The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) and the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) signed a second Memorandum of Understanding on 15 June, in Windhoek, Namibia. The first MoU was signed in 2016.  The ceremony took place on the margins of the Regional Conference on Strengthening Brand Africa for the Swift Recovery of the Tourism Sector.

The objective of the Memorandum of Understanding is to enhance cooperation between the organisations in identified areas of mutual interest, with a view to:

• Promote tourism as a tool for development in Africa in line with UNWTO´s Agenda for Africa - Tourism for Inclusive Growth, and Africa’s Agenda 2063 aspirations and goals on sustainable economic growth and inclusive development;
• Build strong partnerships to support the development of the tourism sector in Africa; and
• Support African countries in their recovery strategies from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic effects and accelerate the recovery of the tourism sector.

Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, the AUDA-NEPAD Chief Executive Officer said, “Africa’s Heads of State and Government created the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD, to coordinate and execute priority regional and continental projects enshrined in Agenda 2063 with the aim of accelerating regional integration so as to achieve the Africa We Want. One of its key partners in the implementation of priority regional and continental projects is UNWTO.”

Dr Mayaki also stated that the implementation of the first MoU from 2016 produced key results. They included the establishment of the African Tourism Tech Adventure in 2018– a platform to encourage youth entrepreneurship in the tourism sector, to provide tourism solutions through technology. The MoU also resulted in the provision of technical support towards the drafting of the African Regional Tourism Strategy in 2018. The strategy is aimed at driving sustainable tourism growth in the continent. It is currently being co-published with a white paper on Tourism Security, to address safety concerns in African tourism, including early warning systems for dealing with pandemics.

The AUDA-NEPAD CEO gave assurance that the agency looks forward to implementing the renewed cooperation with UNWTO, to foster socio-economic development in Africa through sustainable tourism.

“In the light of the successful joint implementation of activities under the previous MoU, both entities will build on the productive cooperation through the implementation of the new MoU,” said H.E Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General of the UN World Tourism Organization.

H.E. Pololikashvili stated that the occasion of the MoU signing reinforces the partnership of both entities, to allow for the exploration of new areas of common interest, especially with regards to capacity building in digitisation and innovation, as these are essential tools required to adapt to the new global context.

In his opening remarks at the conference, H.E Hage Geingob, the President of Namibia stated that, “Namibia has identified tourism as a key socio-economic contributor and as such, the government has mainstreamed it in its national development goals”.

The President emphasised that tourism could return to pre-COVID-19 levels, when international tourists begin to travel to places of their choice. However, to attain those levels will require universal access to vaccination against COVID-19, as well as building the capacities of Medium and Small Sized Enterprises in the sector. H.E. Geingob also called for the promotion of the African tourism brand, through media and use of technology.

The conference was also attended by ministers of tourism from about ten African countries, members of the diplomatic corps, UN Agencies, development partners, the media, and civil society.