Africa needs to consolidate on tourism recovery, growth with sports tourism worth $610bn – UN Tourism

The UN Tourism has commended the African tourism industry for bouncing back very quickly and strongly.

The global tourism umbrella body and an agency of the United Nation, also noted that most importantly, the continent needs to take advantage of Sports Tourism, which is on the rise, across the world.

“Sports Tourism is now worth around $610 billion. With a 17.5% annual growth rate, it is one of the fastest-growing sectors within the tourism industry,” Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary-general, UN Tourism, said in his remarks at the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) General Assembly Week on December 12, 2024, at Kigali Convention Centre, Kigali, Rwanda.

“We recently celebrated the third edition of our World Sports Tourism Congress in Madrid – it highlighted the huge interest in this part of our sector”.

In his presentation titled “UN Tourism and FIA: Sports Tourism on the Rise”, Pololikashvili said further that the UN Tourism and the FIA have strengthened their collaboration in August 2024, especially in the areas of sustainability and economic diversification, and have furthered that collaboration with the recent appointment of Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA president as a UN Tourism Ambassador.

The UN Tourism secretary-general also spoke on several other points at the FIA General Assembly Week, which was held on the theme; ‘Sustainable Innovation Series: A Just Transition For Africa’.

He also highlighted the current industry feats in a topic titled ‘Tourism in Africa: Rebound and Performance’.

“African tourism has bounced back very strongly. The sector showed remarkable resilience and an ability to adapt,” he noted.

According to Pololikashvili, UN Tourism’s latest barometer shows that international arrivals to African destinations are 6 percent higher this year than they were pre-pandemic.

Some destinations have done even better – like Tanzania, where arrivals are almost 50 percent higher than in 2019.

“Rwanda is a great example of African destinations capitalizing on their strengths. Rwanda is a leader in nature-based tourism – I saw myself last year when I visited and saw mountain gorillas.

“The Kwita Izina festival showed me just how Rwanda is using the power of tourism to protect nature and provide opportunities for local communities,” Pololikashvili said.

Also x-raying Tourism in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities, the UN Tourism boss sees Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies as keys to shaping the future of African tourism.

“Effective governance by national administrations and tourism leaders is vital. We need to focus on infrastructure development, conservation, and rehabilitation to improve quality of services and strengthen competitiveness.

“Africa’s tourism infrastructure is currently fragmented with significant disparities between high-end hotels and resorts in major cities and popular tourist destinations and substandard facilities, mostly in rural areas,” he explained.

Speaking further, he noted that investing in people will also be paramount as governments will need to design strategic educational roadmaps and structured human resources management plans to build a qualified tourism workforce in Africa.

However, offering solutions to barriers in expanding the African travel industry, Pololikashvili pointed out that the African tourism industry is in a great position. “I have seen for myself on my many trips here how tourism infrastructure keeps improving. The foundations are there.

“We identify several main barriers we need to address so African tourism can realize its full potential. They are: safety and security, image and branding, visas and connectivity, skills and education, investments”.

Detailing the solutions, on tourism safety and brand management, he noted that safety is paramount as tourists want to feel safe and confident, while unfortunately, Africa still struggles with negative stereotypes, putting people off from visiting.

“We are working with our Member States to change the narrative. Brand Africa is all about working with our Members to design marketing and promotional campaigns. Social media and other technology allow us to reach new and bigger audiences and change perceptions.

“Last year, we held a first capacity-building workshop on communications and media in Victoria Falls. And we also focus on safety and security in tourism.

It is working too. Great examples of African countries taking control of their branding include Visit Rwanda, as well as Zimbho in Zimbabwe and Yamu Loko in Zambia”.

On visas and connectivity, he recognized the importance of boosting connections and making travel across Africa easier for everyone.

“The UN Tourism vision is aligned with the Africa Union’s work to create a Single Air African Travel Market.

“We work with our Members on harmonizing visa entry requirements. Several countries have already implemented visa-on-arrival or e-visa systems. Other countries such as Rwanda, Seychelles, Gambia and Benin have abolished visas for citizens from all the African countries,” he said.

In education and skills, the UN Tourism Secretary-General recognized the big skills gaps in tourism, especially in the field of vocational and managerial training.

“Bridging this gap is crucial for a youth-led sustainable tourism model, especially in Africa which is the youngest continent in the world, with 60 percent of the population under the age of 25. We also need education and professional training to improve service and boost competition.

“The UN Tourism Education Guidelines can help Member States make tourism a subject in their high schools. We invite all Governments to learn more and inspire their young people to join our sector.

“We are establishing national and regional academies in collaboration with UN Tourism. In Africa, we recently signed two key MoUs with Zambia and Zimbabwe who will host two academies, focused respectively on tourism vocational training and on gastronomy/culinary arts”.

In terms of investment and infrastructure barriers, he acknowledged that many countries in the region face challenges with underdeveloped infrastructure, including limited transportation networks. There is a lack of adequate accommodation, particularly in rural or emerging tourism hotspots.

“To address these gaps, our Investment Guidelines were launched to encourage countries to attract private investment and foster public-private partnerships. The initiative aims to support the development of hotels, eco-lodges, and the expansion of road networks, railways, and airports to enhance accessibility to tourist destinations.

“In the Africa region, we have officially launched investment guidelines for Tanzania, Mauritius, Mozambique and Zambia. More guidebooks are in the pipeline and ready to be launched next year.

“In 2020, in Abidjan, we held our first Global Investment Forum in Africa. We work to unlock public-private partnerships to boost investment in African tourism at every level”.

Speaking on a balance between economic benefits and environmental threats, when developing the travel industry in Africa, Pololikashvili said that the mission of UN Tourism is to promote responsible tourism for sustainable development as responsible and ethical tourism generate wealth and employment opportunities, advances economic development and social cohesion, for the benefit of local communities.

He noted that the UN Tourism works towards empowering them and involving local communities in this process with the ultimate goal of improving livelihoods while preserving cultural and environmental heritage.

“The UN Tourism Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST) and the recent Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Framework for Tourism Business, set international standards to monitor and measure the impact of tourism under the three dimensions of sustainability (social, economic and environmental).

“Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism celebrates rural villages worldwide that use tourism to provide opportunities and preserve their communities, local traditions, and heritage. We have recognized 13 Best Tourism Villages in Africa – including one, Nkotsi Village, here in Rwanda.

“Innovation is a proven way to widen the benefits of tourism. Africa is a hub of entrepreneurship and innovation. Our competitions, challenges and support help rural communities, women and youth and post-conflict societies benefit from tourism’s growth,” he concluded.