DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (eTN) – Amazwe ase-Afrika angaphezu kuka-15 anezindawo zokuvakasha ezincintisanayo kulindeleke ukuthi abambe iqhaza engqungqutheleni yaminyaka yonke yamashumi amathathu nantathu ye-Africa Travel Association (ATA) , ezoba sedolobhaneni lezivakashi elisenyakatho yeTanzania i-Arusha.
Abagqugquzeli bengqungquthela ye-ATA yalo nyaka bathe amazwe ase-Afrika angu-13 ahlela ukuthumela izithunywa zawo eTanzania emhlanganweni, kodwa sekubhekwe ukuthi kubhaliswe amazwe angaphezu kuka-15. Amazwe ase-Afrika aseningizimu ye-Sahara, aziwa kakhulu ngezindawo eziheha izivakashi zemvelo ezenziwe izilwane zasendle kanye nezici zemvelo noma zendawo, azoba ababambiqhaza ababalulekile.
Ngaphandle kwamazwe abambe iqhaza, ezinye izinkampani zase-Afrika zigxile kwezohwebo lwezokuvakasha, ukwenza izinqubomgomo kanye namasu okumaketha ezokuvakasha. Abahlanganyeli abaningi nezikhulumi ezibalulekile kulindeleke ukuthi bavele e-Asia, Europe naseNyakatho Melika.
Amalungiselelo engqungquthela ye-ATA asesigabeni sokugcina nazo zonke izinhlelo zihlelwe ngendlela ehleliwe. Amahhotela nezinye izindawo zokulala sezihlelelwe izithunywa, kusho abahleli.
I-Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism yaseTanzania kanye ne-ATA bamemezele ngoJuni 2007 ukuthi iTanzania izobamba uhlelo lwamashumi amathathu nantathu lwengqungquthela yaminyaka yonke ye-Africa Travel Association kusukela mhla ziyi-19-23 kuNhlaba wezi-2008 e-Arusha, “inhloko-dolobha ye-Safari” yezwe.
OwayenguNgqongqoshe Wezemvelo Nezokuvakasha uJumanne Maghembe kanye nomqondisi omkhulu we-ATA u-Eddie Bergman benze lesi simemezelo.
“Ngesikhathi i-Tanzania isingatha i-ATA ngo-1998, kwaphawula ukwethulwa kabusha ngokusemthethweni kokukhuthazwa kwezwe lethu emakethe yaseMelika,” kusho uNgqongqoshe uMaghembe. “Imiphumela ibe mihle kakhulu. Ezokuvakasha eTanzania manje ziyadlondlobala.”
I-ATA ibambe iqhaza elibalulekile kwezokuvakasha eTanzania. Ukwethulwa kwemiklomelo yaminyaka yonke ye-ATA/TTB yethulwa ngo-2001 ukuze kuhlonishwe izinkampani, abantu ngabanye kanye nabezindaba, abebehamba phambili ekuqhakambiseni ezokuvakasha zaseTanzania.
Kusukela yethulwa eKenya, i-ATA yabamba ingqungquthela yayo yokuqala eNairobi ngo-1976, i-Abidjan (Cote D'Ivore) ngo-1977, iSousse/Monastir (Tunisia) ngo-1978 kwathi ngo-1979 ingqungquthela yesine ye-ATA yaba seTangier (Morocco).
Izingqungquthela ezedlule bezibanjelwe ezingxenyeni ezahlukene ze-Afrika, ngaphandle kwengqungquthela yeshumi nanye, obekungokokuqala ngqa ukuthi kube khona ingqungquthela yaminyaka yonke ye-ATA ngaphandle kwase-Afrika. Lowo mhlangano waminyaka yonke we-ATA wawuse-Atlanta, Georgia (USA).
Ngaphandle kwezingqungquthela zaminyaka yonke, i-ATA ibambe inqwaba yezingxoxo zezokuvakasha ekukhankaseleni ukumaketha kwezokuvakasha zase-Afrika kulo lonke izwekazi nasemhlabeni.
I-ATA ecotourism symposia ibanjwe kusukela ngo-1992 eSenegal, eNingizimu Afrika (1994), Morocco (1996), Nigeria (2000), Cameroon (2001), Morocco (2002), Zanzibar , Tanzania (2003), Uganda (2004), Angola (2005) kwathi ngo-2006 yabanjelwa eCalabar, eNigeria.
I-ATA iphinde yahlela izingqungquthela zaminyaka yonke zomongameli base-Afrika e-New York, ezihlanganisa izinhloko zezwe zase-Afrika ukuze kudingidwe izithakazelo ezifanayo zezwekazi kwezokuvakasha.
