Ramiro Barreira highlighted that, for the first time, the Government assumed, with the plan approved Thursday, tourism as a "vanguard area of development of the country's economy".
"It means that due to the intensity of the tourism sector, we can easily reach 50 thousand direct jobs and then also indirect ones and recover many jobs that the sector lost in recent years with covid-19 and the crisis that hit in recent years as well", Ramiro Barreira told Lusa agency.
The plan also foresees the creation of 5000 jobs this year, with Ramiro Barreira considering that this goal will be reached quickly with the hotel units being privatized this year, within the scope of the Government's Privatization Program.
"With the entry into operation of most of them and the start of some projects, mainly also the restart of activity at Luanda's [international] airport, and the development of other projects in the provinces, it is possible. What cannot be achieved this year, it can be recovered at the beginning of next year", he stressed, remembering that "the plan is three months late".
The President, João Lourenço, approved, on Thursday, the Planatur 2024-2027, which, in the first phase, foresees investments in tourist attractions in the provinces of Benguela, Cuando Cubango, Cuanza Norte, Luanda, Huíla, Namibe, Malanje and Zaire.
According to Ramiro Barreira, the improvement of road infrastructure in the main provinces included in the plan is an important measure, as well as the tourist centers under development in Calandula, Cabo Ledo, Cuando Cubango, as well as specific programs for tourist products, namely the construction of small commercial establishments for the sale of 'souvenirs', among others.
The president of AHRA welcomed "all infrastructures that, in essence, contribute significantly" to transforming "tourism potential into tourist products, which can be sold to tourists".
"On the other hand, it also seems to me that, in terms of financing, the Credit Guarantee Fund also gives another boost to the sector", he highlighted.
With a financial provision from the State of around 2.5 billion kwanzas, it is planned to create 3175 rooms, asphalting 500 kilometers of access roads to tourist centers by 2027, in addition to 600 kilometers of earthworks.
Ramiro Barreira highlighted that it is necessary to finance projects, essentially linked to tour operators, hotels, restaurants, transport for tourists, travel agencies, the entire segment linked to tourism, "which is why the sector's financing plan is also very important".
The private sector, over the four-year period, will receive financing of 247 billion kwanzas to promote tourism.
The head of AHRA also highlighted actions on the institutional side, such as training and organization, considering that if we manage to do what is foreseen in the Planatur "it will already be a very important step".
"The important thing is the mobilization of financial resources for the short, medium term project (...). If we manage to mobilize the financial resources, it will be a very important step and then the implementation, the 'players' [agents] to implement It's the most important part," he added.
The president of ARHA said that the private sector and, particularly, the association he directs, are waiting and mobilized so that they can respond positively to the Planatur and help the Government's policies, which, in turn, he said, must respond to the needs of the sector.
