08 Oct 2023

Creative and cultural industries serve as a magnet for tourism, as such the link between the three goes beyond stimulating demand within the tourism sector.

Given the complementarities between such industries, South Africa Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille emphasised the need to create links that could revitalise tourism products for economic sustainability of communities.

de Lille made the call at the just-ended sixth Africa Tourism Leadership Forum in Gaborone, indicating that South Africa was already ahead as various facilities especially hotels had displays of local artworks.

She said the film industry was one aspect of the creative industry that could be used to market and brand the country as well as the African region.

Adding to that, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Tourism Authority Ben Anane-Nsiah said in Ghana had created a product that was attractive to the second generation Ghana diaspora, using various events in the creative sector such as the Afrochella festival.

He also said they had intensified events for people to attend particularly after viewing the popular Ghana Slave Castles.

For her part, Director of AfCFTA Directorate of Trade in Services, Investment, Intellectual Property Rights and Digital Trade Emily Mburu-Ndoria said African governments should harmonise laws and regulations to promote the creative and cultural industries such as film and fashion. 

Mburu-Ndoria said it should be ensured that such policies do not hinder the development of the creative sector.

She said the AfCFTA Secretariat was available to guide on such key issues. Ends