Brand Africa takes centre stage as UN Tourism unlocks region’s potential

The African continent is set to take the centre stage as the 2nd UN Tourism Regional Conference on Brand Africa holds this July.

The conference will be held in Livingstone, Zambia from July 22 to 24, 2024, under the theme: “Promoting Africa to unlock tourism investments and the sector’s growth potential”.

Also, the conference, which holds within the framework of the 67th Meeting of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for Africa, will see the specialized agency of the United Nations, bringing together sector leaders to emphasise the importance of collaboration to unlock investment and growth potential across the region and to amplify the voice of Brand Africa.

The second edition of the Regional Conference on Brand Africa will further advance UN Tourism’s work supporting its Members from across the region in setting the direction of travel for the years ahead. Alongside Member States, the conference will also feature the participation of Affiliate Members from civil society and business, as well as other private sector leaders.

The theme, ‘Promoting Africa to Unlock Tourism Investments and the Sector’s Growth Potential’, emphasizes the importance of collaboration and innovation throughout the continent.

The conference will feature a Brand Africa Think Tank. This closed-door forum will bring together top CEOs, national tourism organization general managers, and private sector stakeholders.

The focus will be on developing effective communication, marketing, and branding strategies to rebuild market confidence and reinvigorate tourism in the post-pandemic era. This initiative aims to position Africa as a top global destination by highlighting the continent’s natural assets and cultural attractions.

The conference will also include a session focused on global tourism investment trends, with a particular emphasis on Zambia. This session will provide insights into sustainable development opportunities and strategies to attract and secure tourism investments. Key points to be discussed at the meetings include: sustainable tourism development strategies, enhancing Africa’s global tourism competitiveness, innovation in tourism marketing and branding, post-pandemic recovery strategies for the tourism sector and investment opportunities and challenges in African tourism.

To conclude the conference, UN Tourism will launch its “Doing Business Guidebook for Zambia”, which offers insights and practical guidelines for sustainable development within Zambia’s tourism sector.