Skift Global Forum Preview: Africa Tourism Leader Sees Big Opportunity Ahead to Diversify
Photo Credit: Jemaa el-Fna market square, part of the Medina in Marrakesh, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Flickr / Jennifer Stahn
Skift Take
The gloom-and-doom narrative that mainstream news loves to associate with Africa is no reflection on its tourism future — if its travel industry seizes the chance to innovate post pandemic.
In 2019, tourism made up 6.9 percent of Africa's gross domestic product or $169 billion, while contributing 24.7 million jobs, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
When international visitors vanished, the continent was faced with the reality of having a weaker regional travel market than most other parts of the world. Domestic travel made up just 55 percent of travel spending in 2019, versus 83 percent for North America, 74 percent in Asia Pacific and 64 percent in Europe.
Over a year later, key destinations such as Egypt and Rwanda are welcoming tourists back, but the chief hurdle to international tourism recovery remains lagging vaccine distributions and new variants forming in the region as a result.
"I don't believe it's all doom and gloom," said Naledi Khabo, CEO of the Africa Tourism Association (ATA), who will be speaking at Skift Global Forum in New York City on September 21-23. "Especially the work that the continent has done in terms of focusi
