As it does every year, the Eswatini Tourism Authority (ETA) joined the global community in commemorating World Tourism Day on 27 September.
Under this year’s theme, Rethinking Tourism, as declared by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Eswatini’s industry members alongside the public and private sector united in celebrating the power and potential that tourism has in improving the lives of EmaSwati and subsequently boosting the country’s economy.
Eswatini’s interpretation of Rethinking Tourism manifested in a concerted focus on youth empowerment through a Tourism Youth Forum on Development. The forum was hosted by the ETA in recognition of the pivotal role that young people play in carving a sustainable and successful future of tourism in the country. At the heart of the presentations and discussions had on the day was a forward-looking engagement with where tourism is going, where we want it to go and establishing how we get there. The official World Tourism Day event was held at the Eswatini Institute of Management and Public Administration in Matsapha.
Aimed at capacitating the youth on existing job and funding opportunities, as well as business prospects that they can pursue within the tourism sector, the forum was also a networking platform for young people looking to venture into tourism. The young people present were invited from the Limkokwing University of Technology and the Eswatini College of Technology studying towards tourism disciplines.
Presentations on the day were aimed at inspiring the youth to rethink, reinvent and redefine the future of tourism by thinking creatively about ways of improving the sector, while establishing their contributions towards achieving this.
Chairperson of the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) South Africa, Oupa Pilane to locate their niche and identify potential business opportunities in tourism.
“Within tourism lies opportunities for young people to make a tangible difference in Eswatini. The tourism value chain demonstrates the need for a diverse range of specialised practitioners in marketing, content creation, transport, retail and accommodation, amongst many others. These are areas that the youth can exploit,” said Pilane.
The forum also included presentations by ETA’s research department, Small Enterprises Development Company (SEDCO), Yati Marketing, the Regional Development Fund (RDF) and the Youth Enterprise Revolving Fund (YERF).
Further stories:
World Tourism Day 2022: II. Official Statements
World Tourism Day 2022: III. Rethinking, reinvesting in community based tourism