CONTENT

Tourism is recognized as one of the largest industries in the world, offering a tremendous potential for developing countries in terms of sources of income, foreign exchange earnings, employment and economic development. It accounts for 4.3% of world GDP and 30% of world exports of services. It accounts for 9.4% of global investment and employs about 8% of the global workforce.

Tourism is also an important promoter of awareness, support and income for the natural and cultural heritage. It can also be a very valuable tool for sustainable development, also in rural areas of developing countries, where most of poor people live and where there are very few development options.

With the rapid progress of ecotourism, a rapid growth could be generated, respecting the carrying capacity of each ecosystems. This growth creates great opportunities but also great challenges. It is necessary to manage this growth in a sustainable manner while respecting the carrying capacity of ecosystems.

The tourism impacts on the environment, economy, culture and the society could be positive or negative. Depending on how tourism is planned, developed and managed. A good tourism policy must necessarily incorporate a sustainable development and poverty reduction approach. It must also demonstrate a commitment by all actors, from national and decentralized authorities to consumers, to private operators and civil society organizations. All the actors should have common objectives for integrated tourism management, to protect the national resources and better guarantee the long-term benefits of tourism.

The Republic of Congo has adopted a National Development Plan (NDP) and a Strategic Document for Growth, Employment and Poverty Reduction (DSCERP according to its French acronym) covering the period 2012-2016. One of the strategic pillars of NDP and DSCERP is the Economic diversification through seven economic clusters, including tourism and hospitality.

With the aim to realize this strategic choice, the Government decided to draw up and adopt a « Sustainable Tourism Development Master Plan » (P3DT DSCERP according to its French acronym) to lay the foundations for planned tourism. It’s including a high contribution of the achievement of the economic diversification and the development of the country as stipulated by the PND and the DSCERP.

Beginning in 2013, a consultation framework is implemented with the UNDP Representative Office in the Republic of Congo. The objective is to ensure the efforts for the tourist activity development in the Republic of Congo. The project « Development of the strategy and of the master plan for the sustainable tourism development » was launched in December 2014 and were made throughout the following year.

The Master Plan will be the tool for the implementation of the Government’s vision for the tourism sector. The principal interest has been to define the main orientations of the sector and fix the medium and long-term objectives, by describing the programs and projects to be implemented to achieve these objectives in a coordinated, synergistic and coherent way. The goal is to build a touristic industry, which may better contribute to the Republic of Congo’s economic and social development.

The success of the master plan implementation is largely dependent on the involvement of other sectors of the economy, the process considered the following aspects:

The tourism statistics
The institutional and regulatory aspects of tourism
Financing and investment in the sector
The development of tourist sites
The installation and promotion of the tourist sites
The transport and infrastructure equipment
The tourism education

The country holds a remarkable physical potential and, sometimes exceptional. This is constituting his main touristic attractions. These assets could contribute to improve the population living conditions, if they are developed and marketed in a sustainable development perspective.

Like the other CEMAC countries, that shows the desire the Government should diversify the economy, particularly in tourism. A very ambitious objective to ensure this diversification is this sector tends to contribute to the national economy, around 10% of GDP.

OBJECTIVES

II.1. Global Objective

The first national tourism conferences in the Republic of Congo-Brazzaville aims to provide a privileged moment of exchange and discussion between the main actors, both national and international, interested in the sector with the view to allow the government to put the bases of the implementation of its politics.

II.2. Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of this panel are:

Encourage the interest of public authorities and tourism development partners to promote investment in the tourism industry to build a competitive « African Brand »
Encourage publicity through the media by positive images of the destination
Being proactive in anticipation of the strategic actions to make known what is good and positive in the face of the world
Building strategies for tourism resilience
Fighting stereotypes by promoting its cultural heritage: its housing, its traditional food, its dress code, trying to raise them on international standards
Create synergies that can integrate all the activities that make tourism an attractive sector

III- GOAL OF THE PANEL

The panel is composed of a group of multisector speakers who will intervene during the debate to share their personal experience

The communication will be conducted under the responsibility of a moderator who will be responsible for synthesizing the presentation of the debate, focused on the main challenges and the challenges of  » The integration of Congo – Brazzaville Destination in the construction of the African Mark ».

