A New Somalia, a New President is an Opportunity for Tourism

President Somalia
AU-UN IST PHOTO / STUART PRICE.
Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

World Tourism Network congratulates the newly elected Somalia President Professor Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and sees a new day to relaunch travel and tourism for this African destination.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was born 29 November 1965.  He is the founder and current chairman of the Union for Peace and Development Party. He was elected as President of the Federal Republic of Somalia on May 15, 2022, defeating the incumbent President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. A civil and political rights activist, Hassan was previously a university professor and dean.

In April 2013, Hassan was named in the Time 100, Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. His efforts at advancing national reconciliation, anti-corruption measures, and socio-economic and security sector reforms in Somalia were cited as reasons for the selection.[

He was born in Jalalaqsi, a small agricultural town situated in central Hiran in present-day Somalia, during the trusteeship period, and comes from a middle-class background. Hassan is married to Qamar Ali Omar and has 9 children. He speaks Somali and English.

The World Tourism Network is pleased with the election of President Professor Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and congratulated them.

Somalia needs to break away from its troubled past, and the election of a new President is seen as a positive way forward. The leadership at the World Tourism Network (WTN) has been following developments in Somalia and is today echoing sentiments of hope for a new departure in peace and security for Somalia and its people.

World Tourism Network (WTN) is proud to have the Somalia Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (SATTA) among its members.

WTN Vice President Alain St. Ange said: “Challenges including the Al Shabab matter are many, but the will and determination of the people must be given the chance for bringing about stability and peace for the benefit of everyone.

“Africa is today relaunching itself after the two odd years of lockdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The great continent needs all its individual states to board the vehicle for this journey of revival for tomorrow and the years to come. Under your Presidency we are hoping that Somalia will also get on board this vehicle for greater prosperity.”

Alain St.Ange, Vice President of International Relations at World Tourism Network is based in Seychelles.

The only member from Somalia is SATTA:

Somalia Association of Travel and Tourism Agents (SATTA) is an association representing travel and tourism agencies operating in Somalia, and we want to expand our service and interact with other international associations, and be a member of this organization World Tourism Network get experience from you.

Somalia Association of Travel and Tourism Agents (SATTA) is an association representing travel and tourism agencies operating in Somalia.
It was established in 2013 with the fundamental aim of improving the travel and tourism sectors. SATTA is a private, independent organization founded in Somalia through a formal agreement between the country’s private travel agencies, to allow the organization to represent the travel and tourism agency’s interests at the national as well as international levels.

Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is a country in the Horn of Africa. The country is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa’s mainland. 

According to the Somalia Ministry of Information, Department of Tourism the country has all the potential of a future tourism destination

Before the central government of Somalia collapsed in the 1990s, Somalia had a sizable Tourism Industry. A good number of wide-ranging Tourism locations had been developed ranging from inland locations, beaches, and wildlife. That Tourism industry is no longer the same as it had been affected by the civil war that raged in Somalia for the last nearly 30 years.

However, at the moment there are plenty of tourism opportunities in the country’s economic growth spheres to ensure the creation of a quality tourism environment it is necessary to set up a tourism policy in the country. The formerly known Tourism locations can be easily revived and the tourism department has already begun work with the help of the Federal Government of Somalia in particular the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.

A news Tourism Policy has been developed by the ministry and will present to the cabinet of the Federal Government of Somalia for approval. This policy specifies the overall regulation, management, and revival of the tourism industry by consulting with all the stakeholders including the private sector.

The vision of the National Tourism Policy is Somalia hosts international tourists in the year 2030” which means the country has to reach a level of recognition for tourism in Africa.

The tourism sector is based on a long vision, starting from the development and revival of the tourism sector in the country by the year 2030. To realize the long-term vision of the tourism sector is essential to reform and rebrand the country’s tourism sector.

The Department of Tourism plans to consult with all stakeholders to jointly establish tourist destinations that can attract International Tourists in accordance with the National Development Plan (NDP), which identifies the need for Somalia’s economic growth, improving employment conditions, fighting poverty and income generation with equality of the regions in the country and generally the improving the economy of the country.

The Ministry of Information Culture and Tourism recognized the significant impact of the policy on socio-economic development and the community and plan to develop Somalia Tourism to an International level.

World Tourism Network related it was ready with its available resources to assist Somalia in rebuilding its travel and tourism industry.

About the author

Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x
Share to...