Page 493 - MOET ENGLISH PR REPORT - OCTOBER 2025 (Part 1)

The third pillar, Aviation and Connectivity, aims to expand air links, improve logistics services and
facilitate mobility, recognizing connectivity as a vital enabler of regional integration and investment
to unlock tourism potential, especially in underserved destinations.
The fourth pillar, Sustainability, highlights the need to address the growing impact of climate change
on environmental systems and the vulnerability of coastal and forest habitats underpinning
international tourist destinations in Africa. The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to promoting
green and climate-resilient projects, supporting investments in nature-based solutions,
encouraging the use of renewable energy, and integrating sustainability considerations into tourism
and related sectors.

Finally, under the fifth pillar, SME-financing and Innovation, the ministers emphasized the role of
youth- and women-led enterprises, as well as digital startups and business incubators in fostering
inclusive growth, innovation, and job creation, and committed to supporting their access to finance
and markets. They recognized the importance of facilitating access to finance for the private sector,
including through multilateral institutions, in order to make tourism a transformative driver of
sustainable development.

The ministers reaffirmed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a cornerstone of
regional integration and competitiveness. They welcomed collaboration with strategic partners,
including the UAE, whose engagement can mobilize capital and connectivity in ways that reinforce
the implementation of AfCFTA and regional value chains.
The ministers recognized the UAE as a reliable partner in advancing the sustainable development of
African economies, particularly in the tourism sector. They noted the UAE’s successful experience
in leveraging tourism to attract international investment, diversify its economy, and contribute to
long-term sustainable growth.

They also agreed on the importance of sharing knowledge, best practices, and capacity-building to
replicate similar outcomes across African destinations. The participants valued cooperation with
development finance institutions and international organizations, including the African
Development Bank, World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund, UN Tourism, World Trade
Organisation, International Civil Aviation Organisation, and United Nations Economic Commission
for Africa to provide finance, guarantees, technical assistance, and policy support.

The ministers welcomed the development of a concise investment mapping that identifies priority
projects and enabling reforms in tourism and related sectors such as aviation, logistics,
infrastructure and digital across participating countries. The projects submitted by participating
countries under the investment mapping are estimated to require a total investment of
approximately USD 6 billion and are projected to generate 70,000 direct and indirect jobs
collectively.
Furthermore, the ministers invited development partners and institutional investors to engage with
this pipeline and explore appropriate instruments including public-private partnerships (PPPs),
blended finance, debt-for-nature swaps and guarantees, and agreed to maintain a light
coordination mechanism to track progress and report to the next ministerial gathering.

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