The thrust of extant literature associates the African continent with the very worst possible imagery: images of abject poverty, rife corruption, and sundry inauspicious features. Whilst those pathologies certainly do exist, it is wrong to define the entire continent by them. Africa has tremendous virtues: pulsating energy, natural beauty, stunning diversity and the boundless creativity of her people are just a few of Africa’s qualities. Yet these are qualities that have assumed the status of closely guarded secrets by those seasoned travellers who have discovered the magnetic pull of this wild and ruggedly beautiful continent; many have set up home there.
In a world of interconnectivity, tourism is a bewilderingly overlooked sector. According to the most recent data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Africa accounted for a mere 4.9 per cent of the world’s tourists in 2019 (North Africa: 1.8 per cent; Sub-Saharan Africa: 3.1%).
Our offering is hiding in plain sight: beach paradises, cultural festivals, history, adventure, natural wonders (and man-made wonders) and stunning wildlife are all attractions to novelty-seeking tourists. Africans must challenge the ‘single story’ and seize the opportunities to rebrand the continent, not have it defined for them. Africa is a diverse and dazzling array of 54 countries, each with its own cultures and subcultures,yet to be fully explored. Africa is far from the monolithic, homogenous mass that is portrayed in the media. Seychelles, for example, will offer very different experiences than a country like, say, Algeria would.
In 2019, 71.2 million tourists poured into the continent (provisional data), based on international tourists arrivals. Taleb Rifai, ex Secretary-General of UNWTO, predicts that this figure will rise to 150 million by 2030, driven largely by the growing presence of Asians to the continent, who have significant spending power. Other encouraging developments include the implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market, which allows small airlines to fly between more countries, benefitting from the deregulation that offers.
Onwards and upwards
‘Tourism in Africa is still very novel but it is catching up quickly. ‘The important thing is that the growth rate in Africa is higher than anywhere else in the world.’ Taleb Rifai
So which countries are getting the lion’s share of Africa’s visitors?
Africa’s most visited countries (2019 data)
Egypt (Classified as ‘Middle East’ under UNWTO)
Number of visitors (international tourist arrivals): 13 million
Top tourist experiences: Pyramids of Giza, Luxor, Cruising the Nile
Morocco
Number of visitors: 12.9 million
Top tourist experiences: Djemaa-el-Fna Street Theatre, Fez Medina, The High Atlas
South Africa
Number of visitors: 10.2 million
Top tourist experiences: Cape Town, Kruger National Park, Drakensberg Region
Good to see:
Tunisia
Number of visitors: 9.4 million
Top tourist experiences: Tunis, Carthage, Mahida
Algeria
Number of visitors: 2.4 million
Top tourist experiences: Timimoun, Algiers, Ghardaia
Zimbabwe
Number of visitors: 2.3 million
Top tourist experiences: Victoria Falls, Great Zimbabwe, Mana Pools National Park
Mozambique
Number of visitors: 2 million
Top tourist experiences: Mozambique Island, Maputo
Which of these countries have you been to, and where would you recommend for a top visitor experience? Let us know in the comments below.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Tourism_rankings
UNWTO
