By Angela Atabo
Participants at the just concluded Africa Tourism and Creative Economy Expo (AFTCREE) in Abuja have called on African governments to ensure seamless access to funds earmarked for developing the tourism and creative sectors.
They made the call in a communique jointly issued and signed at the end of the expo by the Chairman and Secretary of the Communique Draft Committee, Mr Amos Sakaba and Uwemedimo Ukpong respectively in Abuja on Saturday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the maiden edition of the Africa Tourism and Creative Economy Expo (AFTCREE), which held in Abuja attracted participants from 17 countries, 15 Nigerian states, and diverse public and private sector organisations.
The participants also resolved that African governments should introduce reforms, incentives, and enabling policies that attract domestic and foreign investments, as well as grants and support from development partners.
“African governments should prioritise tourism and the creative sectors by mainstreaming them into their respective economies for the purpose of raising Africa’s share of global trade from less than 3 per cent to 10 per cent by 2030.
“And expand its share of global tourism revenue from 5 per cent to at least 20 per cent by 2030, with the potential to significantly reduce poverty, create jobs, and advance the UN Sustainable Development Agenda.
“Governments across Africa should emulate Nigeria’s model by consolidating relevant agencies within the Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy sectors under a single coordinating structure for enhanced synergy, efficiency and productivity.
“African countries should institutionalise robust legal and regulatory systems that support the growth, protection, and sustainability of the tourism and creative industries,” participants said.
According to them, AFTCREE should be institutionalised as an annual continental event to enable Africa monitor, measure, evaluate and rank each country’s annual performance using the CultourMetre for tracking progress, ahead of the 2030 target.
NAN reports that the Africa Tourism and Creative Economy Expo, organised by Afrocultour, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Arts Culture Tourism and Creative Economy, convened a continental assembly dedicated to celebrating Africa’s immense potential, cultural richness, and creative excellence.
The expo, which had “Optimising Africa’s Comparative and Competitive Advantage for Accelerated Trade and Economic Growth,” as its theme, reaffirmed the continent’s capacity to position itself as a global force in Tourism, Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy.
The expo emphasised the transformative power of collaboration and the strategic need to convert Africa’s tourism assets and resources, human capital, and innovation into sustainable engines of economic development.
The event also served as a vibrant platform for exchanging ideas, showcasing groundbreaking innovations, fostering enduring partnerships, and deepening regional integration.
AFTCREE brought together diplomats, captains of industry, development partners state governments, policymakers, investors, creative scholars and a broad spectrum of stakeholders committed to unlocking Africa’s prosperity through trade in services and creativity. (NAN)
Edited by Deji Abdulwahab
