Arrived with a jetlag, 500 delegates from around the world landed in May at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, to deliberate on the future of tourism in Africa. To allow them to relax, the Tourism of Zimbabwe, which hosted the conference of the Africa Travel Association (ATA), had organized lots of entertainment. The delegates visited the Victoria Falls - one of the seven wonders of the world - where they participated in bungee jumping, practiced the giant swing in the grooves and the zip line above the Zambezi River. They then went on safari, encountering lions and elephants. Later, they enjoyed the local cuisine and have trémoussés the rhythm of traditional music. The intention of their host was clear: see, feel and believe. This enhancement of Zimbabwe was more eloquent than any speech. She encouraged tourism ministers from Ghana, Namibia, Uganda and other African optimistic to believe in the potential of their continent countries. The American Ambassador Charles A. Ray said: "Even with the political uncertainty reigns, Zimbabwe is potentially a huge market. " Vital economic activities Observers are optimistic tourism.
In 2004, supporters of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) approved an action plan to make Africa the "destination of the twenty-first century. "Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), said recently:" Africa has been one of the areas where tourism has increased the most over the last decade .... If investments are wise, they will come in greater numbers, investors will experience excellent returns, jobs will be created and the entire economy will benefit. "The sector already employs about 7.7 million people in Africa. Mr. Rifai presented data showing a steady increase in the number of tourists in Africa, 37 million in 2003 to 58,000,000 in 2009. Tourism revenues are a vital source for many economies. Approximately 50% of gross domestic product (GDP) from the Seychelles tourism, 30% in Cape Verde, 25% in Mauritius and 16% in The Gambia. The World Bank reports that tourism accounts for 8.9% of GDP in East Africa, 7.2% in North Africa, 5.6% in West Africa and 3.9% in Southern Africa. And only 1% in Central Africa. A small part on the world stage Africa may well boast, it has a relatively low share of international tourist arrivals. In 2011, the world has recorded 980 million international tourist arrivals, of which only 50 million in Africa. However, according to the WTO, Africa continues to receive more tourists than the Caribbean, Central America and South America combined. North Africa recorded a loss of 12% in 2011 compared to the previous year due to political instability in the region, affecting the part of the continent's international arrivals. But this loss was partially offset by a slight increase of 7% in sub-Saharan Africa, where arrivals grew by 2 million. Overall, the 2011 data show that Africa has performed better than the Middle East, whose arrivals fell by 5 million. According to the WTO, the big beneficiaries of the continent are generally Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritius. Tourists from Africa mainly from Europe and the United States. French tourists like to visit Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritius, Senegal and Madagascar. Tourists from the UK are generally in Egypt, South Africa, Mauritius and Gambia, while those in the United States prefers to South Africa, Tanzania, Ghana, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. Infrastructure issues The East African Community (EAC), a regional organization, hopes to attract tourists from other parts of the world - not just the West - for they visit the different regions of Africa is - not just Kenya and Tanzania. Thus at international conferences of tourism, East Africa now speaks with one voice. What attracts tourists to a country, region or continent? Sven Brun, a Norwegian, told Africa Renewal, "I wanted to see something different in Europe, so I decided to visit Kenya and Tanzania. I felt something different, and I like ca. "The think tank McKinsey Global Institute, argues that tourists are attracted to countries with good infrastructure, safety, security, and sanitation. Janet Kiwia, executive director of World Jet Travel and Tours in Tanzania adds that bad roads, poorly maintained airports, power failures and other shortcomings away tourists. The safety of aircraft and the African airspace are grounds for concern. In June, two planes crashed in Nigeria and Ghana, killing more than 160 people in the space of just two days. In 2009, the World Bank found that 60% of tracks in North Africa were in excellent condition, against only 17% in sub-Saharan Africa. Also, several airports in sub-Saharan Africa are small and are becoming increasingly difficult to manage the increase in arrivals. Most rely on a single airline and some do not have big