Africa tourism is the second-fastest growing one in the world

Friday, March 15, 2019

Africa is the second-fastest growing tourism region in the world, behind only Asia-Pacific. Travel & Tourism in Africa grew by 5.6 per cent in 2018 as compared to the global average of 3.9 per cent and the broader African economy rate of 3.2 per cent. Africa tourism is growing rapidly.

This growth is partly attributed to the North Africa’s rebound from security crises as well as the development and implementation of policies that promote travel facilitation.

Travel & Tourism contributed U.S. dollars 194.2 billion to the region’s economy which is 8.5 per cent of the continent’s GDP. Ethiopia stands out not only as Africa’s fastest growing travel economy but indeed the world’s, growing by 48.6 per cent last year to be worth U.S. dollars 7.4bn. Africa tourism spending was driven by leisure (71 per cent) and business (29 per cent).

WTTC President & CEO Gloria Guevara said: “In 2018, the World Travel & 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.”

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