Zurab Pololikashvi, secretary-general of UN tourism, has called on African countries to use tourism as a tool for fostering peace and unity across the continent.

Mr Pololikashvi made the call on Thursday at the on-going 68th Meeting of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for Africa (CAF) and Thematic Conference in Abuja.

The event, being held from June 11 to 13, is with the theme “Boosting Social Impact and Education on Tourism through AI, Innovation and Creative Industries in Africa.”

According to Mr Pololikashvi, besides its economic benefits, tourism encourages cross-cultural exchange, builds bridges between communities and nations, leading to more peaceful and harmonious relationships.

He noted that as the world was facing different conflicts, tourism was a veritable tool that could be used to foster peace and security.

“Today we have more wars than ever after the Second World War and it is not only Ukraine and Gaza, 58 conflicts are happening around the world.

“Tourism is playing a very positive role in peace building, our mix theme of education, innovation, creativity in this conference is very apt..

“In Africa we should use tourism for security, for culture and for peace”, he said.

The UN tourism chief, who underscored tourism as the future of Africa, said that the continent is indeed the new frontier in world tourism, given its huge potential and limitless opportunities for innovation and creativity.

He, therefore, urged stakeholders across the continent to address issues related to connectivity across the region by reviewing existing visa regimes in a bid to ease the movement of tourists across Africa and beyond.

According to him, tourism allows people to experience different cultures, traditions, and perspectives, which can broaden their horizons and promote empathy and acceptance.

“In Nigeria, you mentioned that you have over 240 different ethnic groups; imagine how great your country is that you have this, which means different cultures, different regions, people think differently.

“There is talent here, but these talents need support, investment. Investment in books, investment in computing, artificial intelligence, innovative things.

“If these people are under 25 years old, 45 or 50 percent of the population of Africa is under 25 years old.

“If they don’t have computers, if they don’t have mobiles, if they don’t have internet, how will they develop and export their knowledge outside the country?

“They only have to be very strong, they only have to inject and invest, and that’s why we’re organising these forums”, he said.

In her remarks, Hannatu Musawa, minister of art, culture, tourism, and creative economy, said Nigeria, being a multi-ethnic state, was using cultural tourism to promote peaceful coexistence.

The minister, therefore, called for collaboration among industry stakeholders and governments across Africa to reposition the continent’s tourism as a catalyst for regional peace and unity..

She noted that integrated visa regimes, cross-border tourism corridors, and shared storytelling platforms are needed among African countries for tourism to thrive across the continent

“For us in Nigeria, 240 different tribes that need to understand and experience and see things from the perspective of the other.

“Tourism is a way that we can do that, to bring that unity together, to bring that understanding together.

“As Africans, our story has always been written for us, and we have always been told who we are, but we know who we are.

“We are a people of great values, traditions, ideals, and have a lot to offer, so we need the global community to understand that from our own perspective, from our own experiences.

“When you develop a tourist destination, when you develop domestic tourism, you are invariably going to employ people within that community for that specific destination.

“When you do that, you give them a sense of ownership, and when they have a sense of ownership, they are inclined to protect it more” she said.

The event features technical sessions, as well as panel discussions on public-private partnership in the tourism and the creative industries.

Others include discussions on ‘pioneers in AI driven solutions in the toursm and creative industries.

(NAN)