UN TOURISM SECRETARY-GENERAL ARRIVES IN ZIMBABWE FOR HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS

THE newly appointed Secretary-General of UN Tourism, Shaikha Al Nowais, arrived in the country on Sunday for a series of high-level engagements set to redefine sustainable and inclusive tourism across Africa and beyond.

She was received at Victoria Falls Airport by the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Barbara Rwodzi, marking the beginning of a pivotal week for Zimbabwe’s tourism sector.

From Monday, Zimbabwe will host two major UN Tourism events concurrently: the Committee on Sustainable Tourism and the Second African Conference on Empowering Women in Tourism Businesses.

The conferences underscore the country’s growing prestige as a safe and respected global destination.

Minister Rwodzi expressed elation at the Secretary-General’s arrival, highlighting the significance of Zimbabwe’s continued partnership with UN Tourism.

“We are overjoyed right now as we have just received the team from UN Tourism again, yet again in our country since July 2024. The Secretary-General, who is a new lady in charge of UN Tourism, has just arrived with this whole team,” said Minister Rwodzi.

She said Zimbabwe is a proud member of the 11-nation Committee on Sustainable Tourism.

“We are happy to be hosting this very important meeting, which happens every year in various countries. The last meeting was in Costa Rica, and now it has come to our country, which signifies how much Zimbabwean tourism is respected worldwide and it also markets our destination, as the tourist sees that UN Tourism is continuously coming to Zimbabwe.

It means Zimbabwe is peaceful. It means Zimbabwe has good people. It means Zimbabwe is safe for international tourists,” she said.

The second concurrent event focuses on women’s empowerment in the tourism industry across Africa, the second such gathering after last year’s inaugural meeting in Sierra Leone.

“United Nations Tourism is giving capacity building to these women to promote them from just being women who are empowered, but women who are involved at a corporate level, who are involved at decision-making level in governments or NGOs, or at any level in the business of tourism,” she said.

She added that Zimbabwe’s First Lady, who is the patron of the tourism and hospitality industry, will address thousands of delegates on Wednesday, 29 February.

“We have thousands and thousands of women who are coming on this day, but also our excitement is coming from other women who are coming to attend this conference from across the continent of Africa,” she said.

She said Victoria Falls will also host the first-ever planning meeting for the UN-declared 2027 Year of Resilience and Sustainable Tourism, running alongside the committee session.

“That is an excitement because it’s the first ever meeting to be held about this Year of Resilience and Sustainable Tourism, which was declared by the United Nations General Assembly. The whole of 2027 will be about resilience and sustainable tourism, and the first meeting is being held here. And we have five continent representatives,” she said.