The United Nations Economic Commission says Africa’s tourism has the potential to create an additional $50 billion more in gross domestic product (GDP).
Head of the Commission, Vera Songwe says 10% of exports are already in tourism industries and it is a statistic that can easily be doubled.
However, she warned that restrictions on movements across the continent hamper the sectors development and growth.
The Commission says 4000 trade fairs were cancelled globally in 2020 and this had a negative impact on the industry.
She was speaking at a panel discussion this week at the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) currently taking place in Durban.
“Liberalisation and free movement of goods and people across the continent. Secondly, the economic commission for Africa is working with the African Union (AU) to see how we can develop a comprehensive African tourism strategy that allows people to move from Zanzibar to Algeria to Cameroon to Djibouti in a seamless way.”
“That is what tourism can develop for the continent. But to do that we must first of all pass the protocol of free movement which we think [and] we hope we can get,” explains Songwe.
Intra-African Trade Fair -Day 2
