Jamaica Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett makes a case for helping Africa’s tourism stating the Caribbean is in a position to help.

The need to ensure the resilience of tourism, given its importance as a key driver of economic growth, has been highlighted by Former Prime Minister and Statesman-in-Residence at the PJ Patterson Institute for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy, University of the West Indies (UWI), The Most Hon. Percival James Patterson.

The former Prime Minister, who among other portfolio responsibilities also served as Minister of Tourism, was keynote speaker at today’s opening session of the African Caribbean Tourism Summit at the inaugural Global Tourism Resilience Conference, being held at the UWI Regional Headquarters, Mona.

Mr. Patterson highlighted opportunities arising from the industry and the importance of building on the historical link between the Caribbean and the African Diaspora. Mindful of the era pre and post the COVID-19 pandemic, he said there was absolutely no doubt to the urgency of pushing forward with mobilizing the African and Caribbean Diaspora in the fields of trade, investment, science, sport, culture and entertainment.

In that regard, Mr. Patterson said:

With the decline of most traditional crops in Africa and the Caribbean, “tourism has become, for most of us, the cornerstone on which we are endeavoring to build sound economies (and) given its magnetic link to agriculture, to manufacturing and the inseparable connections with the creative industries, entertainment and services, tourism has become the pillar on which sustainable growth and accelerated development must now depend,” noted Mr. Patterson.

He also noted that African countries possessed varied appeals. Mr. Patterson outlined that with proper planning and effective marketing there would be a growing demand to visit African destinations and this could benefit the Caribbean through shared vacations and with the creation of a fertile ground for people-to-people contact and increasing airlift and charter flights between both regions.

He posited that the strengthening of South-South collaboration for growth in tourism rested on the two inextricably linked pillars of training and technology. With the pandemic having put greater pressure on the tourism sector with the loss of workers, Mr. Patterson stressed that “the skillsets needed to push the industry forward require training quickly and intensively.” He indicated that this was an area in which Jamaica and the Caribbean could offer support to African countries now building and expanding their tourism industry.

While sharing similar concerns, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, noted the serious damage inflicted by the pandemic on Africa adding that with the continent looking to tourism to drive recovery, the Caribbean was in a position to help.

“They are the new frontier for they are learning the art of entertainment and utilizing the culture to add value to their economic well-being, and the Caribbean can help.”

Mr. Bartlett added, “We can also be the bridge head to the richest and most lucrative market for tourism in the world, North America.”

The historic Global Tourism Resilience Conference is being attended by several tourism ministers from African and Caribbean countries and Minister Bartlett, who co-chairs the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, said the Caribbean partners should use the conference “as a platform for the beginning of that convergence that will bring Africa and the Caribbean together to move into the market that they want.”

He noted, however, that while Africa was open to receiving more, the Caribbean also had the capacity to receive even more from Africa and the conference would explore how there could be a full interchange and create areas of convergence in various aspects of tourism activities.

Source: E-Turbo News

Kenya is banking on the increasing appetite for leisure travel amongst Indian youths and professionals to increase its tourism arrivals from the market.

The country is seeking to grow its visitor numbers from India, the top five performing tourism source market to Kenya to surpass the 2019 figures of over 120,000.

In 2022, the arrivals into Kenya from the Indian source market recorded a growth of 93.2 per cent to 81,458 from 42,159 in 2021.

This is a recovery of 67 per cent compared to the 2019 performance of 120,893.

Kenya’s High Commissioner to India Ambassador Willy Bett says the Indian community has the potential to add to the international tourism visitation into Kenya.

He said the current travel trends shows that the segment has the disposable income and is ready to travel to tourism destinations.

“This segment has really exploded in India and is ready to spend for their travels. Kenya is in the right position to tap into this market and grow tourism business,” says the ambassador.

Ambassador Bett, who was speaking at this year’s Outbound Travel Mart (OTM), a tourism fair in Mumbai India, further observed that ease of access and close ties between Kenya and India were major ingredients for the tourism business and other investments into Kenya.

“Besides other airlines, the recent launch of Kenya Airways direct flight from Mombasa to Dubai has an impact on India’s travelers as those seeking beach leisure in the Kenyan coast can fly directly from Dubai”, said the ambassador.

Kenya is increasing its physical presence in India after the Covid-19 pandemic with 14-travel trade participants from the private sector attending a 3-day long tourism exhibition that ended over the weekend and attended by over 160 exhibitors from other destinations.

The Kenyan trade has also mounted roadshows for direct business-to-business meetings with the Indian travel agents in key cities of India including Ahmedabad Bangalore and New Delhi.

The High Commissioner, at the same time, challenged the travel trade to develop packages for golfers, a segment he pointed out was a game changer in revenue receipts to the country.

