Looking to attract more travelers from within the Africa and other continents, Zanzibar President had advocated for quick development of the African skies for African airlines.
The Zanzibar President Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein said that non-African airlines have dominated the continent’s skies and its aviation market for a long time. He sought more efforts to make African air carriers more vibrant to compete with foreign airlines.
“It is clear that 80 percent of the African air travel market is commanded by non-African-registered airlines,” Dr. Shein told delegates of the three-day 7th African Airlines Association (AFRAA) convention held in the Zanzibar.
He said in a statement read during the opening session of the convention, that both tourism and aviation industry rank among the fastest-growing economic sectors in the African continent with great need for improvement of tourists inflow and airlines expansion through associations.
The Zanzibar President insisted that the aviation industry plays a significant role in accelerating economic growth and providing various economic and social benefits to the continent.
“Air transport and tourism are among the fastest growing sectors in the world. We are all aware that practically, tourism and travel are inseparable entities. These two industries complement each other,” he charged.
Making reference to the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2018 Economic Impact Report, Dr Shein said for the seventh consecutive year, travel and tourism have been contributing massively to global GDP.
