International Alliance of Indigenous Tourism Leaders

an article by Lou D'Amore, International Institute for Peace through Tourism

A central feature of the 5th IIPT African Conference (Zambia, May, 2011) was the first ever Indigenous Tourism Leaders Forum held in Africa. The Forum was organized in collaboration with the Zambia Ethno Tourism and Cultural Tourism Alliance (ZECUTA) and facilitated by Samuel Mtaja and Joseph Zulu. Keynote speaker for the forum was His Royal Highness Senior Chief Mukuni of the Toka Leya people (tribe) who live a short distance from Victoria Falls - called locally “Mosi-oa-Tunya,” meaning "smoke that thunders." Chief Mukuni has been a pioneer in the development of tourism that benefits the tribal peoples of Zambia.

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The Forum reached consensus on the need to create a unified symbol and message (a brand) to represent the chiefdoms and cultures of Zambia to the global tourism markets; to install and support His Excellency Senior Chief Mukuni from Mosi-O-Tunya as the coordinating point for this unified symbol; and to empower the people of Zambia's chiefdoms with the right to participate in all decisions affecting their traditional lands, territories, and resources.

The Conference as a whole subsequently resolved to embrace the wisdom, knowledge and values of indigenous peoples in policies and planning for sustainable tourism development.

A goal of the Indigenous Tourism Leaders Forum was to build bridges of indigenous tourism, friendship and collaboration between Africa and other regions of the world. Towards this end, Ben Sherman, Founder of the Native Tourism Alliance (USA), a Keynote Speaker at the 5th IIPT African Conference, and guest speaker at the Traditional Leaders Forum, is committed to developing an International Alliance of Indigenous Tourism Leaders in collaboration with IIPT. Ben has been a prominent national leader in the development of Native tourism efforts in the United States.

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This report was posted on December 16, 2011.

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