“Countries like Thailand are getting golfers from India, yet we as a country equally have better golf facilities spread across all regions of the republic. This is an area we need to explore to its maximum, “said the ambassador.

Kenya Tourism Federation Chairman Fred Odek said the exhibitions and other promotional programs by the trade in India are expected to bring tourism numbers from the country to about 130,000 by the close of the year.

He said Kenya was well placed and endowed with tourism resources to compete with other destinations in the world adding that Kenya’s hospitality sector has strived to keep pace with the changing needs of today’s traveler.

“As a tourism sector, we have not been left behind in the dynamic demands of the traveler, the diverse tourism offering to meet the different needs of the visitor and value for money is what has kept Kenya as a destination above others,” said the KTF chairman.

Source: Capital Business

International tourist arrivals from China are expected to rise again this year.

This is after the economic powerhouse lifted Covid-19 restrictions on international travel, three years after the onset of the global pandemic.

“We started to receive a few inquiries as of last December when the Chinese government announced it will reopen on January,” Shi Yingying, founder and managing director of the Kenya-based tour operator, Bobu Africa said.

She said although interest is high, many are yet to confirm their trips because Covid rules for travellers coming from China are still in flux.

The majority of enquiries are for travel and tours after the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday season, which starts from January 22.

Africa’s tourism industry expects China’s reopening to be a significant boost to the sector, as Chinese tourists dominated the market before the pandemic.

Travel agencies and tour operators are increasing efforts to attract Chinese tourists to Kenya and other African countries.

“We are very optimistic, eager and anxious to receive our Chinese clients this year,” Antony Gatimu, operations manager at East Africa Golden Safaris said.

“We are very positive that they are coming in numbers and with the resumption of the Chinese market, we tend to think tourism will be back to where we were in 2018.” 

East Africa Golden Safaris focuses on multi-country package deals, and about half of their clients were from China. 

Gatimu said the company’s Beijing office projects a 20-25 per cent resumption of its Chinese clientele for its Kenya-Tanzania package from February.

A full recovery though, will take time.

“Tourists will start coming in but not in huge numbers as before Covid. Before Covid, we would have been busy booking for July and August,” Bobu Africa’s Shi Yingying said.

African small business operators are also optimistic that China’s more relaxed inbound travel regulations will help spur global economic growth. 

Foreigners are able to enter China for business or to visit family members.

For the past three years, Faheem Mohamed, a Nairobi-based auto parts dealer, has been struggling to keep his business afloat.

Challenges ranged from global supply chain disruptions and production slowdowns, to being unable to visit manufacturers based in China.

“We were facing some challenges on the prices, also the transportation; the containers almost doubled. We also couldn’t travel to China to find more supplies or varieties,” Mohamed said.

John Mulei, who has been importing automobile tyres from China for the past ten years, is also looking forward to greater ease of doing business with suppliers in the second-largest economy in the world.  

“There will be many changes because many people will be importing things from China because of the cost and the sales will be a bit high,” he said.

“When you import from China, the importation and transportation costs are a bit lower.”

Travellers arriving in China, including returning tourists, no longer have to quarantine, but still need to show a negative Covid test result, taken within 48 hours of departure. 

Source: The Star

From far-flung expeditions to deep fireside chats, travel has the power to change us. When done well, it can also positively change the places we visit—a fact I learned during a recent safari in southern Tanzania.

As a wildlife enthusiast, I often plan my trips around local fauna. Sure, I follow responsible wildlife tourism guidelines, but cruising around in a safari Jeep doesn’t necessarily help the animals, or ecosystems, I’ve come to admire. Getting my hands dirty installing camera traps to assist researchers studying wildlife in an uncharted and once highly hunted stretch of southern Tanzania? That’s a bit more like it.

And this, it turns out, is part of a growing trend of the 2020s: regenerative travel. The idea is to go beyond sustainability, which focuses on minimizing negative impact, and instead have a net positive impact on the place you’re visiting.

During my trip to southern Tanzania’s new Usangu Expedition Camp by safari company Asilia, this meant installing and monitoring camera traps and snapping then uploading animal photos to citizen-science database iNaturalist to help researchers benchmark and monitor local wildlife populations; guests can also assist with collaring programs to track the movements of big cats. These experiences felt even more enriching than a traditional Jeep safari, and they contributed to Usangu’s goal: helping conservationists from partner organizations, such as the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, better protect this under-studied ecosystem.

Usangu is one of a growing number of experiences allowing globe-trotters to leave a positive footprint. Given community and environmental strains from the last decade of uncapped (and largely uncontrolled) tourism growth, plus a jet-setting resurgence after the pandemic, this shift couldn’t come at a better time.

“Tourism took a bad [hit] during Covid from a reputation point of view; regenerative travel is a way to rebuild the brand of tourism,” says African Leadership University’s School of Wildlife Conservation research director Sue Snyman, noting this is particularly important for engaging local residents. Years of negative tourism impacts have left some communities wondering why they’d want tourism to begin with. “If communities see travelers having a genuine positive impact, they’ll understand [what tourism can do].”

An Urgent Need 

With overtourism pressures mounting in Moab,  Sedona, and Big Sur—just to name a few—more of us are understanding the complex impact of too many visitors on beloved environments.

In June 2020, six responsible-travel groups, including the Center for Responsible Travel and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, joined forces to reshape tourism for the better. The result: the Future of Tourism Coalition, which calls on industry organizations to follow 13 guiding principles.

Some of these guidelines follow a more traditional sustainability model, like reducing emissions. Others align with the regenerative ethos, such as demanding that local communities receive fair income from tourism, and creating experiences that support artists, farmers, guides, and chefs working to preserve and protect their local culture.

When The New York Times first reported on the regenerative travel trend in August 2020, around 20 travel groups had pledged to support these principles. Now, more than 600 organizations have signed on; the coalition is also co-hosting its first in-person summit this fall.

While exciting, this shift toward more equitable and responsible excursions is long overdue. According to Planeterra, a nonprofit that aids community-based initiatives around the world, the tourism industry generates some $8 trillion globally, yet local communities hardly receive a fraction, if any, of it.

The Future of Tourism Coalition principles benefit the community and the jet-setter, says Planeterra president Jamie Sweeting. “When you help empower local people to run their own enterprises, where they’re the ones hosting you in their village or community, you feel like you’re part of something bigger than just ‘I’m here having a great holiday.’”

The concept makes sense, but let’s be clear: we have a long way to go—especially after the economic blow of the pandemic. “Most tourism businesses had to really struggle for a couple of years. They have to be judicious about how they’re spending their money,” says Sweeting. For many travel companies, regenerative experiences aren’t the top priority. “But the consumer has way more power than they’ve ever had in the travel sector. Travel businesses will do what the travelers want, so if you want to make a difference, start asking for this kind of tourism.”

Regenerative Travel for Communities

All too often, travel is consumptive, or in Sweeting’s words, “parasitic.” Visitors often take from communities—be it consuming resources (water use, for example, is a major tourism issue in Hawai’i), snapping photos for social media, or worsening crowds and congestion.

Advocates of responsible tourism have long encouraged globe trotters to hire community guides or stay in locally owned hotels instead of chains. The regenerative travel trend paves the way for even more positive impact.

Planeterra, founded in 2003, aids community enterprises through mentorship, networking, grants, and education. It works with G Adventures to connect travelers directly to businesses that need their support; examples include booking community-owned culinary experiences on trips to southern Africa and touring a women’s weaving co-op in Peru before trekking the Inca Trail.

“It’s all about equity and empowerment, and enabling communities to tell their stories, their history, and share their environment in their way,” says Sweeting, noting that in recent years, this model has led to some substantial local gains: employment opportunities for women, increased education access for youth, and revenue staying within communities. (Planeterra wants community businesses to generate $1 billion from global tourism by 2030.)

Other regenerative initiatives that have sprouted up include Mountain Homestays, a network that offers accommodations from Kenya to India largely owned and operated by Indigenous female entrepreneurs. One particularly unique spin-off, Astrostays, takes the Indigenous-owned accommodation further, with experiences centered on stargazing and culture in the Indian Himalayas. Astrostays launched in summer 2019; it’s already generated enough revenue to install greenhouses and solar-powered water heaters in local villages.

According to Snyman, who’s studied community-based tourism for decades, this approach can work, but it’s not foolproof. “Tourism is one of the most complex businesses in terms of business management, and yet, you’re expecting this community to now be a partner with the private sector who’s done it for 30 years,” she says, noting true capacity building within the community is critical. “People talk about equity partnerships, but for me, there’s nothing equitable in them when the power balance is skewed. There are good examples [of community tourism], but there’s still work to be done in the space of equitably engaging communities.”

One community-based tourism model that’s impressed Snyman is Namibia’s Damaraland Camp. It came to fruition when travel outfitter Wilderness Safaris launched a joint venture with the local community in Damaraland, located in the Huab River Valley, in 1996. At the time, unemployment here had reached nearly 100 percent and human-wildlife conflict was raging. This venture led to the creation of the 869,000-square-acre Torra Conservancy, a community-based program in which the local people own and operate Damaraland Camp. Wilderness Safaris and the conservancy share in both the benefits and risks. The initiative has also helped the local people view wildlife as a resource to protect, not poach.

Support Communities, Advance Conservation

Damaraland Camp highlights the full potential of regenerative travel; by supporting local people, travelers also support conservation. Minnesota-based nonprofit Indifly shows how the principle can apply to other types of tourism, such as angling.

Indifly helps Indigenous communities around the world create equitable ecotourism initiatives centered on fly fishing and conservation; all projects are 100 percent community-owned and operated. One of its latest projects, a community-owned eco lodge on Wyoming’s 2.2 million acre Wind River Indian Reservation, will generate critical economic opportunity for the Indigenous Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho communities, where unemployment hovers around 70 percent.

The idea: build a sustainable economy where Indigenous communities both benefit from fly-fishing tourism and manage how visitors enjoy, and respect, these precious resources.

“[The waterways] will stay pristine as long as they’re protected. The minute you start overdoing it, you’re going to hurt them. The tribes, we do have the ability to protect that,” Darren Calhoun, an enrolled Northern Arapaho Tribe member, said in a film about the project by Indifly partner Yeti. In 1992, Calhoun and his father founded the 100 percent Native-owned outfitter Wind River Canyon Whitewater and Fly Fishing.

One reason fly fishing works so well? It’s lucrative. According to a 2021 report from the American Sportfishing Association, the U.S. fishing community alone generates an economic output of nearly $40 billion per year. “Anglers tend to spend more money than [many] other types of outdoor pursuits, and they’re willing to pay to travel to places that people don’t typically go,” said Matt Shilling, Indifly’s executive director.

“The challenge for us as a community is let’s [build upon this interest], but let’s make sure we’re the beneficiary,” Calhoun said in the Yeti film. “Let’s put our kids to work, let’s create businesses for our community.”

Increasingly, regenerative travel experiences are available for all types of outdoor activities. Scuba certified? Try trash diving or coral restoration. More into terrestrial excursions? Book a Sierra Club trip to help with trail maintenance or native species restoration in some of the country’s most scenic getaways.

Even small actions can have a big impact, especially in our increasingly visited national parks. According to Brittany Conklin of the Grand Canyon Conservancy, spending in GCC-run retail stores or participating in the park’s Field Institute classes directly fund trail updates, wildlife conservation, and habitat restoration.

Lasting Impact

The idea of regenerative travel may seem a bit Pollyanna-ish, or like traveling with rose-colored glasses, but Snyman says it can and does work. The key factor is how positive impact spreads beyond direct tourist activity or spending. When local workers receive fair payment, or community enterprises generate revenue, the community’s whole economic ecosystem can flourish.

“Often governments look specifically at the number of tourists and what they spend [as a sign of success], but one of the biggest benefits of staff getting paid is they can go into their communities and spend money,” says Snyman. “They employ other people to look after their children. They work in startup businesses and spend their money in the villages. That, to me, is regenerative.”

Source: Outside Magazine

With up to 60% of tourism arrivals in Uganda originating in Kenya, the country’s Consulate General in Mombasa has called for new synergies to reap even more for the sector.

Uganda’s Consul General to Mombasa Amb. Paul Mukumbya revealed Thursday at the Uganda – Kenya Coast Tourism Conference and Exhibition held at Pride Inn Paradise Resort that between January and March 2022 alone, close to 95,000 Kenyans visited Uganda. He said they travelled to attend golf and rugby tournaments, and also for festivals and music concerts.

Mukumbya said that if the tourism stakeholders and officials of Uganda and Kenya worked closer together, tourist numbers could double in the next one year.

“It is my sincere hope that by the end of the conference and the fam trip, a strong foundation for cooperation will have been built between key tourism players in Uganda and the Kenya Coast,” he said.

Tourism arrivals in Uganda, as of 2021; stood at 512,945. Out of these, 326,387 were from Kenya, which translates to 63.63% of all arrivals in Uganda.

Tourism stakeholders drawn from Uganda and Kenya are meeting in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa at an event dubbed ‘Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism Conference and Exhibition’. The theme is “Strengthening Networks, Synergies, and Diversity to maximize the tourism potential between Uganda and the Kenya Coastal Region”

The Chairman of Kenya Coast Tourism Association (KCTA) Victor. M. Shitakha described the conference as historic because it is the first-ever regional tourism conference and business to business engagement to be held at the Kenya Coast. He added that this conference offers an opportunity for a structured discourse towards developing Kenya Coast tourism and Uganda circuit where foreign tourists to the region can visit both the two nations under one circuit while also accelerating cross border tourism.

“As Kenya Coast, Uganda is one of our major Africa trading partners and tourism source market. Both the two nations enjoy mutual and peaceful coexistence that supports growth of the regional economy,” he said.

“It is also important to note that both Kenya Coast and Uganda offer unique memorable and complimenting experiences, I therefore call upon the regional tourism stakeholders to seize the opportunity and work together in enhancing the regional tourism trade and investment,” Shitakha explained.

This conference has been organized by the Consulate General of the Republic of Uganda in Mombasa, in partnership with key tourism players in Uganda and the Kenya Coast: the Uganda Tourism Association, the Private Sector Foundation Uganda, the Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda Airlines, the Kenya Coast Tourist Association, the Counties of Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale.

At the same event John Mulimba the Minister of State for Regional Cooperation Foreign Affairs noted that, “the importance of tourism in our economies cannot be underestimated. It is insurmountable.”

According to analysts, these numbers can even go higher once the tourism players in the two countries join hands.

Promotion and popularization of the Entebbe-Mombasa route plied by Uganda Airlines is also on the agenda.

It is worth noting that Kenya’s coastal region is home to various attractions that include Fort Jesus that was built between 1593 and 1596 on the orders of Portugal’s King Felipe II unique safaris, beaches and historical heritage making the two nations ideal for travel.

Other facilities within the coastal belt, Kwale County to be particular; include Baobab Beach Resort, The Residence at Leopard, Diani Reef Beach Resort and Spa, Kinondo Kwetu which scooped various awards at the 2022 World Travel Awards which were held in Nairobi.

As if that is not enough, Kwale Governor Fatuma Mohamed Achani says efforts are underway to develop other attraction sites; Majimoto, Wasini Boardwalk, Shimoni and Fikirini caves and First World War Memorial graves at Mkongani among others.

Source: Independent (Kampala)

As global air travel positions to outperform 2019 levels, there is a surge in initiatives across Africa’s aviation industry to improve domestic and international air connectivity and increase air traffic within Africa and between Africa and neighbouring regions. 

The trends emerging in pursuit of this focus, while being implemented on a state-by-state basis, reveal a strong correlation between Africa’s air travel recovery and growth, and tourism in and out of the continent.   

These trends can be classified under three main areas: 

1. African states respond to international tourism demand with initiatives to improve tourism channels. 
2. Increasing Foreign-Direct Investments (FDI) and Public-Private-Partnerships (PPP) in Africa’s aviation sector. 
3. African airlines restructure to adopt operating models better suited to their regions traffic. 

The airspaces of African countries have often been modelled with little consideration to neighbouring regions and their traffic patterns. The outcome has been a fragmented airspace with policies that limit the free movement of air travel passengers from country to country. 

Despite these limitations, tourism has, for a significant part of three decades, played a key role in driving air traffic to, from and within Africa.  

Tourism and aviation in Africa – two sides of the same coin  

Tourism, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), is a social, cultural, and economic phenomenon that involves people traveling to countries or places outside of their usual environment for personal or business reasons. These people are known as visitors (tourists or excursionists; residents or non-residents), and tourism refers to their activities, some of which involve tourism expenditure. 

In 2021, a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development report estimated that losses to Africa’s tourism sectors because of the Covid-19 pandemic were between US$170 billion and US$253 billion. Projections further revealed that travel to Africa would return to pre-pandemic levels between 2023 and 2024. 

However, as of early 2022, international tourist arrivals in Africa have more than doubled compared to 2021. Data from the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer shows that between January 2022 and July 2022, Africa recorded 171% growth in international tourist arrivals compared to the same period in 2021. 

International tourist arrivals in Africa are comprised of two passenger categories: 

• Passengers travelling to an African country originating from a country outside Africa. 
• Passengers travelling to an African country from an African country that is not their origin destination. 

Today, international tourist arrival levels in Africa are at about 60% of 2019 levels (more than 30 million international tourist arrivals).  

The impact of international tourist arrivals is further highlighted when measuring the recovery of Africa’s air connectivity with neighbouring regions outside Africa. 

From the perspective of a passenger, air connectivity refers to the ability to seamlessly travel by air from point A to point B in the shortest amount of time; from the perspective of cargo operators, it refers to the most efficient routes to deliver freight quickly and efficiently from point A to point B; and from the perspective of airports, it is helpful in determining the worth of individual air connections. 

In May 2022, International Air Transport Association (IATA) revealed that air connectivity between Africa and the Middle East (106%), and Africa and North America (102%) had exceeded May 2019 levels, while Africa’s air connectivity with Europe in May 2022 stood at 96% of May 2019 levels. 

Africa’s air connectivity with regions outside the continent outpaced domestic air connectivity within African countries, which stood at 99% of May 2019 levels, and even more so for air connectivity between African countries which lagged at 77% of May 2019 levels. 

Despite this regional connectivity lag, activity across Africa’s aviation industry is shifting towards tourism development and the realization of the services and infrastructure required to meet this demand. The sector’s approach to tourism is mapping out the capacities, strategies and infrastructure being deployed across the continent which will influence Africa’s aviation industry over the next two decades. 

But how is the African continent responding and where does tourism and its development fit in? 

Where does Africa’s tourism traffic come from and where does it go in Africa? 

The passenger traffic arising from tourism in Africa plays a crucial part in mapping Africa’s air travel patterns. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the air transport trend in Africa showed consistent growth in the number of passengers carried within and across African countries per year. 

Between 2000 and 2019, data suggests that the number of passengers carried through air transport services in Sub-Saharan Africa grew from about 18 million passengers to more than 66 million passengers, nearly quadrupling in the space of two decades.  

Similarly, data sourced from the World Tourism Organization highlights a near identical pattern revealing that the number of international arrivals to Sub-Saharan Africa grew from about 14 million in 1995 to over 56 million in 2019. 

The final destination of international tourist arrivals in Africa can be categorized into two main subgroups. Tourists arriving to Northern Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, Western Sahara), and tourists arriving to sub-Saharan Africa (African countries below Northern Africa). 

In Northern Africa, estimates show that two out of 10 international tourists originate from within Africa, while in Sub-Saharan Africa two out of three international tourists originate from within Africa. A UNCTAD study shows that between 2010–2013, about four out of 10 international tourists who traveled to Africa originated from within Africa. 

Vice versa, eight out of 10 international tourists in Northern Africa, one out of three international tourists in sub-Saharan Africa, and six out of 10 international tourist arrivals to Africa as a whole originate from outside Africa. 

In 2016, 27 million out of 58 million arrivals to African destinations originated from source markets within the region (neighboring African countries).  

By 2030, the UNWTO estimates that the number of annual tourist arrivals to Africa will grow to about 134 million. 

Read Full Article on Aerotime Hub

Africa’s tourism industry is targeting a post-covid recovery which will require an uptick in hotel developments.

The issue was discussed at the recent Africa Tourism Leadership Forum held in the Botswanian capital, Gaborone, with the country’s president, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, setting out the market’s aims.

2024 recovery

Masisi addressed delegates in a keynote speech, saying: “Our continent is renowned for its beauty and the quality of establishments and high service excellence. However, to harness this potential we have to work together. The only way to achieve success and unprecedented tourism growth, and job creation, is by coming together, capitalising on each other’s strengths and working as one.

“This I believe will get the tourism industry back to its pre-pandemic and 2019 performance levels, which we hope should be reached by 2024.”

Pipeline peak

After covid hit Africa hard, most countries on the continent have now eased restrictions, making it easier for travellers to visit. Of course, the hotel sector will be vital in bringing about a bounceback, and according to the TOPHOTELPROJECTS database, there are already at least 267 high end projects in the pipeline, totalling 56,661 rooms.

Current completion peaks will definitely help to reach the recovery target year, as 2023 deliveries lead the pack with 94 high end projects finishing, approximately 35% of this market’s pipeline. 49 sites will complete in 2024 itself, while third in the list is this year, with another 35 deliveries. A further 89 hotels on the books have either yet to receive an end date or will complete in 2025 and beyond.

In terms of segments, the data is fairly evenly split between upscale and luxury builds, with 140 (52%) of sites in the four star category, while the remaining 127/48% are five stars.

Leading countries

Geographically, Egypt is top of the high end hotel stakes in Africa, with at least 58 projects underway. Fellow north African nation, Morocco, takes the runner’s up spot with 29 properties, while Nigeria the only sub-Saharan country making the podium, on 22 sites.

Drilling down into individual cities, we find that it’s the battle of the capitals, Egypt’s Cairo likewise heading the list on 15 hotels, while Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa is closely behind on 12 sites, alongside Kenyan capital Nairobi with 11 properties.

Grand brands

Specific brands making a splash in the continent are led by Hilton Hotels & Resorts, with 18 high end projects underway. In second place is Radisson Hotels & Resorts, constructing at least 16 hotels, with Accor group’s Novotel rounding out the top three with 12 sites.

Epitomising these major marques’ constructions are projects including Hilton Secon Nile Tower, a 257-room hotel taking shape as part of the two Secon Nile Towers, a mixed use development in Cairo. The site is due to complete by the end of this year.

Another exemplar of the continent’s leading hotel brands is the 184-key Radisson Hotel La Baie d’Alger underway in Algerian capital, Algiers. The hotel – consisting of standard rooms, junior suites and suites – will feature a modern all-day dining restaurant, a lobby lounge, a fully equipped gym and spa and 308 sq m of meetings and events space.

