Eswatini’s Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Moses Vilakati, joined a panel of African Ministers for a Tourism Dialogue session in Durban, South Africa, on the sidelines of the annual Tourism Indaba. The Dialogue, held under the theme “Tourism Sustainable Development,” aimed to provide a platform for African tourism Ministers, policymakers, stakeholders, and experts from the tourism sector to share ideas on the role of tourism in the African continent and discuss issues impacting tourism post-COVID-19.
The Dialogue also discussed the opportunities of BRICS for South Africa and the African continent. Minister Vilakati spoke on the importance of promoting tourism through ease of connectivity, highlighting the recent launch of Eswatini Air, and exploring unique cultural experiences, as well as reviewing visa regimes in the African continent.
The annual Tourism Indaba is one of Africa’s largest tourism marketing events that showcases the widest variety of Southern Africa’s best tourism products. The event, which brings together industry stakeholders, policymakers, and media professionals, provides a platform for networking, business-to-business interactions, and showcasing of the tourism industry’s products and services.
Eswatini’s participation in the Tourism Dialogue session reaffirms the country’s commitment to sustainable tourism development in the region. As a landlocked country, Eswatini recognizes the importance of connectivity in promoting tourism, which remains a significant contributor to the country’s economy.
The Tourism Dialogue session’s discussions come at a crucial time when the tourism sector is recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a severe impact on the sector globally. The African tourism sector, which is highly dependent on international arrivals, was among the hardest hit.
Through participation in such dialogues and continued investment in the sector, Eswatini remains optimistic about the future of tourism in the country and the African continent as a whole.
