Gastronomy tourism tops UNWTO meeting

DELEGATES attending the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 65th Commission for Africa Meeting will have a rare chance of exploring the continent’s culinary traditions as the high-profile meeting begins today in Arusha.

Briefing reporters on Tuesday, Natural Resources and Tourism Minister Pindi Chana disclosed that the delegates which also include fellow ministers from more than 50 countries in Africa will get a chance of appreciating African cuisines and food culture, through a tour of African Gastronomy.

The Committee on Tourism and Competitiveness (CTC) of UNWTO defines Gastronomy Tourism as a type of tourism activity which is characterized by the visitor’s experience linked with food and related products and activities while travelling.

Along with authentic, traditional, and innovative culinary experiences, Gastronomy Tourism may also involve other related activities such as visiting the local producers, participating in food festivals and attending cooking classes.

The UN agency on Tourism says Gastronomy is about much more than food.

It reflects the culture, heritage, traditions and sense of community of different peoples.

It is a way of promoting understanding among different cultures, and of bringing people and traditions closer together. Gastronomy tourism is also emerging as an important protector of cultural heritage, and the sector helps create opportunities, including jobs, most notably in rural destinations.

“We’ve so much on the menu, but of interest will be the Tour of African Gastronomy,” the Minister disclosed.

According to Minister Chana, President Samia Suluhu Hassan is expected to officiate the meeting, which will also gauge the continent’s performance since Covid- 19 pandemic outbreak.

On his part, Arusha Regional Commissioner (RC) John Mongella said the region was ready to host the high-profile meeting, with hotel establishments getting filled up with a number of delegates attending the conference.

The regional commissioner equally assured round-the-clock security.

Tanzania was selected to host this year’s session of the UNWTO Commission for Africa Meeting, during the 64th Commission Meeting in Sal Island, Cabo Verde.

The annual event is considered to be a major institutional platform, where ministries in charge of tourism discuss the latest trends of the sector at the continental and global level and the implementation of their programme of work.

Tanzania is one of the leading tourist destinations in Africa and has been a member of the UN tourism body since 1975.

The Third Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP III of 2020/2021 to 2025/2026), among other things, aspires to promote new tourism products development and diversification for sustainable growth and promote the southern tourist circuit as an alternative to other circuits through the REGROW initiative.

Tourism accounts for more than 17 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 25 per cent of foreign earnings. The sector possesses significant potential to contribute to the national economy and foreign receipts on account of the unique natural attractions present in the country relative to elsewhere on the continent.

The tourist attractions present in the country include national parks and game reserves, plants, mountains, valleys, waterfalls, and coastal areas.

To promote sector competitiveness and linkages, the FYDP III is prioritising the development and implementation of clear tourism legal and regulatory frameworks and strengthening public-private dialogue and collaboration.

Tanzania targets an increase in income from the sector to notch 6 billion US dollars (about 14tri/-) from 5,000,000 tourists come 2025, up from the current 1,527,230 arrivals and an income of 2.6 billion US dollars (about 5tri/-).

According to target indicators for the tourism sector, by 2025/26 real growth rate is projected to rise from the current 1.5 per cent to 2 per cent.

The plan envisages an average number of nights to be spent by a tourist to go up from 13 to 14, while average expenditure per tourist per day (non-package/package) (US) will increase from the current 216/379 to 326/455 in 2025/26.

The sector is envisaged to employ a total of 1,750,000 from the current 1,500,000, the share of foreign exchange earnings in percentage will rise to 27 from the current 25.

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