BY MBONGENI NDLELA
MBABANE – Eswatini continues to be a beacon of light for Africa, as witnessed in the establishment of the African Tourism Board (ATB) headquarters in Kingdom of Eswatini. The Secretariat will be Headquartered at the National Museum in Lobamba.
The ATB was launched by Prime Minister Sipho Cleopas Dlamini at an event graced by delegates from different African countries. Speak during the launch, the Prime Minister said “We welcome the organisation to the Kingdom of Eswatini and embrace its mandate to foster intra and inter African tourism-both for leisure and business; and to facilitate regulatory standards of trade and investment into African tourism.”
“Tonight, we are witnessing the fulfilment of one of the strategic objectives of the Eswatini tourism sector. The Kingdom of Eswatini has made great progress in this area as evidenced by the accolade attained in 2020 from world-leading travel authority, Lonely Planet, which hailed Eswatini as “one of the World’s Top 5 Destinations”. This affirmed the Kingdom’s regional, continental, and global appeal through its unique tourism offerings and world class travel experiences”, added the Prime Minister.
The ATB is aimed at fostering intra and inter African tourism. The Prime Minister highlighted that the alignment and synergy between the ATB’s mandate and Eswatini tourism’s strategic objectives will continue to uphold tourism as a powerful catalyst for socio-economic growth in Africa and yield tangible positive results in communities throughout the continent.
During the launch, Minister of Tourism Moses Vilakati was also awarded with the African Tourism Board Continental Tourism Award 2022 in recognition of his work in leading the local tourism industry.
