The African Tourism industry has once again proven its resilience with the fast recovery from the pandemic and growth in tourist arrivals and investments.
Reviewing the region’s impressive performance post-pandemic, Elcia Grandcourt, Regional Director for Africa, UN Tourism, noted that the Africa region has recorded an impressive and sustained recovery of 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels, with North African countries, especially Morocco, 100 percent recovered.
Grandcourt went ahead to highlight the growth areas and developmental initiatives across the continent that are worth celebrating.
Starting with the 67th UN Tourism Commission for Africa (CAF) Meeting, which was held from July 22 to 24, 2024, in Livingstone, Zambia, Grandcourt said that the event was significant for advancing tourism across Africa.
Hosted by Rodney M. Sikumba, Zambia’s Minister of Tourism, the meeting attracted over 400 participants, including 15 ministers, 5 ambassadors, and 19 CEOs of Tourism Boards from 27 countries. Discussions, according to her, centered on tourism’s recovery and growth, with Africa’s international arrivals nearing pre-pandemic levels, 96 percent in 2023, with a 5 percent increase in early 2024. North Africa fully recovered, while Sub-Saharan Africa achieved 90 percent of pre-pandemic figures. Zambia welcomed over 1.3 million tourists in 2023.
Furthermore, the meeting underscored the need for continued investment in tourism, highlighting the Realigned UN Tourism Agenda for Africa—Tourism for Inclusive Growth. This agenda focuses on inclusive growth through education, investment, and technology, emphasizing the youth, who represent over 60 percent of Africa’s population. Other key initiatives, according to the Regional Director for Africa, UN Tourism, include; updating tourism education curricula, launching a Bachelor’s Degree in International Sustainable Tourism, and expanding the UN Tourism Online Academy. Member States were encouraged to utilize investment guidelines and capitalize on over USD 10.7 billion in capital from greenfield projects.
Communication and capacity building were prioritized, with a focus on effective promotion of destinations through social media and robust communication plans. The UN Tourism Communication, Media, and Tourism Training in Africa Workshop was impressive, with plans for a second edition in 2025, while gastronomy tourism was also highlighted, with future editions of the UN Tourism Regional Forum planned for Tanzania in 2025 and Sierra Leone in 2026.
Yet again, there was a major focus on travel facilitation, including praise for the KAZA UniVisa and discussions on digital nomad visas and a unified African visa. The establishment of a Regional Office in Marrakesh, Morocco, to coordinate policies and initiatives was endorsed at the meeting, which also addressed safety and security, promoting the use of the UNWTO/AUDA-NEPAD/UEMOA White Paper and the development of Tourism Police units.
As expected, women empowerment in tourism was highlighted, with a call for greater support and leadership roles for women, culminating in the Women in Tourism Regional Congress scheduled for October 2024 in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Private sector engagement and partnerships were promoted, including invitations for collaboration at the 6th Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit in Namibia and the 7th Africa Tourism Leadership Forum in Botswana. The Tourism for Rural Development Small Grants Programme was introduced to support innovative rural tourism projects. Strategic partnerships and regional collaborations, including the 2024 Korea-Africa Tourism Forum and the upcoming UN Tourism Africa & Americas Summit, were encouraged to foster South-South cooperation and growth in the tourism sector.
Speaking further, the Regional Director for Africa, UN Tourism, disclosed that key initiatives in 2024 highlighted the importance of branding and strategic development in Africa’s tourism sector. The above was captured in the 2nd UN Tourism Regional Conference on Brand Africa focused on enhancing Africa’s competitiveness as a tourism destination, emphasizing media relationships, social media impact, and regional collaboration beyond tourism to include creative industries and content creation. Effective branding was noted for its role in attracting tourists and investors, reinforcing identity, and driving economic growth.
The UN event also created platforms for discussions such as the investment panels, which discussed strategies for attracting investors, stressing the need for deregulation to facilitate investment flow and addressing challenges such as infrastructure, product development, air connectivity, and safety. Moreover, governments were encouraged to support the private sector and explore non-traditional funding sources to develop sustainable tourism models and involve local communities.
Enumerating notable events in the first half of 2024, Grandcourt said that they included; the 2024 Korea-Africa Tourism Forum, which built strategic partnerships for sustainable tourism development; the 67th UN Tourism Regional Commission Meeting and the Brand Africa Think Tank, which underscored the importance of understanding member states’ needs. Others are; the First UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, which gathered over 200 delegates and led to the establishment of the Africa International Academy for Culinary Arts; and the Women in Tourism Leadership Africa Committee (WITLAC), which addressed gender challenges in the sector and plans a follow-up meeting in October 2024.
There are also ongoing technical assistance projects, including tourism master plans and human resources strategies in Benin, Botswana, Seychelles, Tanzania, and Nigeria, which are crucial for addressing diverse needs.
Concluding, Grandcourt noted that some of the significant milestones include; the launch of the ZITHS Mukuni International Academy for Tourism and Hospitality in Zambia and the Africa International Tourism Academy for Culinary Arts in Zimbabwe. These academies, according to her, aim to bridge the skills gap and support the development of a skilled workforce for Africa’s growing tourism sector.
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