"Mission Africa" announced by International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP)
To Help Africa Sustainably Triple its Tourism Export Income by 2015
LONDON, UK, October 7, 2005. Addressing the Capetown Tourism Annual Meeting, ICTP President Geoffrey Lipman said "Africa is where Tourism can make the greatest difference in the war on poverty and it's where the need is greatest. Tourism is already the largest foreign exchange earner in 46 of the 49 poorest countries in the world and it can truly provide a lift to Africa's development agenda, creating jobs, empowering women and lifting living standards.
Lipman made the following points:
o The owner of the Mission Africa objective is Africa itself - tourismpartners' role is to Help create the proposition, the understanding and the global support
o It puts Sustainably up front as a precondition for growth, which means that issues such as infrastructure, technology & human capacity are key components.
o The goal is to promote tourism - business and leisure travel - as an export. In the heart of the Services Sector - where economic growth is forecast. And one with special value for Africa, because all countries are producers: all have comparative advantage, with nature, heritage and tradition to the fore. And it's the very kind of tourism product that savvy travellers are seeking.
o Tripling is an attainable goal. The base is low. It means more trips, higher yields and longer stays. At the moment the arrival and expenditure forecasts show a result which is closer to doubling. But simply achieving the forecast does not set any great expectation. It condemns Africa to the same small share of the total tourism cake as it currently holds. Tripling it means more direct tourism revenue, but it also amplifies all of the ancillary value chain benefits and increases the contribution to the Millennium Development Goals - particularly the eradication of extreme poverty.
o Finally the 2015 date locks in to the Millennium Declaration Targets. Tourism must be a visible component of the poverty reduction strategies that will intensify over the next decade.
o Tourismpartners.org will maintain an interactive website with a focused knowledge centre which annually reports on progress. And which links to others who share the goal and its promotion.
Tourismpartners (ICTP) is a not for profit organization, promoting social conscience within the sector - supporting the UN Millennium Development Goals and the WTO's Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. More information on ICTP and about membership can be found at www.tourismpartners.org
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