Travel to Africa is on
the rise, new research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) found
that the continent is far outpacing other regions when it comes to tourism
growth.
While the global
average of growth is 3.9 percent, travel to Africa is growing at 5.6 percent in
2018. This places Africa as the second-fastest growing tourism region behind
only Asia-Pacific.
The rebound is partly
the result of a rebound in travel to North Africa after it stabilized after
security crises, the WTTC reports. The WTTC also credits the “implementation of
policies that promote travel facilitation.”
Tourism growth abounds
around the continent but Ethiopia is by far outpacing other countries. It is
not only Africa’s fastest-growing travel economy but the world’s. Tourism in
the country grew 48.6 last year and is worth $7.4 billion. The WTTC also found
that travel and tourism spending made up 61 percent of the country’s exports.
Much of the growth in
Ethiopia can be attributed to the development of the country as a regional
transport hub and a relaxed visa policy.
Major safety and
security improvements have also promoted growth in Egypt. Tourism grew 16.5 percent
last year, and international visitor spending accounted for 27.3 percent of
exports. Key destinations such as Sharm El-Sheikh have helped bring visitors
back to the country’s northern coast.
“In 2018, the World
Travel & Tourism Council hosted its first ever Africa Leaders Forum in
Stellenbosch, South Africa, recognizing the increasing significance and power
of this great region’s travel economy,” said WTTC president and CEO Gloria
Guevara.
“We commend the
tourism leaders in Africa who are helping to boost connectivity, promote travel
facilitation and ensure traveler 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,” added Guevara.