Participants at the recently concluded 7th African Tourism Leadership Forum and Awards in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, emphasized the importance of intra-African trade for the continent.

African leaders expressed their concern that not enough has been done to promote tourism, culture, and African heritage within the continent, compared to the efforts made to market tourism outside of Africa.

The discussions at the forum focused on efficiently promoting Africa's rich heritage and cultural diversity, not only to Europe or the Americas, but more importantly within Africa itself. The participants embraced the spirit of a united Africa, and the forum's theme of "charting a new path forward for intra-African travel, tourism, and investment" was highly relevant as Africans came together to explore the connections and significance of the tourism, creative, and cultural industries.

Albertus !Aochamub, Namibia's Ambassador to France, pointed out that tourism should not be viewed as a standalone activity separate from the creative industries.

He stressed the need to prioritize domestic and regional tourism, and highlighted the importance of removing artificial colonial borders to facilitate this, giving the example of the positive relationship between Namibia and Botswana.

Nnaniki Tebogo, Botswana's Acting Minister of Environment and Tourism, noted that platforms like the forum provide valuable opportunities for Africa to learn from the best practices in tourism.

He emphasized that behind every tourism statistic, there is a real person – a tourist, a visitor, or a businessperson – contributing to the potential of the tourism ecosystem.

Tebogo also highlighted the role of tourism investment in promoting inclusive and sustainable growth in communities across Africa.

Mark Mantey, Ghana's Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, called for a change in the African mindset and the promotion of African identity.

He expressed the need to shift the focus from doing business with the rest of the world rather than within Africa, highlighting the challenges in flight connectivity between African countries that hinder inviting neighbors. Mantey stressed the importance of marketing Africa to Africans themselves.

Overall, the participants advocated for African countries to host cultural festivals celebrating African arts, culture, traditions, and norms.