Travel and tourism business in Africa is booming, growing 5.6 per cent in 2018, compared to the global average of 3.9 per cent and the broader African economy rate of 3.2 per cent. This places Africa as the second-fastest growing tourism region behind only Asia-Pacific.
Such growth is partly explained by North Africa’s rebound from security crises as well as the development and implementation of policies that promote travel facilitation in the continent. For over 25 years, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global private sector of travel and tourism, has produced the authoritative research on the economic contribution of the sector. Research also shows that, in 2018, travel and tourism contributed $194.2 billion to the region’s economy, representing 8.5 per cent of the continent’s GDP. The sector also contributed 24.3 million African jobs, or 6.7 per cent of total employment, 71 per cent of tourism spending across Africa was leisure-driven and 29 per cent business, domestic spending accounted for 56 per cent of the tourism economy versus 44 per cent for international, while international tourism spending comprised 9.6 per cent of the region’s total exports, worth $58.5 billion.
Ethiopia stands out not only as Africa’s fastest growing travel economy but indeed the world’s fastest, growing by 48.6 per cent last year to be worth $7.4 billion. Notably, international travel and tourism spending made up a massive 61.0 per cent of exports in the country. This stunning growth can be attributed, in part, to Ethiopia’s improved connectivity as a regional transport hub and to recent visa relaxation policies. Then Egypt’s tourism sector has demonstrated considerable resilience, growing by 16.5 per cent last year, with international visitor spending accounting for 27.3 per cent of exports. This follows huge safety improvements in the country and in key destinations such as Sharm El-Sheikh, helping to entice international tourists back to the northern coast.
WTTC president and CEO, Gloria Guevara, commented that, “In 2018, the World Travel and Tourism Council hosted its first ever Africa Leaders Forum in Stellenbosch, South Africa, recognising the increasing significance and power of this great region’s travel economy.
“We commend the tourism leaders in Africa who are helping to boost connectivity, promote travel facilitation and ensure traveller safety – all of these measures make for supreme growth, the kind of growth that we are now witnessing across the continent and that provides millions of good jobs.”
WTTC has a history of 25 years of research to quantify the economic impact of the sector in 185 countries. Travel and tourism is a key driver for investment and economic growth globally. The sector contributes US$8.8 trillion or 10.4 per cent of global GDP, and accounts for 319 million jobs or one in ten of all jobs on the planet. The council has been the voice of the industry globally which brings specialist knowledge to guide government policies and decision-making and raise awareness of the importance of the sector.