It will be highlighted by the moderator, the different questions related to the objectives targeted by the panel’s theme.

IV- EXPECTD OUTCOMES

Encourage the interest of public authorities and tourism development partners to promote investment in the tourism industry to build a competitive « African Brand »
Encourage publicity through the media by positive images of the destination
Being proactive in anticipation of the strategic actions to make known what is good and positive in the face of the world
Building strategies for tourism resilience
Fighting stereotypes by promoting its cultural heritage: its housing, its traditional food, its dress code, trying to raise them on international standards
Create synergies that can integrate all the activities that make tourism an attractive sector

V- RESPONSIBLE BODY

Ministry of Tourism and Leisure’s

VI- PANELISTS’S MISSIONS AND TASK

The selected panelists will have to achieve the following tasks:

Present the communication plan to UNDP
Seek and collect relevant data and information necessary for the communication
Compile, review and analyze the data and information collected leading to the communication
Deliver copies of the communication preliminary draft for validation to UNDP
Incorporate relevant contributions and criticisms of the participants in the communication
Prepare, print an adequate number of copies and electronic copies of the final communication.

VII- TIMETABLE

The panelists should send their opinion of interest before the conference’s opening date.

VIII- PROFIL DES PANELISTES

The panelist must be an authority or a high-level manager, responsible of promotional issues, tourism marketing or a specialized person on engineering, project building and touring issues.

CONTENT

Tourism is recognized as one of the largest industries in the world, offering a tremendous potential for developing countries in terms of sources of income, foreign exchange earnings, employment and economic development. It accounts for 4.3% of world GDP and 30% of world exports of services. It accounts for 9.4% of global investment and employs about 8% of the global workforce.

Tourism is also an important promoter of awareness, support and income for the natural and cultural heritage. It can also be a very valuable tool for sustainable development, also in rural areas of developing countries, where most of poor people live and where there are very few development options.

With the rapid progress of ecotourism, a rapid growth could be generated, respecting the carrying capacity of each ecosystems. This growth creates great opportunities but also great challenges. It is necessary to manage this growth in a sustainable manner while respecting the carrying capacity of ecosystems.

The tourism impacts on the environment, economy, culture and the society could be positive or negative. Depending on how tourism is planned, developed and managed. A good tourism policy must necessarily incorporate a sustainable development and poverty reduction approach. It must also demonstrate a commitment by all actors, from national and decentralized authorities to consumers, to private operators and civil society organizations. All the actors should have common objectives for integrated tourism management, to protect the national resources and better guarantee the long-term benefits of tourism.

The Republic of Congo has adopted a National Development Plan (NDP) and a Strategic Document for Growth, Employment and Poverty Reduction (DSCERP according to its French acronym) covering the period 2012-2016. One of the strategic pillars of NDP and DSCERP is the Economic diversification through seven economic clusters, including tourism and hospitality.

With the aim to realize this strategic choice, the Government decided to draw up and adopt a « Sustainable Tourism Development Master Plan » (P3DT DSCERP according to its French acronym) to lay the foundations for planned tourism. It’s including a high contribution of the achievement of the economic diversification and the development of the country as stipulated by the PND and the DSCERP.

Beginning in 2013, a consultation framework is implemented with the UNDP Representative Office in the Republic of Congo. The objective is to ensure the efforts for the tourist activity development in the Republic of Congo. The project « Development of the strategy and of the master plan for the sustainable tourism development » was launched in December 2014 and were made throughout the following year.

The Master Plan will be the tool for the implementation of the Government’s vision for the tourism sector. The principal interest has been to define the main orientations of the sector and fix the medium and long-term objectives, by describing the programs and projects to be implemented to achieve these objectives in a coordinated, synergistic and coherent way. The goal is to build a touristic industry, which may better contribute to the Republic of Congo’s economic and social development.

