African Airlines should promote the African Renaissance

AFRICAN airlines should strive to promote Pan-Africanism and contribute towards the African Renaissance in order to strengthen the continent's influence on world affairs.

Opening a two-day 34th African Airlines Association general assembly in Harare, Zimbabwe last week, President Mugabe said one of the challenges facing the continent's carriers was to work together and increase the number of tourists visiting Africa. He said while Africa was endowed with numerous tourists attractions, it was disturbing to note that it receives the least share of tourists in the world.

Statistics show that Africa received a paltry US $10.7 billion in tourism earnings out of a global figure of US $475.8 billion in 2000. "In the year 2000, 698,8 million tourists visited various destinations around the world. Out of this figure and despite the wealth of our tourist facilities, I am informed Africa only attracted 27.6 million tourists, this representing a meager four percent of the market share. It thus becomes one of your challenges as airlines to consider how best to improve Africa's tourism industry by working together even more closely to bring increased number of visitors to our continent," said President Mugabe.

Co-operation should also be extended to other areas such as safety and security especially following last year's terrorist attacks in the United States. President Mugabe commended African airlines for sharing spare parts, training, joint fuel purchases and central reservations systems, code sharing and development standard maintenance requirements. They also co-operated to adopt a code of fair competition, joint frequent flyer and management programs. Mugabe urged airlines to enhance partnerships in the face of international competition. He said such alliances, done in the spirit of Pan-Africanism, would also contribute towards African Renaissance and strengthen the continent's influence on world affairs.

"Leaders of Africa, no doubt, urge African airlines to fully utilize all synergies and linkages amongst African airlines in order to create stronger business as well as political and cultural ties amongst African institutions and governments," Mr Mugabe said. He said as an arm of African Union, AFRAA should help in the protection of the union's interests and counter the developed world's dominance in aviation. African governments established various regional blocs such as Sadc, Comesa, Ecowas and the East African Community to facilitate closer economic co-operation. []

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