SPAIN: ZANZIBAR First Vice-President, Mr Othman Masoud Othman, is attending the international ‘Sun&Blue’ meeting on ‘Blue Tourism and Blue Economy’ in Spain, aiming to bring valuable knowledge back to Tanzania for the development of its Blue Economy agenda.
The ‘Sun&Blue’ is an annual international event focused on Blue Tourism and the Blue Economy, held in Europe.
The conference gathers key stakeholders from coastal tourism destinations, infrastructure management, port activities, hotels, gastronomy, sports and conservation of ocean resources to move from theoretical discussions to actionable solutions.
Mr Othman who is leading the Tanzanian delegation, is attending the event which opened on Wednesday and will climax today. This year’s meeting provides a platform for participants to share strategies, success stories and build connections to drive innovation, sustainability and impactful development within Blue Tourism.
“This is an important meeting where we from Tanzania can learn and apply the knowledge gained to advance our Blue Economy initiatives,” Mr Othman expressed his optimism.
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The delegation includes Ambassador Ally Jabir Mwadin, Tanzania’s Ambassador to France and Spain, as well as Zanzibar’s Minister for Tourism and Heritage, Mr Mudrik Ramadhan Soraga and the Director General of the Zanzibar Environmental Management Authority (ZEMA), Mr Sheha Mjaja Juma.
Mr Othman is scheduled to participate in meetings, roundtables, conferences and other parallel events to explore how Zanzibar can leverage these insights for future development. A global environmental expert and one of the speakers at the conference, Professor Gunter Pauli praised Tanzania for their long-standing cooperation.
Since arriving in Tanzania in 1993 to support seaweed farming and combat illegal fishing, Prof Pauli has contributed to creating over 23,000 jobs in tourism, seaweed farming and the Blue Economy.
“I urge the Zanzibar government and its citizens to capitalise on its geographical advantages, tourist attractions and pristine environment to enhance its Tourism Industry and stimulate economic growth,” Prof Pauli remarked.
Prof Pauli, a renowned author in the fields of Environment, Blue Economy, Tourism and Technology, has also pledged to assist Zanzibar in connecting with international development opportunities through various global institutions with which he collaborates.
The ‘Sun&Blue’ congress attracts a wide range of stakeholders in sustainable tourism, including political leaders, destination management organisations, scientific institutions, associations and private companies.
The exchange of ideas, experiences and best practices at the congress is expected to foster new projects and initiatives in sustainable tourism, driving innovation and collaboration across sectors.
