Tourism Promotion in the Southern African Region

1. Objectives
   To promote tourism industry in the SADC region by mean of collecting basic tourism information on the region, and human resources development / capacity-building of tourism authorities in the region, giving special emphasis on the tourist flows from the Asia / Pacific region. (This project serves as a model project which could be extended to Eastern / Western African regions in the foreseeable future.)
2. Activities / contents
   As the first step of capacity-building measures to the tourism authorities in the SADC region, Japanese government is considering to host and hold a "Tourism Promotion Seminar," , to share Japan's experience and knowledge of in-bound tourism promotion. Marketing strategy to attract Japanese and other Asian tourists will also be emphasized in the Seminar program. Further, Japan will consider inviting lecturers from Asian tourism organizations to participate in the Seminar, in view of sharing the Asian experience of the recent surge in the tourism industry in the region.
   Japan will further look into the possibility of dispatching Japanese experts to the SADC region, as a follow-up activity of the above mentioned Seminar, to further strengthen the capacity of African tourism authorities and promote tourism development in the region.
3. Expected outcomes / impacts
   This set of measures is expected to stimulate regional cooperation in the African tourism industry, thus increasing the attractiveness of the African region as a tourism destination as a whole.
4. Features in line with the Agenda for Action
   Regional Cooperation, South-South Cooperation and Capacity Building within the context of Private Sector Development

Second Africa Division, Middle East and African Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan