Zambia's Four Ministers Sign Lusaka Communiqué at Tourism Education Summit as UN Tourism Pledges 100 Scholarships
The fourth edition of the Travel, Hospitality and Tourism Education Summit (THTES) opened at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, bringing together government ministers, education leaders, development partners, and industry stakeholders to advance human capital development within Zambia's tourism sector. A defining moment of the opening day was the joint signing of the Lusaka Communiqué on Tourism and Human Capital Development by four ministers - Tourism, Education, Labour, and Commerce - formalising a unified commitment to inter-ministerial coordination and a multi-sector approach to tourism workforce development.
UN Tourism Regional Director for Africa Elcia Grandcourt described the summit as a growing regional benchmark since its 2023 inception, noting that Africa has over 72 million young people unemployed despite its demographic advantage, and that women - who represent 69 per cent of the tourism workforce - remain concentrated in lower-skilled, lower-paid roles with limited leadership representation. Grandcourt confirmed the allocation of 100 scholarships through the UN Tourism Online Academy to strengthen training capacity and support educators and professionals with industry-relevant skills, formally presented during the opening proceedings.
Source: VoyagesAfriq
