…as UN seeks review of tourism budget, visa strategy in Africa
President Bola Tinubu has urged governments in Africa to adopt policies that promotes eco-friendly tourism and preserve cultural heritage across the continent.
Tinubu spoke while declaring open, the 68th meeting of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for Africa (CAF) and Thematic Conference on boosting Social Impact and Education in Tourism via AI and Creative Industries in Africa being hosted by the Nigerian government in collaboration with the UN Tourism, on Wednesday in Abuja.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, he described tourism as an engine of global economy, a catalyst for social action and a bridge that unites countries, as he argues that tourism goes beyond just travelling to various destinations, communities and sites.
Highlighting the benefits of cultural and business partnerships to protect the environment and safeguard international heritage, Tinubu added that Nigeria’s approach to developing tourism was guided by a commitment to sustainability, ensuring friendly policies and rules, as well as opening to building management and running the operations and facilities.
According to him tourism and transportation does not only bring economic value, but have capacity to enhance local, inter-colonial and community economy by supporting small businesses such as car operators, local artisans, hospitality providers and service industries to enhance the opportunity for inter-colonial and community economies.
He said: “As we chart a new course for tourism in Africa, what we need is action. The government cannot ignore the sectoral outlook, It needs a partnership with the private sector. The search for one of many opportunities demands this strategic partnership.
“Nigeria supports adopted sustainable tourism practices across Africa by collaborating with regional bodies, such as the African Union, ECOWAS and the UN Parliament. Nigeria encourages other African nations on policies promoting eco friendly tourism and research in cultural heritage.
“This collaboration includes sharing best practices, tourism training, developing joint marketing campaigns for sustainable tourism, and improving infrastructure to support intra African travel.
“Through these means and initiatives, Africa can foster a continent-wide movement towards tourism that benefits both the people and the environment, driving growth and prosperity for Africa.”
Tinubu who noted that the conference highlights the impact of AI, innovation and creative industries on the tourism sector, urged delegates drawn from countries across Africa, to focus on how the continent could harness the full potentials of its tourism to boost the economies in Africa.
“Focus on finding practical solutions and collaborative strategies that will strengthen intra-African traveling, boosting investment in quality infrastructure, empowering communities, and giving tourism more energy to sustainably grow in growth and making African tourism the heart of global competition.”
The Secretary General, UN Tourism, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili while commending the Nigerian government for making tourism one of the nation ‘s top priority, however urged the government to triple the budget of the tourism sector.
Pololikashvili who noted that the future of Africa was in tourism, urged African governments to review their visa policies and make their countries more accessible, in order to attract more visitors, improve and develop tourism in Africa.
According to him, tourism has no limits to its opportunities which was reason why the UN Tourism was supporting and fostering investments, education and financial support, as they continue to partner with African countries.
“We can do a lot of things, we did a lot of things, let’s continue on this to be on this train which will never stop because there are many things to do together. We are here to work, we are here for friendship, we are here for love, for peace and I’m sure that together we can make history and a really interesting story about Africa tourism because united we can do a lot of things.
“This is very clear, to learn from each other and support each other and we have to express our solidarity. That’s why I think this meeting is very important. Let’s talk, let’s discuss, let’s argue sometimes and make Africa a nice showcase for everyone and it is already but connectivity is a challenge, visa. I kindly ask the Vice President, let’s make a history of visas.
“We don’t need visa to come to Nigeria. Maybe sometimes governments don’t think about that point but we can easily do that, we have a lot of examples. We are quite strong to analyze and to change a lot of visa strategy.
“For example, I remember six years, seven years ago, I was participating personally in our organization in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which was one of the closest countries in the world. You couldn’t travel there.
“We made it and today they have more than 50 or 60 million visitors per year which is really dependent on the visa regime which was open. I think Nigeria has opened and Africa has opened and it’s opened its doors and made more accessible and I have one more request, Minister of Finance, please, at least triple the budget.”
Earlier, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, in her speech, urged African nations to leverage innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), and creative industries to unlock the continent’s vast potential in global tourism.
Expressing her deep conviction in President Tinubu’s vision for Nigeria, Musawa stated: “I am passionate about Nigeria and the mission and commitment of President Tinubu. I believe in it because of his vision for Nigeria, which I believe will enable the country to take a seat in the comity of global nations as a developed nation. I pray the same for every African nation, and urge us all to rise together.”
The Minister noted that President Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” is the guiding principle for Nigeria’s sectoral transformation, emphasising that “Africa stands at the forefront of change. The 21st century demands that we build economies not just from the ground but on people-powered prosperity, through tourism, culture, the creative economy and the arts.”
Musawa said the event’s theme, “Boosting Social Impact and Education in Tourism via Innovation, AI, and Creative Industries in Africa,” highlights that the future of Africa’s prosperity depends on how boldly and broadly it uses technology to empower people.
She pointed out that while the global industry is valued at over $11 trillion, Africa accounts for less than 5% of global tourism revenue and under 1% of global creative exports. “This is not a deficit or talent scarcity. Today, Nigeria invites Africa to close that gap.”
