Africa-Press – Angola. The Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, toured the shifting dunes of the Iona National Park on Saturday, at the wheel of a four-wheeled motorbike, encouraging young people to invest in domestic tourism.
With the First Lady, Ana Dias Lourenço, in tow, the President appreciated the scenic beauty and biodiversity of this natural conservation area, after the inauguration of 26 infrastructures to support the management of the Iona National Park.
Speaking to the press, João Lourenço said that it was a pleasant sensation, which he felt for only the second time, after having already done so in the past in Mozambique.
Therefore, he encouraged youth, in particular, and Angolans in general, to invest in tourism, as this segment is not just aimed at foreigners.
He said that after attention has been paid to Iona Park, others such as the national parks of Cangandala, Luengué-Luciana, Bicuar and Cameia will follow, and public tenders should be held to award these tasks.
On Saturday, João Lourenço witnessed the repopulation of Iona National Park with 13 giraffes from South Africa and toured the inaugurated infrastructures.
These activities marked the first of two days of the program that the Head of State has to carry out in the province of Namibe.
The Iona National Park is an extensive area covering more than 15 thousand square kilometers and home to a huge diversity of elements of the Angolan fauna, with the oryx as the keystone and the welwitchia mirabillis plant as the ex-libris of its flora.
The management of the important natural reserve is the responsibility of the Non-Governmental Organization Afrikan Parks, as a result of an agreement signed by this entity with the Government of Angola four years ago.
In addition to working to repopulate the park, protect fauna and flora, taking into account the dangers that arise from human action (poachers, uncontrolled grazing, felling of trees and bushes), Afrikan Parks also aims to create conditions that promote tourism, attracting visitors in increasing numbers, whether national or from abroad.
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