Americas share a long history. African heritage is significant in Caribbean and Latin American countries, shaping different aspects of life, from art to architecture, and from music to gastronomy, a strong complementarity that leaders from both sides today intend to make greater use of strengthening their cooperation, particularly through tourism and education.
At the first-ever joint meeting of the UN Tourism regional commissions for Africa and the Americas, held in the Dominican Republic, (2-5 October), the ambition is to invest in innovation, education, investments and creative industries.
More than a major economic and commercial activity, the tourism sector represents one of the main instruments promoting human interaction and a tool for preserving the specificity of culture and common heritage.
The “Punta Cana Declaration”, the final document adopted at the end of the forum held in the seaside resort of the Caribbean country, sets out a series of common commitments in favor of the growth of tourism as a driver of inclusive development .
Emphasis was placed on the importance of “intensifying joint efforts to promote sustainable development” through tourism, with emphasis on “strategic investments, education, innovation and industries creative”.
According to the Secretary General of UN Tourism, Zurab Pololikashvili, the summit which brought together representatives of 27 countries, including Morocco, offered a “unique” platform to forge links and build bridges between Africa and the Americas, create strategic interregional partnerships, encourage South-South cooperation projects, for the benefit of the tourism sector in both regions.
For the Minister of Tourism of the Dominican Republic and President of the Regional Commission of the Americas, David Collado, this first summit served above all to encourage the establishment of bridges between the two regions with tourism as an essential vector of sustainable and inclusive development .
Africa and the Americas are blessed with rich cultural heritage, diverse landscapes and deep historical ties, notes Natalia Bayona, executive director of UN Tourism, noting however that due to multiple challenges such as limited connectivity , regulatory and administrative barriers and a lack of mutual market knowledge, “cross-tourism relationships are not as strong as they could and should be.”
“Our goal today is to meet these challenges head-on, fostering collaboration capable of stimulating economic development, increasing cultural exchange and fostering sustainable practices for the benefit of all our communities,” he said. she said.
In anticipation of the second edition of this summit, scheduled for next year in Zambia, the signatories of the declaration expressed their intention to focus on strengthening public-private partnerships in particular to stimulate investments in the sector and increase connectivity between the two regions, both through improved air links and increased cultural exchanges.
The second component relates to skills development and training, prioritizing investment in tourism education and training, expanding access to online and offline learning, and improving knowledge of the tourism workforce.
Support for young businesses in both regions, including in rural communities, and the promotion of innovative solutions focused on sustainability and climate action are also part of this final document as is interregional cooperation on strategies common for the development of tourism, notably through digital media, new products and international tourism fairs.
Initiated by UN Tourism, this summit brought together officials from the public and private sectors, as well as representatives of financial institutions, to assess the current situation, trends and prospects for Africa and the Americas.
The speakers underlined the enormous potential of joint investment initiatives between the two regions, emphasizing the growing role of public and private banks, just as they noted the vital importance of investments for the ecological transition in infrastructure and the hotel sector.
