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Text Nina van Schalkwyk | Photo Paul van Schalkwyk
P artnerships with the private sector, focused marketing and strategic investment were identified as the main objectives of the Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa, RETOSA.
At their annual meeting in Johannesburg in July, 2011 representatives from member states agreed that since tourism plays a vital role in stimulating the economies in the region, it was important to increase the region’s share of global tourist arrivals from two to five percent. The new strategy will lean more on the private sector in an effort to enhance the region as a prime destination.
Current RETOSA Chairman, Sem Shikongo, Namibia’s Tourism Director, said after the meeting that the organisation’s main objectives are to increase the competitiveness of the region and improve the global tourism market share. To reach these goals, private sector involvement was critical, he said.
According to the United Nations Tourism Organisation, global international tourist arrivals were up by 4.6% in 2015, passing the billion-mark, and increasing earnings to US$1.5 trillion. The forecast is that tourism will continue to grow by at least 4% annually, reaching 1.8 billion by 2030. RETOSA plans to take full advantage of the opportunity tourism holds for the SADC region.
About RETOSA:
The Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa is a Southern African Development Community (SADC) institution responsible for tourism growth and development, as well as marketing across Southern Africa Member States: Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic Of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
The primary objective of RETOSA is to facilitate and promote the development of fair and ethical tourism in the region, in relation to the overall development of the people, and that of the region’s natural and cultural resources.
Visit the RETOSA website for more information on the management team and representatives of member countries: www.retosa.co.za
