In the last eight years, travel and tourism grew by 17.3 percent in the top ten fastest-growing global destinations. This reflects the rapid growth rate of the tourism industry. Tourism grew from 30 percent in 1980 to 45 percent in 2015 and is expected to reach 57 percent by 2030. This indicates that countries seeking new growth opportunities in emerging markets, should increasingly regard tourism as a priority.
Although Africa offers a range of benefits, the continent has not enjoyed the same growth rate. Due to challenges facing it, among which security concerns, the tourism sector remains a largely untapped resource,
During the 2017 World Tourism Conference held in Rwanda earlier this year, recognizing the economic importance of overcoming the obstacles was high on the agenda. Sector leaders discussed means of maximising opportunities and how the sector should go about reaching its full potential.
The event was attended by tourism ministers from various African countries, besides tour operators, travel agents, hotels, airlines – some of the key private sector players. A set of challenges was identified and it was broadly agreed that the industry leaders and the public sector’s tackling them together would bring about tangible improvements, not only to each of the African countries independently, but to the continent as a whole.
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