UNWTO first Pan African conference on sustainable tourism set for Arusha

(eTN) – The recently concluded ITB in Berlin brought good news for Tanzania the agreement has been reached between the United Nations World Tourism Organization and the Government of Tanzania to hold the first ever UNWTO Pan African Conference on Sustainable Tourism Management in National Parks and Protected Areas to the East African ‘Safari Capital’ of Arusha.

The composition of the preparatory team was announced over the weekend in Dar es Salaam by the Minister for Tourism Ezekiel Maige, naming amongst others the TTB, TANAPA, the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism and even the Forestry Department, besides drawing in leading stakeholders for the event planning.

The conference is due to open on October 15th and will run until October 19th inclusive. Stakeholders in Arusha expressed excitement about the news, anticipating a series of pre and post conference tours for delegates to be taken up to see the spectacular sights of the baobab forests in Tarangire, the tree climbing lions of Manyara, the world’s largest caldera at Ngorongoro and the migration of the wildebeest and zebras in the Serengeti.

The high profile event is expected to bring together the delegates from 50 countries and a large gathering of tourism stakeholders from the wider region, allowing Tanzania to showcase not just her own attractions but also represent a united East Africa as one region.