Tourism in the Kingdom of Eswatini

Honourable guests: a good afternoon to you all.

It is a privilege to stand before you today to explore opportunities in Tourism in the Kingdom of Eswatini: an important topic to address today more than ever before.

I’d like to extend my gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Eswatini for your kind invitation and commend your efforts in both hosting today’s workshop and continuously working in the best interests of the people of Eswatini.

Tourism has evolved to become the most expansive and fastest growing sector of our times, supporting the livelihoods of 1 in 11 people worldwide and thus, holding immense opportunity. Africa in particular, holds an undeniable potential: according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the number of international arrivals in Africa is expected to double by 2030. It is clear that the future lies in Africa.

The Kingdom of Eswatini is a gem of African tourism: with our warm-natured people, low crime rates in comparison to our neighbouring countries, our serene landscapes, game parks, festivals and cultural richness; our country provides the most beautiful and safe tourist destination.  Approximately 782,000 international tourists visited the country in 2018, contributing a significant E387 million to the economy, according to the World Bank and Tourism Authority. Tourism alone, accounts for 2.8% of total GDP in Eswatini; a commendable achievement by our Government and partners.

However, 2018 saw a decline in foreign visitors of 5.1%, as reported by the Tourism Authority. In order to consider the future of tourism in our Kingdom, we must address where we can improve in Tourism.

Our over-reliance on South Africa for international tourism, visa requirements, cross-border issues, low level of tourism product development and infrastructure such as major attractions, all pose as challenges to the development of Tourism within our nation. We need to further our commitment to the sector by continuing to improve infrastructure for transport, communication, electricity and water, establishing strong institutional and human resource capacity and creating a competitive environment between the public and private sectors, making Eswatini a hub of African tourism.

Our challenges provide encouraging opportunities to further discover the potential of the country within Tourism. Community-based tourism, in which our diverse, local communities are enabled by providing  tourism opportunities for both local and international visitors, will further expose the cultural richness of our country. Tourism provides export opportunities, especially with our neighbouring countries, and is able to strengthen private, public and stakeholder partnerships to work together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) according to Agenda 2030.

As a proud partner of the Government, committed to His Majesty’s Vision 2022, UN Eswatini is working to build a more resilient, sustainable and innovative tourism sector that generates jobs and promotes inclusive, low-carbon growth in line with all three dimensions of sustainable development: people, the planet and prosperity.

Investing in people and nature, boosting infrastructure development and shaping better policies and institutions are key to shaping Tourism in the Kingdom of Eswatini.

We commend His Majesty, the national Government and our partners, once again, for your dedication to the people of the nation. Africa is the future and our incredible country, the Kingdom of Eswatini, is the future of Africa.

Let us solidify our commitment to the Tourism sector in Eswatini today: noting that together, we can achieve anything.

Thank you for listening.