Tanzania calls on African nations to develop cross-border travel packages to jmarket the continent’s tourism

PARIS: AFRICAN  nations have been urged to jointly market the continent as a single tourism destination by developing cross-border travel packages that connect several countries and increase tourist arrivals, length of stay and earnings.

Tanzania’s Ambassador to France Saidi Yakubu made the call during the Club Afrique meeting held on the sidelines of the International Tourism Exhibition IFTM Top Resa in Paris.

“African countries should complement rather than compete with one another in promoting the continent, stronger collaboration can help unlock greater opportunities in the global tourism market,” he said.

According to Ambassador Yakubu, joint tourism packages linking different African destinations will encourage visitors to explore several countries during one trip, thereby increasing the time they spend on the continent and tourism revenues.

Additionally, the meeting also discussed tourism diplomacy, promotion of Africa as a single destination, the contribution of the African Diaspora and investment in the tourism sector.

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Tourism ministers from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda attended the meeting, alongside ambassadors from about 17 African countries.

The discussions came as African destinations continue to explore ways of strengthening their presence in international tourism markets through greater regional cooperation.

Moreover, Ambassador Yakubu also used the occasion to meet major Tanzania tourism stakeholders participating in the event to discuss ways of strengthening the promotion of the country’s attractions in the French and wider international markets.

The engagement focused on expanding the visibility of Tanzania’s tourism offerings and identifying opportunities to reach more visitors from France and other international markets.