Academician Walter Mzembi, the longest serving minister of tourism on African continent on behalf of Zimbabwe government, continues to showcase the continent powerful research and thinking potential and the role that ministries of tourism ought to play in promoting tourism on a global scale.
In an interview to ITN, the Zimbabwean Minister of Tourism and European Tourism Academy member, Walter Mzembi presented the main features of the XXI century major provocation against tourism: terrorism.
Academician Walter Mzembi marked the fact that: in the world of today, no country is safe from terrorism, from United States, California and New York to Paris the terrorism has become a sad companion of our existence:
„ I find it tragically ironic that the greatest advances by mankind in fast travel and easily accessible information technology, IT, have also facilitated the rapid growth and spread of the deadly horror of terrorism” stated Minister Mzembi.
Ambassador of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Ramon Carazo, express his appreciation for Academician and Minister Mzembi research work on tourism and XXI century challenges.
In a surprise solution finding, Zimbabwe Minister of Tourism marked on the words of United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, tourism as the only answer: “As we travel, let us engage with other cultures and celebrate human diversity” and the tourism is offering the chance to cut the grass root recruiting tool of terrorism: ignorance and falsehood: „My point is that when humanity stands together, not on the basis of hard power, but on the basis of its humanness, fundamentalist terrorism can eventually be defeated”.
The Hon Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Eng. Dr. Walter Mzembi (MP) has been unanimously re-elected to the position of the Chairman of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Regional Commission for Africa (CAF) during the 57th CAF meeting that took place on 14 September 2015, Medellin, Colombia on the occasion of the 21st Session of the UNWTO General Assembly.
African countries (54 of them), endorsed Hon Minister Mzembi’s re-election demonstrate confidence that African countries have on Zimbabwe to continue providing leadership in the transformation agenda of the tourism sector in Africa.
Ghana’s Tourism patron, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, paid tribute to Zimbabwe for leading the fight to rebrand the African tourism sector.
“You have done us proud and a good job in delivering what we have been waiting for so long. We support you and want to see an additional commission established to superintend our tourism sector, biodiversity and aviation issues as they are interconnected to the tourism economy,” Ofosu-Adjare said.
The full ITN interview of Academician Walter Mzembi can be read by clicking here
European Council on Tourism and Trade President-Dr. Anton Caragea receives accredited ambassadors for World Ambassadors Meeting and Working Lunch on 9 February 2016.
The first ambassadorial meeting on tourism reunited European members states parliamentarians, representatives of European tourism organizations and members of the diplomatic corps.
The World Ambassadors Working Lunch on Tourism was generously hosted by the European Council on Tourism and Trade (ECTT) and has benefited the presence of the ECTT President, Professor Dr. Anton Caragea.
The Diplomatic corps gathering, is taken place on an annual basis and is representing a great opportunity for networking and also for keeping the Embassies informed on what the World Lectures on Sustainable Development Goals Programs of European Tourism Academy will try to achieve during the year and also to provide an outlook for the coming year 2016 in terms of tourism in Europe and the world.
The event received a very high representation of accredited diplomatic corps, parliament representatives, European Tourism Academy, European Council on Tourism and Trade.
On this occasion Professor Dr. Anton Caragea had officially entrusted insignias and diplomas for the representative of the hospitality industry of Europe and recognized ROYAL HOTELS in Bucharest and Constanta as official diplomatic partners and entrusted the HIGH QUALITY PRIZES for the two hotels.
Other points of discussions included an update on International and European Tourism trends in 2015 and a presentation of a list of most successfully tourism driven economies in the last year (Ethiopia, Laos) and the latest publications emanating from European Tourism Academy members.
Academician Walter Mzembi-Minister of Tourism of Zimbabwe took the limelight, with his articles and interviews series on combating tourism and mass media manipulation in tourism industry.
Ambassadors from United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Syria, Macedonia, Albania, South Africa, Venezuela, Nigeria, Danemark, Sweden had taken the floor highlighting their countries plans for tourism development and hopes pinned on winning World Best Tourist Destination Award or World Capital of Culture and Tourism designations.
The names of the ambassadors who will be invited for Spring 2016 DISCOVER EUROPE PROGRAM will be announced in March 2016 and the trip will start in April and will showcase Republic of Moldavia beauties, announced European Council on Tourism and Trade President, Dr. Anton Caragea.
The meeting concluded with an introduction of the main activities of the diplomatic calendar for the first quarter of 2016, a presentation on the upcoming February 2016 Tourism Fair and International food and Beverage Exhibition-Goodwine April 2016.
The photos from World Ambassadors Meeting and Working Lunch on Tourism can be observed here:
