Zimbabwe, Egypt agree to implement tourism MOU

Source: Zimbabwe, Egypt agree to implement tourism MOU | The Financial Gazette August 23, 2016

THE Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Walter Mzembi last week met Egyptian government officials to discuss the implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on co-operation in the field of Tourism.

The MOU was signed between the two countries in December 2014.

A statement issued by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) said Mzembi and his counterpart, Mohamed Yehia Rahed, agreed to set up a Joint Tourism Technical Committee (JTTC) to drive the implementation.

“We are definitely excited about our engagements here and one key thing that was at the epi-centre of our discussions was the urgent need to set up a joint tourism technical committee that will spearhead the operationalisation of our MoU with Egypt,” Mzembi said.

“There are various programmes that will be implemented in the context of our MoU. One such key programme is the agreed Egypt Tourism Week to be held in February 2017 in Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Tourism Week in Egypt in April 2017 which, essentially, is a reciprocal event,” said Mzembi.

Egypt offered to support Mzembi’s candidature for the post of United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) secretary general.

Mzembi, who has been endorsed by the African Union (AU) as the African candidate for the powerful post, took his campaign to Egypt last week.

He took the opportunity to meet an Egyptian official who sits on the board that will receive final nominations and elect a candidate for the post.

“Egypt is committed and bound by the AU resolutions particularly on the candidature of Dr Mzembi. We want to assure him of our support,” said Egypt Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry.