How Can African Tourism Sphere Benefit From Partnership With Russia? SA Official Tells

A partnership between Russia and Africa in the tourism sector has the potential to combat unemployment on the continent, said Barba Gaoganediwe, spokesperson for the Gauteng Province Tourism Authority in South Africa, in an interview with Sputnik Africa.

"Tourism is one of those few sectors where young people, irrespective of their major academic qualification, will have a chance. This for us as we open up markets for trade, for investment and tourism with Russia as Africa will also give an opportunity for young people and help us deal with the pervading challenges of unemployment in the continent," Gaoganediwe said.

Speaking about the Second Russia-Africa Summit, which took place in late July, and its influence on the tourism sector, the official highlighted that this platform could enable the "united" Africa to harness the industry's potential.

"This is a platform in which Africa in our united form as we seek to build brand Africa can take advantage of. We have always been insisting that we are stronger together. We are stronger if we are united, if we harness all the potential that is in the member countries of the African continent and in our formalized bilateral and multilateral structures, we will be able to harness the potential that tourism brings," he explained.

The spokesperson added that with the presence of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Regional Office in South Africa, the country is seeking ways to "leverage" opportunities in the field, provided during the summit.

"With the UNESCO Regional Office being here, we are looking at opportunities to coordinate better and leverage on some of the opportunities unlocked during the Russia Africa summit," he noted.

Moreover, Gaoganediwe underlined that the "main challenge" for the country and the continent in the tourism sector is to "harness the offering", which will "put [them] in pole position" and "lead up to better trade, investment and tourism flow between Africa and Russia."

Regarding ways to diversify tourism offerings, the official cited marine and ocean economy as potential areas for tourism collaboration.

"Areas like marine and the ocean economy. The cruise ships that are docking here in South Africa and utilizing our Red Sea collaboration will also be part of how we diversify the tourism offerings to include the ocean economy, to include the wildlife, to include collaboration on a heritage site," Gaoganediwe revealed.

Commenting on the possibility of tourism exchange between the continent and Russia, the spokesperson emphasized that the launch of a visa-free regime between South Africa and Russia has resulted in an increase in tourist flow, although it has not met the expected levels.

"We have seen just before COVID with the launch of a free visa between South Africa and Russia and that has shot up. Their arrival numbers, although not in the thousands that we want, but it is a significant gain that South Africans, for example, are able to go to Russia utilizing the bilateral and historic traditional comradeship that exists between the countries to leverage tourism," he said.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Angola to Introduce Visa-Free Travel for Russians: Reports

8 September 2023, 09:57

Additionally, the official emphasized that the African nation assessed the potential for collaboration between the Russian Hermitage museum and the South African Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, as well as Constitution Hill, a local museum housed in a former prison.

"We have, for example, looked at partnering opportunities between the Hermitage museum, probably the biggest museum in the world with our own Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site and the Constitution Hill, which used to be a prison of pain, and now it's a leading world-class museum where young people are able to express their cultural and creative prowess while utilizing the infrastructure that was used to house the likes of Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and many other struggle stalwarts," the spokesperson noted.

Furthermore, he underlined that South Africa is looking forward to the partnership with Russia in the field of "preservation of heritage sites and museums," after "formalizing cooperation [...] through the recently [established] Tourism Business Council of BRICS member states."

Gaoganediwe also noted that the country is examining the possibilities of the "opportunities to bring in the much-needed airlift between South Africa and Russia, and South Africa and Eastern Europe and Africa through connection from [the South African] OR Tambo International Airport."

Commenting on the tourism opportunities in Africa, the spokesman highlighted the abundance of "the breathtaking World Heritage sites" on the continent. This allows the states "to connect through culture and tourism experience," he noted, citing the trans-Kalahari park as an exmaple.

"Africa is the new frontier. It's a continent pregnant with opportunities, endowed with natural resources, and some of the breathtaking World Heritage sites and experiences are found on the mother continent. It's also an opportunity for nations to work together to connect through culture and tourism experience. The trans-Kalahari park which brings together a game reserve in Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa under one roof. It's a classic example of how our different countries get united by a unique offering of global wildlife of good standard," the official elaborated.

As for the South Africa in particular, he underlined that there are ten World Heritage sites and three other sites are expected to be declared, while "majority of the countries in their 50s and 100 years of existence do not even have ten quality World Heritage sites."

"So South Africa is proud to be part of the many World Heritage sites that are found on the African continent," the official added.

Moreover, the spokesperson revealed that the country aims to "have a strong African voice on a platform like the World Tourism Council," by increasing green investment and green opportunities and is looking forward to the "formalization of the South African tourism body, the African Regional Tourism Body" to facilitate united and effective engagement of the continent with the global tourism body.

Speaking about the significance of the tourism for Africa, the official stressed that the continent "set itself on a growth trajectory" in this industry, which is especially important against the "backdrop of a very stagnant economy fused by three years of COVID-19 and no trading, with the borders being closed and some of the air connectivity amongst the African countries not being good."

"Tourism with its low barriers to entry, its ability to connect nations and cultures, but also the fact that tourism is a finished good [...] it's a feel good sector where youth, women, entrepreneurs play a leading role set itself apart, especially in a youthful continent like Africa, where we can harness the energy and the exuberance of the millions of young people [...] in Africa to use tourism [...] broadly to sustain economic growth, especially now with a focus on tourism and green investment [...]," he concluded.