Sustainable Tourism: Upemba Presents Its Landscape Approach at DRC Travel Meet

21 hours ago

3 min read

Upemba National Park (UNP) took part in the third edition of the DRC Travel Meet, held in Kinshasa from 11 to 12 September 2026. Recognized as one of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s leading international events dedicated to tourism, travel and investment, the DRC Travel Meet is organized by the local events platform YEBO DRC, in collaboration with the National Tourism Office (ONT) and the Ministry of Tourism. The event serves as a strategic business-to-business (B2B) platform, bringing together public and private sector stakeholders to explore opportunities and challenges related to the development of the Congolese tourism sector.

Alongside national and international actors from the tourism, travel and investment sectors, the Upemba National Park delegation, represented by Communications Manager Mr Antonio Longangi and Fundraising and Reporting Manager Ms Iris Thiriaux, contributed to the discussions by showcasing some of the natural assets and opportunities offered by the Upemba landscape. The park’s participation included an exhibition highlighting its activities and tourism potential, as well as a contribution to an expert panel focused on sustainable tourism, conservation and community impact.

Representing Upemba National Park on the panel, Ms Iris Thiriaux presented the Landscape Approach as one of the foundations of Upemba’s conservation model and as an essential pathway towards sustainable and inclusive tourism. The approach is built around the interconnected objectives of protecting biodiversity, habitats and essential wildlife migration corridors; improving the livelihoods and climate resilience of local communities; and supporting green economic opportunities that can reduce pressure on natural resources. By linking conservation, community development and economic opportunities, the Landscape Approach seeks to ensure that conservation efforts also contribute to tangible benefits for the communities living around the park.

During her intervention, Ms Thiriaux also highlighted several challenges that continue to constrain the development of tourism in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly limited infrastructure and inadequate communication and transport networks needed to access tourism destinations and fully unlock their potential. She also referred to the experience of countries in the sub-region that have developed mechanisms to support sustainable tourism and strengthen its contribution to community development.

For Upemba National Park, participation in the DRC Travel Meet, with the support of Expertise France (EF), forms part of a broader effort to strengthen engagement between the park and sectors that can contribute to the development of partnerships for a green economy. This aligns with the vision for the Upemba landscape: to foster a model of sustainable coexistence between nature conservation and economic development by bringing together public authorities, the private sector, local communities and civil society around shared green development objectives.

This dynamic is already supported by several initiatives aimed at strengthening the economic and food resilience of communities across the landscape. With financial support from the European Union, notably through the AGRIFOOD project, progress has been made in improving agricultural production and establishing sustainable systems that strengthen food resilience across the Upemba landscape and its surrounding urban areas. These initiatives contribute to building an economic environment in which conservation can be connected to tangible opportunities for local communities.

As tourism remains an important sector for economic development, and with the Upemba landscape holding considerable natural and cultural potential, the park’s participation in the DRC Travel Meet represents another step towards identifying partnerships and new opportunities to unlock and promote this potential. It also reflects the ambition to develop the Upemba landscape as a place where biodiversity conservation, community development and green economic opportunities can advance together, contributing to a more sustainable future for both people and ecosystems.