This archive report was first published on 25 September 2019.
Published on September 25, 2019, the 2019 Jumia Hospitality Report revealed that Africa is the second-fastest-growing continent in travel and tourism after the Asia Pacific, with a growth rate of 5.6%.
This growth has contributed 8.5% of the continent's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with a value of $194.2 billion in 2018, making it a significant contributor to the economy.
According to the report, Africa received 67 million international tourist arrivals in 2018, a 4% increase from 63 million arrivals in 2017 and 58 million in 2016.
Leisure travel remains an important component of Africa's tourism industry, taking up a majority of 71% of the tourist expenditure in 2018.
Estelle Verdier, Jumia's Head of Travel, emphasized the importance of showcasing Africa as a continent full of beauty and opportunity, and highlighted the potential of the tourism industry as an untapped lever of economic growth.
Verdier noted that the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) is expected to further boost domestic travel, and called for cooperation from all industry players to realize the full potential gains.
Aviation Industry ¶
While Africa's passenger traffic increased from 88.5 million in 2017 to 92 million in 2018 by 5.5%, its world share was only 2.1%, down from 2.2% in 2017.
However, the report attributes this trend to high competition from other regions, and predicts that Africa's share will grow by 4.9% annually over the next 20 years.
Improved visa facilitation in major tourism countries in Africa remains a major boost to both the tourism and aviation industries.
Sthembiso Dlamini, South African Tourism's Acting Chief Executive Officer, stated that collaborations such as the East Africa Visa programme are visionary and can help to make travel between African countries easier and more affordable.
