ACADEMICIAN WALTER MZEMBI RE-ELECTED AS PRESIDENT OF AFRICAN TOURISM COMMISSION

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.

Hon.Walter Mzembi, receiving Academic regalia in Harare Ceremony for Zimbabwe World Best Tourist Destination in 2014.

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 full text of the interview of Zimbabwe Minister of Tourism and Hospitality, Walter Mzembi, was presented to the diplomats attendingAmbassadors Meeting and Working Lunch on Tourism on 9th February 2016 at European Council on Tourism and Trade.

 

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.

In May 2014 for his achievements in tourism industry and for obtaining for Zimbabwe World Best Tourist Destination status, Hon. Walter Mzembi become the first African minister to seat in the European Council on Tourism and Trade Academy.

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.

Her comments were mirrored by other ministers from the Seychelles, Zambia’s permanent secretary in the ministry of Tourism and officials from other countries reports Zimbabwe Press.

The full ITN interview of Academician Walter Mzembi can be read by clicking here