Africa-Press – Angola. The Minister of State and head of the Civil House of the President of the Republic, Adão de Almeida, appealed Thursday, in the province of Huíla, to every Angolan to be an “ambassador” of national tourism.
Speaking at the opening of the VII edition of the International Tourism Exchange (BITUR) that the city of Lubango hosts, he said that Angolans must be the first interested in knowing and exploring the country’s tourism potential.
He argued that if domestic tourism is a vibrant reality, foreign tourism will more easily emerge.
He considered that it is in this capacity that the Angolan’s primary function is to promote the country, culture, history, fauna, flora and all other tourist assets.
“Global tourism is increasingly competitive and we are all too few to make Angolan tourism a sector capable of competing with other nations. If every tourist who comes to Angola leaves with a good image of our hospitality, they are a potential promoter of tourism wherever they go”, she highlighted.
According to Adão de Almeida, this requires a “bolder and more pragmatic strategy”, capable of offering comparative advantages and, thus, encouraging investors to choose Angola as the destination for their investment.
For the minister, every tourist who does not come to Angola is a lost opportunity to contribute to the growth of the economy, generate employment for youth, raise foreign exchange and make the country prosper.
Therefore, he suggested that the Ministry of Tourism work with the Territorial Administration, provincial governments and municipal administrations, to encourage greater engagement in local administration bodies in promoting local tourism.
“We must put each province and each municipality on the tourism map, challenging them to take their part in promoting and developing tourism in Angola, from the outset, encouraging the development of Provincial and Municipal Tourism Plans” , urged the leader.
He highlighted the interest and importance that the Executive gives to the tourism sector, as was done recently with the exemption of tourist visas for citizens of 98 countries and the work to improve the business environment.
Minister suggests implementing a “simplifies tourism”
Still within the framework of promoting tourist activity, the Minister of State and head of the Civil House of PR defended the need to work on the preparation, approval and execution of a project to simplify Public Administration procedures aimed exclusively at the tourism sector.
He pointed out that a “simplify – tourism” can improve the entire chain of public-administrative intervention in the different branches, from the local to the central level, so that the State – private sector relationship “is more pleasant”.
Adão de Almeida says that it is important to continue working to improve the approach of Tourist Poles, as the existing model needs to be rethought, as it creates overlap between public institutions and generates doubts in competences, therefore emphasizing the role of the sector private.
For the government official, in this segment, the role of the public sector must be limited to regulation, promotion, encouragement and the elimination of difficulties.
Continue working to improve crucial infrastructure for boosting tourism, such as the Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport, as well as on several different projects of different dimensions to improve energy and water supply systems, improving sanitation in cities and increasing transport availability are other elements to be taken into account, according to the director.
On the other hand, he stated that the available data reveal that there is a deficit in training provision, which is why it is essential to work so that the training supply at secondary levels and related professional training is available in all provinces of the country.
In this chapter, he urged greater attention to employees of diplomatic missions, the Migration and Foreign Service, taxi drivers, hotel receptionists, room attendants, cooks, hotel managers, restaurant employees, tourist guides and citizens themselves.
The International Tourism Exchange (BITUR), an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism, in partnership with Eventos Arena, focuses on promoting the country’s tourism potential, exposing the services of companies and other actors that, directly or indirectly, intervene in the tourism chain.
There are 100 pavilions with participants from Angola, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cape Verde, Brazil, Portugal and Spain.
The event, with the motto “Tourism as a determining factor for the diversification of the economy in Angola”, will address the role of the State in boosting tourism and financial institutions in supporting tourism projects.
The event will also witness the launch of the Malanje Tourist Route and the signing of a memorandum of understanding in the field of technical-professional training between INFOTUR and INEFOP.
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