Punta Cana, La Altagracia, DR. – Tourism leaders from Africa and the Americas have pledged to enhance collaboration to transform the tourism sector into a key pillar of sustainable and inclusive mutual development. These commitments form part of the “Punta Cana Declaration” that was signed at the start of the inaugural Tourism Leadership Summit of these two global regions.
Starting from yesterday, October 2nd and running until Saturday, UN Tourism, in coalition with the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Tourism and the Members of the Commissions for Africa and the Americas, is hosting the first-ever “1st UN Tourism Summit for Africa and the Americas”.
The Punta Cana Declaration, a symbol of South-South cooperation, outlines common commitments towards leveraging tourism as an engine of inclusive development.
After the conclusion of the first joint meeting of the United Nations Regional Tourism Commissions for Africa and the Americas and two days of discussions on the critical areas of education and investments in the sector, the “Punta Cana Declaration” was adopted. Acknowledging the historical links and the distinct yet complementary cultures between the two regions, the Summit served as a significant platform to intensify cooperation and to capitalize on innovation, education, investments, and creative industries for future tourism development.
The summit serves as a distinct platform to build relationships and bridges between Africa and the Americas, to establish interregional strategic partnerships, and to encourage South-South cooperation projects, all for the mutual benefit of the tourism sectors of both regions.
The Summit welcomed approximately 200 delegates of significant importance, including 14 ministers, who represented 27 countries (15 from the Americas and 12 from Africa). According to Zurab Pololikashvili, the United Nations Secretary-General of Tourism, the Summit offers an exceptional opportunity to build bonds and bridges between Africa and the Americas, establish inter-regional strategic alliances, and foster South-South cooperation initiatives, all contributing to the enhancement of the tourism sector in both regions.
Welcome remarks and encouragements for building the bridges between the two continents were also delivered by David Collado, Minister of Tourism from the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, President of the Regional Commission for the Americas, and Auxillia Mnangagwa, Patron of Tourism of Zimbabwe and the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
Natalia Bayona, UN Tourism Executive Director, noted: “Both Africa and Americas are blessed with a rich cultural heritage, diverse landscapes, and deep historical linkages. Nevertheless, our intertourism relationship has not reached its potential yet due to hurdles such as limited connectivity, regulatory and administrative barriers, and lack of mutual market knowledge.
Our objective today is to confront these challenges proactively, promoting cooperation that propels economic development, advances cultural exchange, and encourages sustainable practices that benefit all our communities.”
The Punta Cana Declaration
A testimony to South-South cooperation, the Punta Cana Declaration establishes mutual commitments towards the development of tourism as a catalyst of inclusive growth. The Declaration highlights the need for intensifying mutual efforts to foster sustainable development via tourism, focussing largely on strategic investments, education, innovation, and the creative industries. Reflecting the essence of the historic Punta Cana Summit, the Declaration also underscores the role of tourism in preserving shared and unique cultural heritage.
The Declaration’s signatories expressed their intention to redouble their efforts, especially in the following domains:
Strategic investments: strengthening public-private partnerships, stimulating investments in the sector and prioritizing them via effective policymaking. Furthermore, enhancing connectivity between the two regions both in terms of superior air links and increased cultural interchange.
Skill development and training: Prioritizing investment in tourism education and training, expanding access to online and offline learning, and encouraging the use of innovation and new digital skills to enhance the knowledge of the tourism workforce.
Innovation: Supporting contests for startups and entrepreneurs in both regions, providing better support to SMMEs, including those in rural communities, and promoting innovative solutions centred on sustainability and climate action.
Creative Industries: Encouraging the role of cultural and creative industries in the tourism sector, including by financing projects with the potential to attract tourists and develop new and diverse destinations and cultural routes, and ensure that the benefits provided by the sector focus on social and inclusive development.
Interregional cooperation: Back market analysis and other research to identify areas of potential growth and shared opportunities, to create shared strategies for tourism development, including through digital media, new products, and international tourism trade fairs.
Investments and Education: “Building a better tomorrow, today”
As part of the UN Tourism’s broader emphasis on tourism investments, the Summit convened leaders from the public and private sectors, along with key representatives from financial institutions to examine the existing landscape, trends, and prospects for Africa and the Americas.
High-level speakers underscored the huge potential for joint investment initiatives between the two regions, highlighting the increasingly crucial role of public and private banks. The Summit also concentrated on the critical significance of investments in propelling the ecological transformation of tourism in both Africa and the Americas, particularly in infrastructure and the hospitality sector.
In addition to innovation, the Summit also highlighted education and training, underlining the pressing need for skilled workers in both regions. With an emphasis on “Young Talent Leading Transformation”, tourism leaders recognised the need for joint initiatives to build capacity, curriculum development, and partnerships among academic institutions, industry stakeholders, and government agencies.