The success of the master plan implementation is largely dependent on the involvement of other sectors of the economy, the process considered the following aspects:

The tourism statistics

The institutional and regulatory aspects of tourism

Financing and investment in the sector

The development of tourist sites

The installation and promotion of the tourist sites

The transport and infrastructure equipment

The tourism education

The country holds a remarkable physical potential and, sometimes exceptional. This is constituting his main touristic attractions. These assets could contribute to improve the population living conditions, if they are developed and marketed in a sustainable development perspective.

Like the other CEMAC countries, that shows the desire the Government should diversify the economy, particularly in tourism. A very ambitious objective to ensure this diversification is this sector tends to contribute to the national economy, around 10% of GDP.

OBJECTIVES

I.1. Global Objective

The first national tourism conferences in the Republic of Congo-Brazzaville aims to provide a privileged moment of exchange and discussion between the main actors, both national and international, interested in the sector with the view to allow the government to put the bases of the implementation of its politics.

I.2. Specific Objectives

In a specific way, it is a question of:

Identify the factors and determinants of competitiveness

Recommend a positioning for the brand Congo-Brazzaville in a global environment

Propose the necessary support measures of the private sector

Propose the best way to involve the actors in the new dynamic emergence of the private sector

Discuss the role of the private sector in the implementation and the main touristic project development

Discuss the role and the support of the Government in the implementation and the main touristic project development

To present good practices adaptable to the Congo-Brazzaville brand

To propose partnerships for the development

Discuss the best implication of banks and the Congolese insurance companies for the tourism development

Discuss the promotional actions for the positioning of the Congolese eco-touristic destination

To highlight in the communication the elements of positioning of our country as eco-touristic destination

To show that skill enhancement contributes to professional development, to meet the future needs of the company and the person

To show participants, what the interest for a productive system to have access to competent human resources by the capacity building

To demonstrate the driving role of « capacity building » in order to improve the competitiveness of service delivery.

GOAL OF THE PANEL

The aim of the panel is to propose an approach to improve the tourist Congo-Brazzaville’s destination competitiveness to ensure the sustainable development of tourist enterprises.

IV. EXPECTD OUTCOMES

The factors and the determiners of competitiveness are identified

Mechanisms to be used to raise the obstacles of the positioning of the Congo brand in a global environment are proposed

Ways to accompany the financing of the sector are mentioned

Tthe best approach susceptible to integrate those mechanisms into sectoral development plans is proposed

RESPONSIBLE BODY

Ministry of Tourism and Leisure’s

PANELISTS’S MISSIONS AND TASK

The selected panelists will have to achieve the following tasks

Taking part in the debate

Make proposals going to the direction of the competitivity improvement of the Congo destination

Share experiences of touristic structure management and their mode of financing

Propose recommendations.

TIMETABLE

The panelists should send their opinion of interest before the conference’s opening date.

PANELIST PROFIL

Panelists should be responsible of tourist structure, bank, insurance companies and tourism and hotels training schools.

CONTENT

Tourism is recognized as one of the largest industries in the world, offering a tremendous potential for developing countries in terms of sources of income, foreign exchange earnings, employment and economic development. It accounts for 4.3% of world GDP and 30% of world exports of services. It accounts for 9.4% of global investment and employs about 8% of the global workforce.

Tourism is also an important promoter of awareness, support and income for the natural and cultural heritage. It can also be a very valuable tool for sustainable development, also in rural areas of developing countries, where most of poor people live and where there are very few development options.

With the rapid progress of ecotourism, a rapid growth could be generated, respecting the carrying capacity of each ecosystems. This growth creates great opportunities but also great challenges. It is necessary to manage this growth in a sustainable manner while respecting the carrying capacity of ecosystems.

The tourism impacts on the environment, economy, culture and the society could be positive or negative. Depending on how tourism is planned, developed and managed. A good tourism policy must necessarily incorporate a sustainable development and poverty reduction approach. It must also demonstrate a commitment by all actors, from national and decentralized authorities to consumers, to private operators and civil society organizations. All the actors should have common objectives for integrated tourism management, to protect the national resources and better guarantee the long-term benefits of tourism.

