The Nairobi Declaration – July 16, 2021
- Katemera.
There is need for social justice and equity in vaccine access to ensure that a bigger population of the continent is vaccinated and to build confidence in Destination Africa. Africa tourism requires support in accessing and funding the vaccination campaign.
- We need to make Africa a Domestic Market.
This will help to build sustainability and resilience.
- Break Barriers, e.g., Visa to ease movement across the continent to tap into the young and growing middle class yearning to travel.
- Connectivity by Air.
Formulate Airlines that serve within Africa for ease of movement and affordability of travel.
- Invest in Human Capital Development.
To upskill the human resources in the industry for the current and future tourism demand.
- Sustainability and Biodiversity Conservation.
Sustainability in tourism in preserving tourism’s core resources and ensuring benefits to communities and resilience against crises such as the current pandemic.
- An African Tourism Forum within the African union to coordinate Africa Tourism with a common strategy and roadmap to meet aspirations for Destination Africa. This will enable focused engagement with key players such as IATA and UNWTO.
- COVID-19 pandemic has created an opportunity to refocus the national and international tourism institution.
- Train the youth for the tourism of the future. This will enable the ability to leverage the demographic dividend in Africa as a resource as well as a future market and stability.
- Review tourism policies and strategies to incorporate emerging trends on global tourism and address the current needs on the continent.
- Use of technology in various aspects of the tourism industry including marketing, research, and packaging of products and experiences.
- Governments to prioritize tourism and provide adequate funding to enable the sector to optimize its potential for economic growth and development as well as job creation.
- Africa to invest in infrastructure to connect country to country to increase opportunity for African travel across the continent and enhance the visitor experience.
- Special fund for tourism will help to support capacity building and product development.
- Develop an African Brand. Visit Africa for Africa. Correctly position Africa and ensure sustainable demand for tourism products.
- Develop an attractive environment to enhance investment in the sector.
The Hon. Najib Balala and Edmund Bartlett also have been playing a leading role in the Project Hope initiative by the Bungwe la African Tourism Board under the patronage of former UNWTO Secretary General Dr. Taleb Rifai. ATB Chairman Cuthbert Ncube appplauded the event in Kenya and offered his full support.
The declaration was signed at the Africa Tourism Recovery Summit in Kenya and will be published here once available.
