ALGIERIA 5-20 Jul 2009 Algiers hosts first Pan-African Culture Festival in 40 years

The Second Pan-African Cultural Festival in Algiers is the first since 1969. It is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world to celebrate what Algeria's culture minister Khalida Toumi describes as Africa's artistic renaissance. The event will feature thousands of notable figures in the fields of visual art, music, dance, theater and poetry from Africa and the estimated 330-million-strong African diaspora. The last United States presidential election could contribute to the festival's success.

The plan is to recreate the 1969 festival in cooperation with the African Union. AU Social Affairs Commissioner Bience Gawanas says the pan-African body is backing the cultural festival as a statement of Africa's resurgence. "It is part of our very, very broad mandate, and that is to create an image of Africa, an image of Africa that does not only speak of conflicts, an image of Africa that does not only speak of diseases, but an image of Africa as the cradle of humankind," Gawanas said.

Toumi said the event will also feature fashion, "since there is a whole movement in Africa of the creation of the fashion art, which is being developed."

Edward Bergman, Executive Director of the Africa Travel Association, flagged the recent inauguration of President Barack Obama, an African-American with links to Kenya, as an event that will increase tourism and investment in Africa. “All over Africa, we can see how excited everyone is about President Obama’s connection to the continent,” he told a US-Africa travel seminar in February. Feb/09

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Pan-African Cultural Festival (African Union)
http://209.85.173.132/u/UAAU?q=cache:5QNym39GV2YJ:www.africa-union.org/root/au/Conferences/2009/february/PR/INVITATION%2520TO%2520A%2520PRESS%2520CONFERENCE%2520-%2520ON%2520THE%25202ND%2520PANAFRICAN%2520CULTURAL%2520FESTIVAL-%2520ENGLISH.doc+festival&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&ie=UTF-8

President Obama's election sparks interest in African tourism (ATA 3 Feb 2009)
http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/29254