Kenya Eyes Strategic Tourism Gains at UN Summit in Zambia
- The second UN Tourism Africa and Americas Ministerial Summit is underway in Livingstone, Zambia, from April 8 to April 10, 2025
- The summit mainly brings together Tourism Ministers of UN Tourism Member States from Africa and the US
- Kenya is among the attending countries represented by Tourism Cabinet Secretary (CS) Rebecca Miano
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Kenya is set to strengthen its global tourism footprint by participating in the second UN Tourism Africa and Americas Ministerial Summit 2025, which has kicked off in Livingstone, Zambia.
Source: Twitter
The summit, scheduled for April 8–10, 2025, brings together tourism ministers from UN Tourism member states in Africa and the US.
Experts and and industry leaders drawn from various parts of the country are also part of the attendees at the summit.
Why Kenya is attending the UN tourism summit
Tourism Cabinet Secretary (CS) Rebecca Miano, leading Kenya’s delegation, at the summit said the country is keen in leveraging the platform to deepen international partnerships and showcase its leadership in the sector.
“Kenya’s presence at this summit reinforces our commitment to shaping the future of tourism, not just in Africa, but globally.
“We are proud to serve as the second Vice-Chair of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for Africa and Chair of the Committee on Tourism and Competitiveness,” said Miano in a press statement seen by TUKO.co.ke.
CS Miano revealed that the summit offers opportunities for the country to promote enhanced regional connectivity and advocate for more efficient visa policies across borders to accelerate tourism growth.
“Improving ease of travel among our countries will boost tourist flows and create new business opportunities,” she said.
Kenya's key objectives at the summit
Kenya aims at sharing and learning best practices for building resilience in tourism, particularly in the face of challenges such as climate change, health epidemics, and geopolitical conflicts.
The CS noted that the country must be proactive in building crisis-ready tourism systems that can adapt to shocks.
She said Kenya is also using the forum to champion the creation of free economic zones tailored to tourism development.
“This will help us unlock more socio-economic value from the industry. Empowering youth through innovation is another top agenda item. We are keen to collaborate on initiatives that place young people at the centre of tourism transformation,” the CS added.
Miano emphasised the country's push for election to the UN Tourism Executive Council for the 2025–2029 term.
“We are honoured to have been proposed by the UN Tourism Secretariat, and we are optimistic about gaining the confidence of member states,” Miano said.
The Executive Council is the second-highest decision-making body in UN Tourism after the General Assembly, and Kenya’s bid reflects its growing influence in shaping sustainable and inclusive tourism policy at the global level.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
