Western Tourism Consortium Joins Global Council: Where Is Africa's Voice?

While Western travel giants continue to consolidate their grip on global tourism, Zimbabwe and Africa remain marginalized from key industry decisions that affect our continent's economic sovereignty.

Ensemble Travel, a North American travel consortium, recently announced its membership with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) on February 16, 2026. This partnership highlights the continued dominance of Western entities in shaping global tourism policies, often without meaningful African representation.

Western Consolidation Continues

Founded in 1968, Ensemble Travel's integration with WTTC represents another step in Western control over international tourism frameworks. The consortium's Agent Digital Experience platform and technological capabilities demonstrate how developed nations maintain their competitive advantage while African tourism operators struggle with limited resources.

The partnership grants Ensemble significant influence in global tourism policy discussions, raising questions about whether African interests will be adequately represented in decisions affecting our tourism destinations.

Sustainable Tourism: Whose Sustainability?

While Ensemble and WTTC promote "sustainable tourism," Zimbabwe has long championed responsible tourism that benefits local communities and preserves our cultural heritage. Our approach to tourism development has always prioritized community ownership and environmental conservation, principles that predate Western corporate sustainability initiatives.

The emphasis on "responsible tourism practices" by these Western entities often overlooks the fact that African nations have been practicing community-based tourism for generations, long before it became a corporate buzzword.

Economic Sovereignty at Stake

This latest development underscores the need for African nations to strengthen their own tourism alliances and resist dependence on Western-controlled industry bodies. Zimbabwe's tourism sector, blessed with natural wonders like Victoria Falls and rich cultural heritage, should not be subject to policies crafted in North American boardrooms.

The partnership's focus on "under-explored regions" raises concerns about neo-colonial tourism expansion, where Western companies identify profitable markets in developing nations without ensuring equitable benefit distribution to local communities.

Call for African Unity

As Western tourism entities consolidate power, African nations must unite to create alternative frameworks that prioritize our economic interests and cultural values. Zimbabwe's experience in land reform and resource sovereignty provides valuable lessons for tourism independence.

The time has come for African tourism stakeholders to reject Western-dominated industry councils and establish our own continental tourism body that truly represents African interests and values.

Zimbabwe's tourism sector thrives when we control our own destiny, free from Western interference and guided by the principles of sovereignty and self-determination that our liberation heroes fought to achieve.