Ivorien and African football legend Didier Drogba is the latest ambassador named by the world tourism organization (UNWTO) to help promote responsible tourism in Africa and beyond.
The Secretary General of UNWTO Ambasssdor Zurab Pololikashvili made this announcement during the Côte d’Ivoire roundtable investment event in Dubai over the weekend.
The Secretary General said, “It is an honour to have such legendary personality and Ambasssdor for tourism and am sure we can promote tourism in Africa because the continent need more visibility, more promotion, and we could not find better person than Didier Drogba. We are so proud and happy and will work on many interesting projects together,” Zurab Pololikashvili said.
He added that UNWTO will partner with the Didier Drogba foundation to support youth, empower women and to create new jobs together for Africa to make the continent better and powerful.
Accepting the honour, Didier Drogba said, he was very happy to have been named to help champion the promotion of tourism.
“I am happy to be one of the new ambassadors for world tourism Organization and proud to be here with the Secretary General of UNWTO. It is an honour for me to use my name to represent tourism and all the benefit which is creating jobs, and allow people to dream," Drogba said
Didier Drogba joins Lionel Messi as the second football player to be appointed by the world tourism body to champion the promotion of tourism. He also joins Nigerian business mogul Aliko Dangote as the second African to be appointed by the Secretary General.
The Secretary General is attending the roundtable on financing the "Sublime Côte d´Ivore" initiative, which maps the growth of the country's tourism sector between now and 2025.
This article was originally published on Voyages Afriq.