South Sudan’s Vice President for Economic Cluster, Dr James Wani Igga, has called for the conservation of wildlife in the country.
The VP said protection of wildlife will attract local and foreign investments into South Sudan.
He was speaking on Thursday during the signing of a partnership agreement between the African Tourism Board and the Ministry of Tourism in Juba.
Dr. Igga said proper wildlife conservation would boost revenue collection as a result of a vibrant tourism sector.
“We in South Sudan need to involve local communities in promoting the tourism sector. Protecting wildlife is a collective responsibility, especially those in the rural areas,” he said.
The Vice President said the tourism sector needs a well-coordinated strategy that ensures the competitiveness of South Sudan’s tourism products in the regional and bilateral tourism markets.
“As far as local communities are concerned, the tourism industry should organize people to effectively participate in the tourism sector and boost interaction between the government and the private sector to promote sustainable tourism development. This enhances cultural development,” he said.
For his part, Lt. Gen. Rizik Zakaria Hassan, Minister of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, assured stakeholders of his ministry’s readiness to position the country as a major tourism destination.
He said negative publicity only hurts a country’s image.
“Here in South Sudan, we believe that our country is safe and everything is going right but outside, there is a different impression,” he said.
The minister said it is not enough for South Sudan to talk about itself, adding that stronger partnerships and ties can enhance and polish South Sudan’s image.