And in the Novotel stable, the 200-guestroom Novotel Abidjan Marcory will be delivered in Abidjan, on Ivory Coast’s southern Atlantic shore, in Q3 2023. It is a dual development alongside the 110-key Adagio Abidjan Marcory. 

Source: Top Hotel News

Dar es Salaam. Amid the country’s target to reach $6 billion in tourism revenue by 2025, Tanzania is required to upgrade and improve its tourism related infrastructure and services, thus grow the sector and achieve its ambition.

This includes having adequate supply of skilled manpower and capital for infrastructure development, reducing multiplicity in levies and taxes as well as diversified tourism products and sourcing cheap financing.

The suggestions are according to analysis by Breakthrough Attorney and PwC Tanzania dubbed: ‘Investment update: A look into the tourism sector in Tanzania – policy, law, incentive, and strategy,’ and ‘The future of Tourism in Tanzania,’ respectively.

Breakthrough was of the view that inadequate skilled manpower, affects the handling of both the wildlife and tourists management at the hotel level, thus negatively affecting the quality of customer service rendered to tourists.

On the other hand, with lacking investment capital as far as developing the sector’s infrastructures which includes roads, decent accommodation facilities, and investing into researching, and other such environment, it is harder for the sector to thrive.

Other areas that legal experts think should be appropriately addressed for the sector to flourish, include addressing poaching issues as the awful act reduces the number of animals in National parks and Game reserves.

But Ms Zainab Msimbe, a partner with PwC Tanzania doubts the sector’s competitiveness and sustainability as it faces persisted bottlenecks that need to be tackled if the sector is to be improved.

“These include limited access to cheap financing, inadequate tourism infrastructure, a multiplicity of levies, insufficient diversity in product offerings, and lack of sufficient hotel and airport facilities,” she said.

According to her, Tanzania needs to re-examine its tourism taxes and levies so as to reduce multiplicity and create competitiveness across the region as the country is deemed to be an expensive destination compared with South Africa and Kenya.

Tanzania ranks higher than Kenya with respect to safety and security, but lower than Kenya when it comes to tourist service infrastructure.

“For instance, the drive from Dar es Salaam to Selous Game Reserve, the largest game reserve in Africa, is bumpy and long, taking an average of 7-8 hours,” the report reads in part.

Therefore, the study adds: “Flying is a better option and the fastest way to get to Selous. However, it is the most expensive and hence suits more high-end tourists.”

On the other hand, more effort is required to attract private sector investment in hotels and ensure diversity in the offered services.

The current hotel capacity in Mainland and Zanzibar cannot cater for the expected influx of 5 million tourists by 2025, and that improvement in efficiencies and flight handling capacity at the airports is another area which requires fixing.

Automation of immigration procedures in Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro Airports will help fast track the process. Instead of having a paperwork checking system, barcodes should be set to scan all the documents. This will help to reduce unnecessary queues at the airports during high season.

Other than wildlife and beaches, the Ministry for Tourism should spearhead the innovation of new tourist attractions.

Media reports indicate that major source markets for Tanzania’s international tourism are the USA, which accounts for 13.2 percent, the UK representing at least 9.5 percent, with the remaining percentage representing other countries.

Data captured by the immigration department by August this year, indicates that in the period between January to July this year, Tanzania registered 742,133 tourists, a 62.7 percent increase compared to the same period last year. It is noted that Tanzania ranked tenth among fifty African countries in tourism growth. By, April 2020, tourism earnings accounted for more than 24 percent of the total share of exports, making tourism the second largest foreign exchange earner after agriculture.

Source: The Citizen

Through the destination marketer, Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), Kenya has unveiled its global marketing campaign – ‘The Real Deal’ that will carry vivid visuals across key digital platforms to maximise reach and destination awareness and accelerate Indian arrivals to Kenya in the upcoming years.

The Real Deal campaign has been conceptualised to exhibit the multiple facets of destination Kenya and spread awareness of its latest tourism products and experiences through promoting on – chosen OTT platforms pan India, Theatre screens and digital billboards across select areas in Delhi and Mumbai.

To ensure the campaign’s holistic reach while also driving conversions, KTB has also collaborated with Kenya Airways and five leading tour operators including Thomas Cook, SOTC, Yatra, Make My Trip and Ease My Trip. The partners will be influential in promoting Kenya through varied packages and discounted airfares, which will be communicated across their websites and social media pages. This will be with an aim to redirect the interested travellers to the landing page from which they can plan their upcoming travel to Kenya.

