Tanzania confirmed as UNWTO Pan African conference host

Tanzania has been chosen to host the first Pan African conference on tourism next week, according to the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

The UNWTO hopes the inaugural event will promote the development of sustainable tourism in Africa and raise the profile of eco-tourism when the conference gets under way in Tanzania's northern city of Arusha on 15 October.

Participants are expected to attend from across the African continent, with many keen to learn about eco-tourism and ways to promote natural assets and biodiversity.

An UNWTO statement read: "Tourism can provide additional resources for biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of public and private land.

"If managed in an integrated and efficient manner, parks can make a significant contribution to a country's economy with benefits in terms of job creation, foreign exchange generation, and the stimulation of a local business culture."

The three-day conference will begin with a seminar on promoting 'park tourism' as a core tool of national park management, although the talk will include an overview of the challenges facing Africa's national parks in terms of supply and demand.