The Republic of Congo has adopted a National Development Plan (NDP) and a Strategic Document for Growth, Employment and Poverty Reduction (DSCERP according to its French acronym) covering the period 2012-2016. One of the strategic pillars of NDP and DSCERP is the Economic diversification through seven economic clusters, including tourism and hospitality.

With the aim to realize this strategic choice, the Government decided to draw up and adopt a « Sustainable Tourism Development Master Plan » (P3DT DSCERP according to its French acronym) to lay the foundations for planned tourism. It’s including a high contribution of the achievement of the economic diversification and the development of the country as stipulated by the PND and the DSCERP.

Beginning in 2013, a consultation framework is implemented with the UNDP Representative Office in the Republic of Congo. The objective is to ensure the efforts for the tourist activity development in the Republic of Congo. The project « Development of the strategy and of the master plan for the sustainable tourism development » was launched in December 2014 and were made throughout the following year.

The Master Plan will be the tool for the implementation of the Government’s vision for the tourism sector. The principal interest has been to define the main orientations of the sector and fix the medium and long-term objectives, by describing the programs and projects to be implemented to achieve these objectives in a coordinated, synergistic and coherent way. The goal is to build a touristic industry, which may better contribute to the Republic of Congo’s economic and social development.

The success of the master plan implementation is largely dependent on the involvement of other sectors of the economy, the process considered the following aspects:

The tourism statistics

The institutional and regulatory aspects of tourism

Financing and investment in the sector

The development of tourist sites

The installation and promotion of the tourist sites

The transport and infrastructure equipment

The tourism education

The country holds a remarkable physical potential and, sometimes exceptional. This is constituting his main touristic attractions. These assets could contribute to improve the population living conditions, if they are developed and marketed in a sustainable development perspective.

Like the other CEMAC countries, that shows the desire the Government should diversify the economy, particularly in tourism. A very ambitious objective to ensure this diversification is this sector tends to contribute to the national economy, around 10% of GDP.

OBJECTIVES

II.1. Global Objective

The first national tourism conferences in the Republic of Congo-Brazzaville aims to provide a privileged moment of exchange and discussion between the main actors, both national and international, interested in the sector with the view to allow the government to put the bases of the implementation of its politics

II.2. Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of this panel are:

Exchange on the administrative difficulties management of the sector at the central and local levels

Look for the best approach to improve the administrative management of the sector at the central and local levels

Make recommendations

Propose ways to mobilize development assistance

Demonstrate the interdependence of ecotourism et the rational management of protected area

III. GOAL OF THE PANEL

Encourage the public administrations involved in tourism development and as well as the local authorities to share their successful experiences and propose solutions to ensure the good governance of the tourism sector.

IV. EXPECTD OUTCOMES

The inherent problems in the administrative management of the tourism sector are identified
Proposals for improving the administrative management of the tourism sector at central and local level are made
Recommendations are made.

V. RESPONSIBLE BODY

Ministry of Tourism and Leisure’s

VI. PANELISTS’S MISSIONS AND TASK

The selected panelists will have to achieve the following tasks

Taking part in the debate

Making proposals going to the direction of the improvement of administrative management of the tourism sector at central and local level

Share with others the specificities, if possible, of managing the tourist sector of his community.

Propose recommendations.

VII. TIMETABLE

The panelists should send their opinion of interest before the conference’s opening date.

VIII- PANELIST PROFIL

The panelist must be an authority or a high-level manager, responsible of the Public administrations or local authorities.

CONTENT

Tourism is recognized as one of the largest industries in the world, offering a tremendous potential for developing countries in terms of sources of income, foreign exchange earnings, employment and economic development. It accounts for 4.3% of world GDP and 30% of world exports of services. It accounts for 9.4% of global investment and employs about 8% of the global workforce.

