Africa's travel and tourism industry continues to record impressive growth over the years. In 2017, the continent recorded a 9 per cent increase reaching a 63 million high in international tourist arrivals as compared to 58 million in 2016. The growth record is slightly above the global performance of a 7 per cent rise in 2017, to reach a total of 1.323 billion international tourist arrivals. Results were driven by the continued recovery in Tunisia and Morocco and strong performance in Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritius and Zimbabwe. Island destinations Seychelles, Cabo Verde and Reunion recorded double-digit growth in arrivals.
The number however represents only 5 per cent of the world share of international tourist arrivals that Africa receives. In a recently launched Africa Hospitality Report 2018/19, Jumia Co-Founder Sacha Poignoinnec notes that this percentage represents “great potential for the African travel market, as demand continues to grow due to strong economic growth, a middle class on the rise and a young population”. Respectively, Europe boasts a 51 per cent world share of international arrivals, while Asia and the Pacific 24 per cent, Americas 16 per cent and the Middle East 4 per cent.
In the same report, the UNWTO’s Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili highlights challenges hindering the growth of the sector in Africa, including travel advisories by international tourist sources and Political instability at some. Inadequate air travel between the major African cities due to poor intra-African air connectivity and lack of strategic marketing of brand Africa are also among top issues.
“We are also dealing with negative perception of brand identity and image of the continent. Africa is not a country but a continent, home to more than a billion very creative, entrepreneurial and tech savvy Africans. It is however viewed as the only home to a fascinating wildlife and torn apart by war, poverty and diseases,” adds Pololikashvili.
Others also include underdeveloped tourism infrastructure, visa restrictions and lack of a common visa policy, as well as lack of access to adequate funding and underfunding at the ministerial level.
Leisure travel remains dominant in Africa with 70 per cent in expenditures, as business travel records an expenditure of 30 per cent, according to Jumia.
TTN is the most established trade publication in the Middle East distributed on a controlled circulation basis to members of the travel and tourism industry.
Published monthly by Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group, the region’s foremost trade publisher, TTN is aimed at professionals in the industry, from travel agents to airline and hotel personnel.
TTN provides in-depth and extensive coverage of relevant issues in the Middle East and North Africa as well as in other parts of the world. Travel related news, analysis, and new appointments together with information on up-coming exhibitions, marketing and promotional campaigns are presented in an innovative and striking colour tabloid.
Every issue also contains a collation of international and regional news and topical features of interest to readers.
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