iTour Africa TV
Honourable Rodney Sikumba, Member of Parliament and Minister of Tourism for Zambia, is currently in Abuja, Nigeria, representing his nation at the 68th Session of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for Africa (CAF). The meeting, taking place from June 11-13, 2025, centers on the theme: “Boosting Social Impact and Education in Tourism through Innovation, AI and the Creative Industries.”
The CAF serves as a crucial platform for supporting UN Tourism African members and stakeholders in harnessing tourism as a driver for sustainable economic and social development. This year’s session brings together leading figures in the African tourism sector to discuss key policies, examine emerging trends, and promote collaboration in order to advance tourism’s role in a sustainable future. A significant aspect of the session involves the nomination and election of representatives to various UN Tourism General Assembly bodies. Zambia, through its Ministry of Tourism, is actively seeking the Chairmanship of the CAF for the period of 2025-2027.
Furthermore, the nation is vying for the renewal of its membership on the prestigious Executive Council for the term of 2025-2029. The thematic conference is anticipated to offer valuable insights into how innovation, artificial intelligence, and the creative industries can be utilized to significantly enhance tourism’s social impact and educational value, with a particular focus on empowering youth across the African continent.
The CAF is an annual statutory meeting, hosted each year by a different African member state of UN Tourism. Notably, the 67th session was successfully held in Livingstone, Zambia, in July of 2024. The outcome of Zambia’s bid for leadership roles within the CAF remains to be seen, but the nation’s participation underscores its commitment to the growth and sustainable development of tourism across Africa.
Ejiro Efenudu
