Ministers of Tourism of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) defended on Tuesday, the strengthening of mobility for the "expansion of air connectivity" in the community, one of the proposed actions to reverse the devastating effect of covid-19 in the sector.
Meeting in Luanda, where they evaluated the contribution of tourism to the sustainable socio-economic recovery of the CPLP post-covid and the challenges and opportunities, the ministers considered the mobility agreement as a structuring element to boost tourism.
According to Lusa, the improvement of air connectivity, the revision of the visa regime, the dynamization of domestic tourism and the expansion of private partnerships were pointed out by the Mozambican deputy minister of Culture and Tourism, Freson Bacar, as some of the challenges.
Mozambique's tourism sector recorded sharp drops in tourists and revenue in 0% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) versus 4.5% and 5% prior to covid-19.
The figures were pointed out by Freson Bacar, saying that the African country is looking forward to returning to around 2 million tourists/year.
"We have been participating in several international events and there are a number of measures we have been taking in order to reconcile tourism and culture more," he told journalists.
Fernando Vaz, Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts and spokesperson for the Government of Guinea-Bissau, noted the relevance of the Luanda meeting for his country and for the community, defending the "free circulation of tourists in this community space.
"Our proposal is going to be very clear and we think that the issue of mobility makes the tourism between us and the connections, which are centuries old, more cemented and more easily provided," he stressed.
Tourism in Guinea-Bissau, which is in the process of recovery and creation of infrastructures to catapult the activity after losses of 100% originated by the pandemic, contributes 2.7% annually to the GDP, expecting to expand to 25%.
Cape Verde's Minister of Tourism and Transportation, Carlos Santos, pointed out essential measures to increase connectivity, especially at the community level for the promotion of tourism, praising the mobility agreement within the CPLP: "It is the essential structuring element to enable us to move around and we are doing it.
"And we must continue to defend that there is the materialization of this agreement for the circulation and mobility of people, which is the essential element for this mobility to exist," stressed the Cape Verdean governor in statements to journalists.
For her part, the Secretary of State for Tourism in Portugal, Rita Marques, considered in her speech that the CPLP member states should take advantage of the post-covid phase to be able to build the sector, especially with training and capacity building of human resources.
A tourism of proximity and territorial cohesion was also defended by the Portuguese governor.
Filipe Zau, Angolan Minister of Culture, Tourism and Environment, said that Angola is committed to developing public policies for the development of the tourism sector, considering the CPLP mobility agreement as a fundamental vehicle to foster tourism in the community space.