ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 01 2013 – Zimbabwe
and Zambia will offer free visas to delegates
and visitors to the six-day United Nations World
Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) summit in Victoria
Falls in August, it has been announced.
The two said they would also co-host the August
UNWTO meeting as a “truly African event”, meant
to showcase the best the continent can offer.
Briefing the African Union Commission’s Deputy
Chairman, Erasmus Mwencha, at the AU’s head
office in Addis Ababa on Tuesday, a joint
delegation from the two countries said they had
made a lot of progress towards the successful
hosting of the August 24-29 event.
This will only be the second time that the
summit has been held in Africa, after Senegal in
2005. It will be co-hosted in the tourism
resort town of Victoria Falls, which is on the
banks of the Zambezi River shared by the two
countries.
The delegation, led by Zambia’s Deputy Minister
of Tourism and Arts, David Phiri, briefed AU
Commission executives that the two countries had
worked out a visa regime that would not
frustrate travellers to the two countries for
the summit.
Thousands of people are expected to throng
Victoria Falls and Livingstone (on the Zambian
side) for the UNWTO meeting.
Said Phiri: “Realising the importance of a visa
regime that will not frustrate visitors,
Zimbabwe and Zambia have worked round it. We
will issue gratis visas for the delegates.”
Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry
of Tourism and Hospitality, Mukahanana Sangarwe
– who is part of the joint delegation to the AU
– said the UNWTO summit was being branded as
uniquely African event.
“We want to showcase Africa … we want people to
see Africa,” she said.
Mwencha said the fact that the summit was being
held in the name of Africa, was a great tribute
to the continent.
Zimbabwe and Zambia see tourism as a key
economic driver that will help create jobs and
improve both countries’ international image.
