In Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic’s Tourism Minister, David Collado, spoke proudly of the nation’s leadership role in tourism during the inaugural Africa and the Americas summit.This is the first time two continents have joined forces to address matters related to the central sector of their economies: tourism.
In his opening address, Collado expressed gratitude to all the ministers in attendance. He emphasized how significant this summit is as a groundbreaking step towards intercontinental cooperation for promoting tourism. “From here, where the new world starts, a grand initiative also kicks off for the advancement of a mutual agenda in tourism, an area that stimulates prosperity and growth.“, he stated.
The event is being hosted by UN Tourism under the slogan “Promoting South-South cooperation via investment in Education, Culture, Creative Industries and Innovation”. The three-day event includes high-profile meetings, presentations, and sessions at the Paradisus Palma Real Golf & Spa Resort hotel. Participants include ministers, academia, and industry experts from both continents.
Esteemed speakers include Zimbabwe’s first lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa, who will deliver a keynote speech. A High-Level ministerial discussion titled “Building Opportunities between Africa and the Americas” is also planned. These conversations aim to foster greater cooperation in tourism, cultural exchanges, and sustainability.
Yohanis Hailemariam, the UN Tourism ambassador, will also talk about how culinary arts can help unify continents, highlighting the role of gourmet cooking as a bonding instrument. At the close of the first day, the Vice President of the Republic, Raquel Peña, will give the closing remarks.
The summit not only aims to tackle current tourism issues, but also seeks to pave the way for economic and tourism development between Africa and the Americas.
-.