Africa wants strong tourism links with Caribbean states

ATB Executive President Cuthbert Ncube said that Africa and the Caribbean states should be connected through tourism

The African Tourism Board (ATB) is now connecting African and Caribbean states through tourism, banking on the historical and heritage bondage between African and Caribbean people.

Speaking at the Future of Tourism panel during the just-ended Global Tourism Resilience Conference in Jamaica, the ATB Executive President Mr. Cuthbert Ncube said that Africa and the Caribbean states should be connected together through tourism.

“I want to challenge our media fraternity. Please tell our good stories. We have so much to share, we have so much to explore. We are so excited. We want to cement this relationship,” Mr. Ncube said.

He said that tourism should open a window fortravel between Africa, Jamaica and the Caribbean states.

“Let us see how we can connect the disconnected, the proudly Africans,” he told the panel.

Africa was the fastest growing tourist destination in the world before the global COVID-19 pandemic and new synergy is needed to restore the situation through better approach, including air connectivity between Africa, the Caribbean states and other world tourist markets.

The ATB President further noted that Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways were operating their scheduled flights to America during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there were no positive stories of those African airlines at the continent.

“It is time now to fly the African flag”, Mr. Ncube added.

Other areas for quick action include visa harmonization and air connection between African destinations, Jamaica and the other Caribbean island nations.

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Memento Pratt said at the conference that more partners were needed to revitalize African tourism after the global COVID-19 pandemic.

She said Africa is now looking for recovery, while taking different approach, that would revitalize tourism growth.

African Tourism Board is a pan-African tourism organization with a mandate to marketing and promoting all the 54 Destinations, thereby changing the narratives.