The African Tourism Council

In the background of COP26, the African Tourism Council looking at the most important subject matter of the contemporary era: Tourism recovery, growth and development under the forces of climate change. The whole world is seized with one of the biggest crises of our generation “Climate Change”. What is now clear to the vast majority across the world, is the vulnerability of our planet. The possibility of extinction of humans and many other species is no longer a far-fetched idea. The current signs are more clear than ever, that if this generation does not take immediate measures to arrest and to begin to reverse the damages of the first, second and third industrial revolutions; the damage is on the brink of becoming irreversible, sending this planet on an unstoppable self-destruct spin.  The ongoing COP 26 Convention in Glasgow, Scotland has to not only agree on the now or never measures but to turn the talk show into a meeting of global leadership and action.  The interventions that must be implemented can no longer be a privilege of a few so-called big powers. Climate Change and its devastating symptoms and impacts, like global warming, which comes with ever-increasing numbers and scale of natural disasters, knows no boundaries.  The situation demands that all nations, big and small be involved. But this is only possible if the widening socio-economic disparities are addressed and the developing world assisted in implementing the agreed interventions. This world can no longer afford the runaway economic growth and development of certain regions which leaves the rest of the world behind. It is not sustainable. Similarly and by all standards, COVID-19, was and is an ongoing natural disaster that has hit at a global scale and with devastating effects, it is a pandemic that knows no geographic, demographic, or socioeconomic boundaries. It can only be stopped on its tracks by an all-inclusive global effort. COVID-19 must be acknowledged and addressed as the immediate major threat to the Sustainable Development Agenda.  A Case for the Travel and Tourism Industry  Travel and Tourism is a global industry that has been playing a significant role in spreading the tourism dollar from the economically advanced regions to the less advanced. Tourism has proved its effectiveness in leveling up within and across national economies. The ever-growing number of international visitors, who see themselves as global citizens,  demanding sustainable practices in the production, supply and consumption of tourism goods and services is a game-changer for the sector.  The African Tourism Council is encouraged by the “One Planet Tourism Sustainable Tourism Program", led by the UNWTO and UN EP’s visionary declaration to be announced during this COP26, known as The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism which will galvanize a global approach to dealing with the impending catastrophe.  We at African Tourism Council believe that the top-bottom approach which has been the basis of global aid or funding has failed the world, it failed the developing world, it failed Africa. We believe a winning approach is a bottom-up approach. Local responses scale upwards to national, regional, continental to global. Arresting the causal factors of climate change requires the empowerment of all stakeholders at all levels, it is no more a favour or privilege, it is a must. Such empowerment, but only if applied from the bottom and scaled up and across. At African Tourism Council, the motto now is “Your Business, my Business, our Business”. We say well done and well said to UNWTO, UNEP, the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Program and well done to COP26.  Let us now walk the talk