companies that provide air links. Innovative approaches A report jointly published by the University of New York, the World Bank and the ATA calls on industry operators to adopt innovative approaches to managing different types of tourism in Africa. It includes recent tourism type "safari," "nature" and "culture. "The report recommends going beyond the traditional safari and add new adventures by focusing on creativity tour. There are several opportunities to practice nature tourism, including gorilla. More than 700 mountain gorillas live in the Virunga Mountains that run through Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Given the political instability in the country, the DRC is trying to attract tourists by applying lower than Rwanda and Uganda tariffs. In 2011, these three countries generated a total profit of $ 225 million through focusing on gorilla tourism. Through the site www.friendagorilla.org, tourists pay to locate the gorillas using webcams. It is also possible to "make friends" with a gorilla on Facebook. Awareness on gorilla tourism through social media can help attract more tourists from different corners of the world. This means more money spent in hotels, restaurants, tourist guides and on the memories, in other words, the presence of tourists boosts local economies. Cultural tourism requires aggressive promotion. Like food festivals in Mexico and music festivals and cultural in Jamaica and Trinidad, film festivals in Zanzibar and Burkina Faso attract cultural tourists. According to a McKinsey report, Africa needs to "develop flagship tourist attractions and create a custom brand. " Domestic tourism in Africa (if measured by the number of resident visitors) declined. At most half of the Kenyan business leaders have seen an elephant, saysri, a Kenyan tourism company. And she adds: "Africans should know better than Western Africa from the outside. "She recommends reducing transport costs and facilitate travel to encourage African tourists. Currently, the trip from Luanda, Angola, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (1800 miles) costs about $ 1500, while traveling from London to Dar es Salaam (4600 miles) costs only 1,100 dollars. Promising Some countries are moving in the right direction. In 2007, Frommer's, an American collection of travel guides, cited Ethiopia from one of the 12 best destinations worldwide. World Cup 2010 in South Africa has attracted more than 300,000 foreign visitors. Recently, the internationally renowned singer Youssou N'Dour became Minister of Culture and Tourism of Senegal, a choice that could boost tourism in the country. It may take some time for Africa to catch up with Europe, which hosted 480 million tourists last year. But international arrivals have crossed the threshold of 1 billion globally in 2012, Africa should aim for a bigger slice of the pie. If the continent boasts of infrastructure, safety and security and that it is necessary familiar attractions, it will have a good starting point.
In 2004, supporters of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) approved an action plan to make Africa the "destination of the twenty-first century. "Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), said recently:" Africa has been one of the areas where tourism has increased the most over the last decade .... If investments are wise, they will come in greater numbers, investors will experience excellent returns, jobs will be created and the entire economy will benefit. "The sector already employs about 7.7 million people in Africa. Mr. Rifai presented data showing a steady increase in the number of tourists in Africa, 37 million in 2003 to 58,000,000 in 2009. Tourism revenues are a vital source for many economies. Approximately 50% of gross domestic product (GDP) from the Seychelles tourism, 30% in Cape Verde, 25% in Mauritius and 16% in The Gambia. The World Bank reports that tourism accounts for 8.9% of GDP in East Africa, 7.2% in North Africa, 5.6% in West Africa and 3.9% in Southern Africa. And only 1% in Central Africa. A small part on the world stage Africa may well boast, it has a relatively low share of international tourist arrivals. In 2011, the world has recorded 980 million international tourist arrivals, of which only 50 million in Africa. However, according to the WTO, Africa continues to receive more tourists than the Caribbean, Central America and South America combined. North Africa recorded a loss of 12% in 2011 compared to the previous year due to political instability in the region, affecting the part of the continent's international arrivals. But this loss was partially offset by a slight increase of 7% in sub-Saharan Africa, where arrivals grew by 2 million. Overall, the 2011 data show that Africa has performed better than the Middle East, whose arrivals fell by 5 million. According to the WTO, the big beneficiaries of the continent