Tourism is an ever-evolving sector, offering enormous potential for economic growth and development for Africa. However, to harness this potential fully, ensuring safety and security is paramount. It is within this framework that UNWTO, in partnership with UEMOA, organized a virtual workshop on "Safety and Security in Tourism in Africa", uniting over 50 participants from various African nations.

The Botswana Government, in partnership with UNWTO, is embarking on an ambitious journey to transform Kasane-Kazungula, nestled in the scenic northwest region of our country, into a bustling international and domestic tourism hotspot.

One of the flagship initiative of UNWTO’s Tourism for Rural Development Programme, Best Tourism Villages (BTV) launched in 2021, aims to propel local development by recognizing rural destinations that exhibit accredited cultural and natural assets and vision on sustainability.  

At the kind invitation of the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for Central Africa, UNWTO participated in a three-day workshop aimed at building the capacities of local organizations, enterprises, and communities involved in ecotourism and conservation work around the two World Heritage sites in Cameroon. 

UNWTO has launched the world’s biggest digital hub for communities focused on rural tourism. The ‘TourismConnectsRural’ platform will boost collaboration across the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO Network, connecting around 200 rural destinations in every global region.

The recovery of the global tourism sector in 2023 and the good prospects for 2024 were the focus of the meeting held today between the Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, Zurab Pololikashvili, and the Minister of Industry and Tourism of the Kingdom of Spain, Jordi Hereu.