MASERU - The African Union (AU) Ministers responsible for Tourism and members of the Bureau for the Specialised Technical Committee (STC) on Transport, Infrastructure, Intercontinental and Interregional Infrastructure, Energy and Tourism (STC-TTIIET) on Tuesday held a video conference meeting to discuss the urgent actions to support the continental strategy on COVID-19 pandemic as a way to implement the recommendations of the AU Heads of State and Government held on April 3 on the same mode of communication.
business
April 22, 2020
STAFF REPORTER
1 min read
AU ponders mitigation on COVID-19 impact
AU Commissioner Dr Amani Abou-Zeid
The AU statement reveals the meeting was convened on the invitation of the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy at AU Commission Dr Amani Abou-Zeid and that its second objective was to discuss the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to the tourism sector and propose mitigation measures. Dr Amani Abou-Zeid reportedly expressed her gratitude to the Ministers for honouring the invitation.
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She further highlighted the negative economic impacts of COVID-19 to African tourism including the important losses of jobs related to tourism services, grounding of aircrafts and closure of airports and air transport related services as well as the complete shutdown of important public transport services.
Dr Abou-Zeid therefore appealed to the ministers to propose relief measures to help the industry recover immediately once the COVID-19 pandemic has been contained.