#WEFAfrica15 News Bulletin issue 1
Welcome to the World's Greatest Tourist Destination
WELCOME TO AFRICA ... your home away from home!
A warm welcome to all delegates attending the 25th World Economic Forum on Africa (WEFAfrica) in Cape Town: 3-5 June 2015.
Our people have warmth and generosity embedded in their hearts. As diverse as we are, we are all held together by an amazing spirit of community. Together we share a beautiful continent that is alive, all inspiring with boundless opportunity.
AFRICA ... your Greatest Holiday Awaits!
Our land, with its endless variety of landscapes and wildlife, its natural beauty and its resources that sustain us. You can never tire of traveling through Africa, not matter how long the journey.
Africa is fast establishing itself as one of the world’s most promising regions for tourism.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Tourism directly and indirectly supports 20,5 million jobs on the continent and represents 8,1% of Africa’s GDP.
- More than 50% of the Gross Domestic Product comes from tourism in some African countries.
- One in twenty jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa is in travel and tourism, with 300 000 jobs being added a year.
- The continent will receive 85 million international tourist arrivals by 2020 representing 6.3% of international tourist arrivals worldwide.
- The positive impact of tourism in Africa is felt across the continent: economic growth and job creation, an ever stronger middle class, investment in infrastructure and skills.
JOIN US in Reimagining Africa's future
Join us with all your hands...immerse yourself fully in friendship, as we deliberate on Africa's key economic issues under the WEFAfrica theme "Then and Now: Reimagining Africa’s Future".
Many of you will have been here before. You will have seen how democratic South Africa has remarkably advanced in the past 25 years; our country has undergone a remarkable journey in the past two decades, and, here we are: everything is now possible.
South Africa, alongside our sister countries, are growing together towards achieving our vision for our continent. You will have seen how Africa has become the land of growth, how the people of our continent have restored our faith in ourselves, and our hope for the future.
SO MUCH MORE is poised to happen in the next 25 years
There cannot be a more opportune moment to take stock, and to “Reimagine” our future. The promise of the future: where our unique assets and resources, our people and our culture all come together to create unprecedented opportunity and hope for all our people.
WHILE YOU'RE HERE....
We can expect some hard work, serious reflection and deep analysis in the days ahead. When the work is done, I hope that you will make time to enjoy some of the amazing attractions South Africa has to offer you, and to venture north and extend your African experience further.
Here are some experiences you will love:
- You can enjoy the thrill of adventure through white water rafting, paragliding and bungee jumping;
- go into the deep blue ocean to watch whales and dolphins, and dive with sharks;
- experience big city nightlife, music, food and art festivals;
- explore our roots and history by visiting the Cradle of Humankind, the battlefields of history and the iconic Robben Island, which has become significant for the entire world;
- enjoy the scenic beauty of Table Mountain, the Drakensberg, and the Namaqualand Daisies;
- relax in the lap of luxury at world-class resorts and facilities;
- and experience the bush with its abundant wildlife at one of our many game reserves.
ENJOY YOUR STAY!
From your hosts, the Government and the people of South Africa we wish you an awesome stay in this beautiful city, set between mountain and ocean; to experience the beauty of our landscape and the diversity of our people, and to engage with a continent which is riding a rising tide of hope and opportunity.
1. Unique and major wildlife destination..BOTSWANA
- The Okavango Delta in Botswana is a very large inland delta formed where the Okavango River reaches a tectonic trough in the central part of the endorheic basin of the Kalahari.
- Tsodilo Hills are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, consisting of rock art, rock shelters, depressions, and cave
2. ETHIOPIA.. most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa.
- One of those is Aksum, a historic city of Ethiopia, featuring Church of St. Mary of Zion, which legends say is the home of the Ark of the Covenant.
- In Aksum are archaeological sites, like the Stelae fields, tombs, ancient scriptures, and the Palace of the Queen of Sheba.
3. NAMIBIA..sands of time
- Etosha the “Great White Place of Dry Water," covers more than 8,000 square miles of the Kalahari Basin in north-western Namibia
- Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan surrounded by high red dunes, located in the southern part of the Namib DesertTwyfelfontein, officially known as ǀUi-ǁAis, is a site of ancient rock paintings
- The formalised handcraft businesses of Swaziland employ over 2,500 people, many of whom are women (per TechnoServe Swaziland Handcrafts Impact Study," February 2011).
- The products are unique and reflect the culture of Swaziland, ranging from housewares, to artistic decorations, to complex glass, stone, or wood artwork.
5. TANZANIA....home of Africa's highest mountain
- Known for its wildlife in the Serengeti National Park and Kilimanjaro National Park, home to Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Offshore lie the tropical islands of Zanzibar and Mafia Marine Park, where whale sharks swim through reefs