Maputo, 3 Aug (AIM) – The Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), of which Mozambique is a member, has decided to set up a Business and Investment Forum on tourism, which will be responsible for stimulating connectivity among member states, and foster entrepreneurship.
The forum, which was set up during the Final Declaration of the 13th Meeting of CPLP Tourism Ministers, held in Dili, Timor-Leste, will be focused on strengthening youth entrepreneurship, women, micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and local communities.
Mozambique was represented at the event by the Secretary of State for Tourism Affairs, Fredson Bacar.
The creation of the Forum was a key outcome of the meeting and is part of a broader strategy to bolster economic cooperation within the Lusophone sphere through sustainable tourism. The initiative also envisions promoting thematic and integrated tourism routes and strengthening coordination between tourism, transport, and mobility sectors to improve air, maritime, and land connectivity among the Community’ s member countries.
The Final Declaration also commits to supporting entrepreneurship, local producers, artisans, cultural agents, and communities, as well as ensuring CPLP involvement in the observance of the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism (2027), as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly.
Another outcome of the meeting was the two-year extension of the CPLP Strategic Plan for Tourism Cooperation (PECTUR 2016–2026) while the plan undergoes a revision process to align it with the sector’s new priorities and challenges.
Member states also decided to establish a Working Group of Tourism Focal Points, coordinated by the meeting’s presidency and supported by the CPLP Executive Secretariat, tasked with presenting a proposed Action Plan for the 2026–2028 period by November of this year.
The meeting was held under the theme “Nature, Ocean, and Culture as our tourism heritage in CPLP countries,” marking the first time Timor-Leste chaired the sector’s ministerial meeting after succeeding São Tomé and Príncipe in leading the organization’s tourism cooperation efforts.
During the opening session, Timor-Leste’s Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Tourism, and Environment, Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, advocated for a tourism model centered on communities, environmental preservation, and the promotion of cultural heritage, saying that “the sector’s success should be measured by its ability to improve people’s lives.”
On the sidelines of the meeting, several bilateral cooperation instruments were signed, including the Tourism Cooperation Agreement between Mozambique and Timor-Leste, reinforcing both countries’ commitment to deepening their relationship regarding sustainable tourism development.
(AIM)
Pc/Am/
