COMESA launches tourist guide to market the region as single destination

By Jean-Pierre Afadhali [caption id="attachment_40144" align="alignleft" width="300"] right Dr.Amany Asfour Charperson of CBC,middle Ms Florizele Liser ,President and CEO of Corporate Council on Africa,a US business association focusing on connecting USA and AFrican business interests,and on the leFt Ms Sandra Uwera CBC,CEO.Photo Pierre Afadhali[/caption] The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa(COMESA) has unveiled a toursim and wildlife heritage  guide to market the region’s tourism  sector , in one of largest regional economic integration  on the continent to the world as  a single destination. The Tourism and wildlife Heritage Handbook  launched  by COMESA Business  Concil (CBC), a business member organization and private sector  institution of the economic block at the ongoing Annual World Toursim Conference in Kigali,Rwanda  will be used by hospitality players to sell  19 -country region as a single toursim destination to the global market. The guide is launched  as business leaders and policymakers from Africa are discussing ways to unlock the continent’s tourism potential amid increasing travel and visa access hurdles that are hindering the growth of tourism on the continent . “This is in the spirit of promoting cross- border tourism,” said Ms. Sandra Uwera, CEO of CBC at the guide  launch. The guide is expected to help COMESA member countries  tap into its tourism ressources , attract investors in hospitality sector,sell the block as a one destination. “ This is about wildlife that we are trying to conserve”  said Dr. Amany Asfour ,CBC Chairperson  adding “toursim is our roadmap to growth and prosperity,” She  further noted the guide would bring about socio-economic transformation.”It’s not the book we are launching today,it is the whole tourism sector,” COMESA hopes to create sustainable toursim marketing strategy,  incorporate sustainable tourism elements and promote the region as single destination ,develop a database and COMESA online portal and participate in trade fairs as a region to boost the region marketing . The book contains facts for every member state on  population,languages ,religion,currency and tourist arrivals , highlits  key  wildlife and heritage attractions . COMESA officials said the tourism handbook will be a guide to all tour operators in the region, domestic and international tourists. Dr. Amany hopes it will fast track economic integration in tourism sector . According to estimates COMESA market has 492,5 million people  and the GDP of $ 657.4 billion ,with the area of 12 million square kilometers,a tourism potential with  countless attractions that could increase the region’s toursim receipts . Meanwhile the regional block  is  pushing for one single tourist visa that would allow tourists to visit the whole region without visa  access challenge that has been cited as a key hindrance to  the growing intra-africa .