are generally Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritius. Tourists from Africa mainly from Europe and the United States. French tourists like to visit Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritius, Senegal and Madagascar. Tourists from the UK are generally in Egypt, South Africa, Mauritius and Gambia, while those in the United States prefers to South Africa, Tanzania, Ghana, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. Infrastructure issues The East African Community (EAC), a regional organization, hopes to attract tourists from other parts of the world - not just the West - for they visit the different regions of Africa is - not just Kenya and Tanzania. Thus at international conferences of tourism, East Africa now speaks with one voice. What attracts tourists to a country, region or continent? Sven Brun, a Norwegian, told Africa Renewal, "I wanted to see something different in Europe, so I decided to visit Kenya and Tanzania. I felt something different, and I like ca. "The think tank McKinsey Global Institute, argues that tourists are attracted to countries with good infrastructure, safety, security, and sanitation. Janet Kiwia, executive director of World Jet Travel and Tours in Tanzania adds that bad roads, poorly maintained airports, power failures and other shortcomings away tourists. The safety of aircraft and the African airspace are grounds for concern. In June, two planes crashed in Nigeria and Ghana, killing more than 160 people in the space of just two days. In 2009, the World Bank found that 60% of tracks in North Africa were in excellent condition, against only 17% in sub-Saharan Africa. Also, several airports in sub-Saharan Africa are small and are becoming increasingly difficult to manage the increase in arrivals. Most rely on a single airline and some do not have big companies that provide air links. Innovative approaches A report jointly published by the University of New York, the World Bank and the ATA calls on industry operators to adopt innovative approaches to managing different types of tourism in Africa. It includes recent tourism type "safari," "nature" and "culture. "The report recommends going beyond the traditional safari and add new adventures by focusing on creativity tour. There are several opportunities to practice nature tourism, including gorilla. More than 700 mountain gorillas live in the Virunga Mountains that run through Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Given the political instability in the country, the DRC is trying to attract tourists by applying lower than Rwanda and Uganda tariffs. In 2011, these three countries generated a total profit of $ 225 million through focusing on gorilla tourism. Through the site www.friendagorilla.org, tourists pay to locate the gorillas using webcams. It is also possible to "make friends" with a gorilla on Facebook. Awareness on gorilla tourism through social media can help attract more tourists from different corners of the world. This means more money spent in hotels, restaurants, tourist guides and on the memories, in other words, the presence of tourists boosts local economies. Cultural tourism requires aggressive promotion. Like food festivals in Mexico and music festivals and cultural in Jamaica and Trinidad, film festivals in Zanzibar and Burkina Faso attract cultural tourists. According to a McKinsey report, Africa needs to "develop flagship tourist attractions and create a custom brand. " Domestic tourism in Africa (if measured by the number of resident visitors) declined. At most half of the Kenyan business leaders have seen an elephant, saysri, a Kenyan tourism company. And she adds: "Africans should know better than Western Africa from the outside. "She recommends reducing transport costs and facilitate travel to encourage African tourists. Currently, the trip from Luanda, Angola, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (1800 miles) costs about $ 1500, while traveling from London to Dar es Salaam (4600 miles) costs only 1,100 dollars. Promising Some countries are moving in the right direction. In 2007, Frommer's, an American collection of travel guides, cited Ethiopia from one of the 12 best destinations worldwide. World Cup 2010 in South Africa has attracted more than 300,000 foreign visitors. Recently, the internationally renowned singer Youssou N'Dour became Minister of Culture and Tourism of Senegal, a choice that could boost tourism in the country. It may take some time for Africa to catch up with Europe, which hosted 480 million tourists last year. But international arrivals have crossed the threshold of 1 billion globally in 2012, Africa should aim for a bigger slice of the pie. If the continent boasts of infrastructure, safety and security and that it is necessary familiar attractions, it will have a good starting point.
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