Tourism is also an important promoter of awareness, support and income for the natural and cultural heritage. It can also be a very valuable tool for sustainable development, also in rural areas of developing countries, where most of poor people live and where there are very few development options.

With the rapid progress of ecotourism, a rapid growth could be generated, respecting the carrying capacity of each ecosystems. This growth creates great opportunities but also great challenges. It is necessary to manage this growth in a sustainable manner while respecting the carrying capacity of ecosystems.

The tourism impacts on the environment, economy, culture and the society could be positive or negative. Depending on how tourism is planned, developed and managed. A good tourism policy must necessarily incorporate a sustainable development and poverty reduction approach. It must also demonstrate a commitment by all actors, from national and decentralized authorities to consumers, to private operators and civil society organizations. All the actors should have common objectives for integrated tourism management, to protect the national resources and better guarantee the long-term benefits of tourism.

The Republic of Congo has adopted a National Development Plan (NDP) and a Strategic Document for Growth, Employment and Poverty Reduction (DSCERP according to its French acronym) covering the period 2012-2016. One of the strategic pillars of NDP and DSCERP is the Economic diversification through seven economic clusters, including tourism and hospitality.

With the aim to realize this strategic choice, the Government decided to draw up and adopt a « Sustainable Tourism Development Master Plan » (P3DT DSCERP according to its French acronym) to lay the foundations for planned tourism. It’s including a high contribution of the achievement of the economic diversification and the development of the country as stipulated by the PND and the DSCERP.

Beginning in 2013, a consultation framework is implemented with the UNDP Representative Office in the Republic of Congo. The objective is to ensure the efforts for the tourist activity development in the Republic of Congo. The project « Development of the strategy and of the master plan for the sustainable tourism development » was launched in December 2014 and were made throughout the following year.

The Master Plan will be the tool for the implementation of the Government’s vision for the tourism sector. The principal interest has been to define the main orientations of the sector and fix the medium and long-term objectives, by describing the programs and projects to be implemented to achieve these objectives in a coordinated, synergistic and coherent way. The goal is to build a touristic industry, which may better contribute to the Republic of Congo’s economic and social development.

The success of the master plan implementation is largely dependent on the involvement of other sectors of the economy, the process considered the following aspects:

The tourism statistics
The institutional and regulatory aspects of tourism
Financing and investment in the sector
The development of tourist sites
The installation and promotion of the tourist sites
The transport and infrastructure equipment
The tourism education

The country holds a remarkable physical potential and, sometimes exceptional. This is constituting his main touristic attractions. These assets could contribute to improve the population living conditions, if they are developed and marketed in a sustainable development perspective.

Like the other CEMAC countries, that shows the desire the Government should diversify the economy, particularly in tourism. A very ambitious objective to ensure this diversification is this sector tends to contribute to the national economy, around 10% of GDP.

OBJECTIVESII.1.Global Objective.

The first national tourism conferences in the Republic of Congo-Brazzaville aims to provide a privileged moment of exchange and discussion between the main actors, both national and international, interested in the sector with the view to allow the government to put the bases of the implementation of its politics.

II.2. Specific Objectives

Define the blue fund
Present the objectives of the blue fund
Present the benefits of ecotourism
Demonstrate the inherent benefits and impacts of blue fund funding for eco-touristic activities.

III- GOAL OF THE PANEL

The creation of a blue fund by the countries of the Congo Basin is an initiative to strengthen the ecosystem approach to integrated the forest and the waters of the basin management. Ecotourism, that allows the valorization of protected areas and the local culture, could benefit from this fund for the success of its activities.

IV- EXPECTED OUTCOMES

The Blue Fund and its objectives are known.
The ecotourism benefits are known.
The impact of Blue Fund funding for ecotourism activities is defined

VII- TIMETABLE

The panelists should send their file one month before the conference’s opening date.

VIII- PANELIST PROFIL

The panelist must be an authority or a high-level manager, responsible of the issues related to ecotourism, sustainable development, management of the Blue Fund or the Green Fund.