The African Tourism Business Forum exposed several issues concerning tourism and hospitality in Africa, as well as how various major key players can contribute to their resolution.
The African Tourism Business Forum, hosted by the Rwanda Chamber of Tourism on December 1, 2022, showcased industry trends and innovations while also bringing together international players in the travel and hospitality industries.
The Forum gathered key stakeholders from Africa’s travel, tourism, and aviation sectors, and the discussions focused on intra-Africa travel and tourism.
There are some things we should remember from the discussion that took place around the subject matters.
Intra-African tourism is low
Africa is the world’s fastest-growing tourism market. Despite this, there are significant challenges to increasing intra-African tourism, with many African tourists finding it easier and more appealing to travel to Europe or Asia.
There are several barriers to overcome when it comes to intra-African trade, but these must be addressed by policymakers and major key players such as the private and public sectors.
Rahim Bhaloo, the chairman of the Zanzibar Tourism Commission, stated that it is up to us to do whatever it takes to make African tourism more accessible to Africans.
“It is up to us to create affordability and accessibility within ourselves,” he said.
Africans must come together and share their skills and knowledge.
Digital marketing
There is a need to invest in digital marketing infrastructure to make it easier to showcase destinations.
Because the digital era has been accelerated throughout Covid-19, people in the tourism and hospitality sectors must use digital platforms to market their products and services.
Moses Vilikati, Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs of the Kingdom of Eswatini, stated that there is a need to devote a portion of the tourism portfolio to digital marketing in order to propel African services to the next level as we combat intra-African tourism challenges.
This was also emphasized by Rahim Bhaloo, who stated that stakeholders should leverage technology as much as possible while also creating value as they promote.
“We need to leverage digital technology to advertise our products,” he says. “You need to create value in the product you’re promoting.”
Going green
During the ceremony, Eugene Anagwe stated, “Going green is not a luxury; it is a necessity for sustainable development.”
Going green is now a responsibility that many people must bear.
Everyone bears responsibility for environmental protection. Youth as today’s treasure and tomorrow’s leaders, guiding the environment’s jealously is a powerful duty and mission.
This can begin with eco-friendly innovations and businesses in the tourism and hospitality sectors.
This is critical because the world is currently facing environmental disasters that may worsen if not addressed and managed by all responsible parties.
Knowing what we want
As Africans, we must determine who we are, where we want to go, and how we will get there. This will allow us to see long-term development in all sectors, not just tourism and hospitality.
Rahim Bhaloo stated that as Africans, we must think in terms of our own way of life.
“We need to change our thinking and think within our parameters, on things that are relevant to us,” he said, “and let Africa be its own case study.”
