Menongue - One hundred and 32 million US dollars were approved by the President of the Republic, aiming to boost the implementation of the 2023-2027 National Plan for the Promotion of Tourism for the Angolan Okavango-Zambezi Region.
The information was revealed today, in the city of Menongue, capital of Cuando Cubango, by the Minister of State for the Social Area, Dalva Ringote, during the opening of the First Forum of Investors of the Angolan Okavango Region, taking place from January 17 to 22, on an initiative of the President of the Republic, João Lourenço.
According to the minister, the National Plan for the Promotion of Tourism in the Okavango-Zambezi area includes a set of actions, with emphasis on the rehabilitation of access roads, national roads that integrate Angola and the neighbouring countries of Namibia and Zambia, which are part of the project.
Of the amount, according to Dalva Ringote, 100 million will be used in the earthworks of 430 kilometers of access roads that connect the main areas of tourist interest in the cross-border region of the Okavango, as well as for the construction of the border posts of Dirico, Mucusso, Bwabwata and Bico de Angola, the latter area in the municipality of Rivungo.
For the Minister of State, the Okavango-Zambezi project stands out as an initiative for transnational tourism development and preservation of ecosystems, through Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, which share a vast wealth of biodiversity.
She highlighted, from the vast wealth in terms of biodiversity, water resources and fauna, for the development of the green economy, ecotourism and environmental sustainability, in its different dimensions.
Dalva Ringote stressed that the tourism sector represents one of the main priorities of the Angolan Executive, within the scope of the National Development Plan 2023-2027, with a view to boosting it within the framework of the economic diversification process, taking into account its greater contribution at the level of gross domestic product.
Therefore, the Minister of State for the Social Area called on private economic agents, national or foreign, to play their role in the development of this important sector of economic activity, under the scope of free private initiative, constitutionally protected.
“The tourism sector has played a relatively important role in boosting the global economy, ranking among the four fastest growing sectors of economic activity, being responsible for the employability of 10 percent of the global workforce, mainly providing employment opportunities for young people”, he highlighted.
She said that the tourist resources available in Angola and the Okavango-Zambezi Region, the beautiful natural landscapes, the diversity of fauna and flora, culture and art, music, beaches, traditional values, the history of the people, gastronomy , as well as hospitality, contribute to a dynamic and promising tourism sector, allowing the offer of a wide range of tourist products and services.
These potentialities, says the minister, make Angola an important international destination, with the necessary potential for private foreign investment, towards the diversification of the economy, the employability of young people, the integration and development of rural communities.
She emphasized , as one of the great gains to boost the tourism sector, as a result of the Angolan Executive's strategy, the exemption from tourist visas for 98 countries, allowing greater dynamism of tourist activity in the country, its opening to the world, the exchange of cultures and integration between peoples, which leads Angola to be among the top 10 tourist destinations this year.
Dalva Ringote acknowledged, on the occasion, that there are still challenges to overcome, but that the actions of the Angolan Executive have been satisfactorily received in the major international markets and, in recent years, projects with external private financing have been implemented, reflecting on the trust of institutions foreign companies in the Angolan market.
She reaffirmed, on the occasion, the Executive's commitment to regional economic integration, through the sustainable management of cross-border natural resources and the development of transactional tourism, at the level of the Southern African region.
The minister also reminded investors of other tourist areas in the country, such as the Kalandula Falls, in Malange, Praia Morena (Benguela), the Flamingos (Lobito and Namibe), Baía Azul, Serra da Leba and other places and landscapes that enchant and integrate the Angolan songbook.
Dalva Rigonte highlighted that the 1st Investor Forum for the Angolan Okavango Region represents an important occasion for knowledge, analysis, reflection and discussion regarding the potential and business opportunities in international tourism, as it is one of the main tourist destinations in Africa, which provides countless economic advantages for the countries that make up the group.
Finally, she called on participants to obtain better results in the Okavango-Zambezi Region, through the development of free enterprise, the creation of national or international inter-company partnerships, Joint Ventures and other legal-economic modalities, with a view to make this region a privileged place for tourism. FF/PLB/DOJ