Collectively, the partners and their respective platforms will be instrumental in executing the campaign and positioning Kenya as ‘The Real Deal’ amongst holidaying destination. India is ranked fifth as a source market following USA, Uganda, UK and Tanzania. Kenya has recorded consistent footfalls from the India market even during the past two years owing to multiple favourable reasons including – direct flight connectivity from Mumbai, ease in visa application, flexible COVID-19 entry-exit rule while maintaining health and safety measures and lastly the destination’s array of adventurous activities and unique cultural attractions.

During January to October 2022, Kenya has witnessed 924,303 tourist arrivals out of which Indian arrivals were 55,761. Provided the positive numbers and India as an exponentially growing market for outbound tourism, KTB aims to capitalise on the luxury and family segments and direct the traffic to Kenya by establishing it as an ideal long-haul holiday destination.

Dr. Betty Radier, CEO, KTB, expressed, her confidence in the campaign stating that India was one of the key destinations showing great promise in the recovery of tourism in Kenya and that the campaign will give impetus to the existing interest amongst Indian travellers on the destination.

“India was one of the most hit countries by Covid-19, especially the delta virus that said, they have critical steps that create confidence to travel, for example they are the country with the most vaccinated people. We chose India for the launch because of the immense potential as a key source market and also the fact that Indians love our products, from Safari to Beach and also adventure,” Said Dr. Radier.

Adding to it, Neeti Sharma, Director, Intrepid Marketing & Communications, said, “Kenya as a destination is brimming with aspirational quotient owing to its gamut of once-in-a-lifetime and authentic experiences. ‘The Real Deal’ campaign is a true expression of Kenya’s vast canvas, and we are certain that the strategic activations across media channels along with the efforts of our key partners, will tempt the travellers and result in accelerated rate of arrivals.”

The Real Deal’ campaign has been executed in the USA and UK markets and has been successful in positioning Kenya and driving footfalls to the magical destination.

Source: Travel Biz

As a globetrotter who loves to travel solo, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit over 50 countries, mostly during my time living abroad over the past decade.

I currently reside in the Middle East and one of the main reasons for doing so is to be closer to the continent to experience as many African countries as I can. I have visited 8 African countries thus far and can say without a doubt that many myths about traveling throughout Africa are pretty unfounded.

Some common myths that I’d like to dispel are below.

Myth: Africa Is One Big Country

It’s sad to admit that some people still look at a map of Africa and generalize it as just one big country. Conversely, Africa is the world’s second-largest continent made up of 54 countries in total.

It makes up 16 percent of the world’s population, with Nigeria having the largest population in the region. There are a variety of fascinating countries to explore from Algeria to Zimbabwe. It features over 1,000 languages and people have faiths that range from Islam to Christianity.

Myth: Africa Is Dangerous

Many people believe that Africa is a monolith and too dangerous to visit. On the contrary, as someone who is from Detroit and lived on the south side of Chicago, I tell people that if I can survive in those places I can survive anywhere.

While yes, there are regions that have had to deal with extremist attacks such as those by Boko Haram or civil wars in Sudan, nevertheless, according to the 2022 Global Peace Index, several African countries like Ghana, Botswana and The Gambia are in the top 50 most peaceful countries.

I can personally attest to feeling extremely safe and sound during my visit to Ghana in 2019 during the Year of Return for African Americans.

Myth: Traveling To Africa Is Too Expensive

While some may need to save up for a bit to afford the plane ticket to hop over to some places in Africa, you’d be surprised at how many flight deals are available to places like South Africa using flight search engines such as Google Flights.

Deals can be found for as little as $500 depending on the time of year you are able to travel. Additionally, nice and cheap accommodations such as dorms and guesthouses are available throughout in South Africa, Namibia, Morocco, and more destinations.

Myth: Africa Is Underdeveloped

While there are certain areas that would be considered “third world countries” and looking to move towards rapid development in the future, I’d be remised to not mention the host of African countries that are pretty developed.

For example, Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, is known as the Silicon Valley of Africa. It is home to Kigali Innovation City, a community of four world-class learning facilities, tech hubs, and innovative companies.

Morocco is another African country leading the way in science and technology. The Moroccan mobile market has reached over 44 million users and it leads the charge in renewable energy efforts in Africa.

Myth: Safaris Are Africa’s Only Appeal

I’ve experienced safari drives in African countries like South Africa and Kenya.

However, I’ve explored so much more during my travels throughout the continent including relaxing on some of the most beautiful beaches in Zanzibar and Seychelles, as well as visiting the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, traditional markets in Morocco, and climbing “Big Daddy” sand dune in Namibia.

Yes, Africa has a host of opportunities to do game drives in its glorious countries, but it also offers so many more adventures and journeys to experience.

Source: Travel Pulse