CBC held the Inaugural Tourism, Travel & Retail Duty-Free Workgroup Virtual Meeting on 30th November 2025, bringing together industry leaders and regional stakeholders to advance dialogue on building a more competitive and integrated tourism and retail duty-free ecosystem across the region.

The session marked the official launch of the CBC Tourism, Travel & Retail Duty-Free Workgroup — a platform designed to strengthen collaboration, share insights, and drive policy advocacy that enhances regional tourism, travel facilitation, and duty-free operations.

Discussions explored opportunities to integrate tourism into regional trade and investment strategies, harmonize visa and regulatory frameworks, improve tourism-related infrastructure, and strengthen the role of the duty-free industry as a key driver of airport development, investment, and regional connectivity.

Presentations from Ms. Mulemwa Moongwa CMM CED HMCC (Africa MICE Summit) and Mr. Isaias Diaz Garcia (MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA DUTY FREE ASSOCIATION (MEADFA) also underscored the role of business events and retail duty-free in catalysing investment and promoting travel across borders.

This first meeting sets a strong foundation for deeper collaboration between the public and private sectors in shaping a more connected, competitive, and sustainable tourism ecosystem in COMESA.

To learn more about CBC’s ongoing work in this space, read our Policy Paper on the Duty-Free Industry’s Position on the WHO Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products here: https://lnkd.in/eWxVPg8R