By CARISTO CHITAMFYA –

in Medellin, Colombia
ZAMBIA and Zimbabwe have officially handed over their presidency of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly to Colombia which is hosting the 21st Session.
The Zambian Government has since paid tribute to the UNWTO for its support during the period 2013 to 2015 when Zambia and Zimbabwe served as co-presidents of the 20th Session of the UNWTO General Assembly.
Tourism and Arts Minister Jean Kapata said this in Colombia on Tuesday evening at the start of official deliberations of the UNWTO General Assembly in Medellin-Colombia.
This was after Ms Kapata and Zimbabwe’s Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Industry Walter Mzembi handed over the presidency to Colombia.
Ms Kapata said the overwhelming support that Zambia received from the UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai and his team in the last two years, made it easy for Zambia to discharge her duties diligently.
She extended glowing tribute to all UNWTO member states including affiliate members for standing by Zambia throughout the two-year period.
Ms Kapata said Zambia was leaving the presidency confident that the profile of tourism had been raised internationally, regionally and nationally around many parts of the world, including the host country Colombia.
She said despite some setbacks such as the outbreak of the Ebola virus and terrorism threats in some countries, there was evidence that tourism continued to record an upward growth accounting for either the largest or second largest source of foreign exchange in most countries around the world.
Ms Kapata called upon member countries to celebrate the continued growth of tourism with renewed commitment to grow the sector to higher levels so that it could contribute fully to peace, stability, and environmental preservation and social-economic development around the world.
She pledged Zambia’s support to the incoming president who is also Colombian Minister of Trade, industry and Tourism Cecilia Alvarez –Correa.
This was the second time that Colombia was hosting the tourism Indaba, having hosted it earlier in 2007 in the city of Cartagena.
Zambia was on Saturday elected to the Executive Council of the UNWTO amid waves of joy and jubilation among the Zambian delegates as this paves the way for Zambia to have direct representation on the World body and add its voice to the policy direction of the tourism industry.
The 21st edition of the UNWTO General Assembly started on September 12 and ends today in the Colombian city of Medellin.
Zambia and Zimbabwe co-hosted the 20th edition of the tourism show piece in 2013 at the Victoria Falls.