Travel Experts see Heightened Interest in Africa among International Tourists [Part 1 of 5] | Voice of America - English
International tourism experts are banding together to market Africa as the world?s next premiere travel destination. Some are trying to put tourism at the center of efforts to develop the continent and to reduce poverty there. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for just a little over one per cent of the world market share in the international travel and tourism industry.
?With 53 countries on the continent, Africa?s travel andinvestment opportunities are limitless. Now, more than ever, the governments ofmany African countries have dedicated resources to turn tourism into one of themotors driving their economic development,? says Edward Bergman, the directorof the New York-based Africa Travel Association. The ATA markets itself as the ?premier global travelassociation promoting tourism to Africa.? Members include African ministers oftourism and culture, national tourism boards, airlines, hotels, travel agents,tour operators and media. ?The organization is dedicated to bringing the world toAfrica and Africa to the world,? Bergman says. According to the ATA, the continent?s travel and tourismsector generated almost $90 billion last year, and predicts it?ll exceed $185billion within the next seven years. Bergman says African tourism is expectedto continue to grow at a high level in the near future - a view echoed by thepresident of the United States Corporate Council on Africa, Stephen Hayes. ?In addition to being home to some of the globe?s mostspectacular world wonders, Africa offers natural landscapes of all kinds. Withimproving infrastructure and growing private sector and consumer purchasingpower, Africa is poised to increase its world market share in tourism in thecoming years,? says Hayes. Brad Ford, a director at US-based GAP Adventures, one ofthe foremost adventure travel companies in the world, has traversed the globebut nurtures a ?special love? for Africa. Every year, he says, his firmorganizes travel for about 65,000 international tourists to more than 100countries. Ford acknowledges that Africacurrently represents only a ?small portion? of this travel because GAPAdventures ? like many international travel companies ? is ?very new? to thecontinent. ?We started inAfrica four years ago, mainly in South Africa and East Africa. And now we?veexpanded over into 15 countries across Africa and project that Africa will beone of the biggest areas of growth and development for us over these next fewyears.? Ford says theinternational tourism sector has a ?newfound confidence? in Africa and isincreasingly willing to invest in the continent. ?There are stillproblems in some places, but in recent years we?ve seen lots of positivedemocratic reforms in Africa, a lot of encouraging signs that the continent isturning the corner,? he states. A new faith inAfrica among members of the tourism community, says Ford, is happening at thesame time as burgeoning international interest in adventure travel. ?Now, more thanever before, people are searching for adventure, for meaningful experiences.They want to be active, to hike, to climb mountains, to stay with locals invillages. International travelers want less to spend all their time on beachesor in luxurious tented camps and hotels and more to experience the reality of aspecific country,? Ford explains. Bryan Kinkade, directorof travel and tourism at National Geographic Adventure Magazine in the US,agrees. ?Americansin particular are looking beyond the resorts of the Caribbean and the capitalsof Europe for their holidays, and there?s a good chance they?ll be consideringthe continent of Africa for their next vacation,? he says. According toKinkade, many Americans are looking to Africa ?with its deserts, mountains,rivers and seas? as a continent offering excellent chances for ?greatadventure.? He says one in fourAmericans took a vacation last year ?specifically to participate in an outdooractivity and spent almost 300 billion dollars. ?Adventure traveltoday is big business and a massive opportunity for selling travel to Africa.By most outlooks, adventure travel is the fastest growing sector of the travelmarket today. Americans are increasingly turning overseas for their holidayoptions at a record rate. Destinations like South Africa, Tanzania and Zambiaare featuring at the top of their travel lists,? Kinkade states. But Rina Paterno, the owner of an American tour company that specializes intravel to Africa, says many American travelers remain very interested in thecontinent for one major reason: the continent?s wildlife. ?Despite what?sbeing said about all the new trends in tourism, like adventure tourism andcultural tourism, many people still want the traditional African holiday, thesafari,? she comments. Paterno says she?sencouraged by the growing numbers of Americans making plans to visit Africandestinations, and adds that they?re expressing ?less concern? about safety andsecurity issues. ?Africa is a lotless taboo (for American travelers) than it used to be?. They are doing (Mount)Kilimanjaro; they are doing Tanzania, Kenya, Maasai Mara (game park). Thewildebeest migration is (still) a huge thing. South Africa, Cape Town. Thoseare the big destinations that we?focus on.? Dr.Gaynelle Henderson Bailey is ATA vice-president and operates HendersonAssociates, the first US travel company to pioneer group tours to Africa. ?We?vebeen sending groups to Africa since 1957, since Ghana?s independence. Our tourshave always been heritage tours. We focused initially on countries like Ghanaand Senegal that clearly have the slave castles?. Now we?re sending people allover the continent of Africa,? Bailey enthuses. Shesays growing numbers of African Americans, the descendants of Africans thatwere shipped from West Africa to the Americas centuries ago, are returning toplaces like Goree Island off Senegal?s coast to ?recover their past.? ?Goree Island wasthe middle of the African slave trade,? explains. Aziz Gueye, thedirector of Senegal?s tourism office in North America. ?Africans wereimprisoned here by European slave traders, before they were herded into shipsand taken away forever?.? Brian Kinkade saysa reason for heightened global interest in Africa as a good tourism destinationis ?simply based on accessibility and costs. Access to the world has becomefaster, easier and cheaper.? Many tourismexperts say the international economic crisis, which is leading to widespreadjob losses and much less disposable income in people?s pockets, is leading totourists looking to visit destinations that are much cheaper than those inEurope, for example. Mark Walton, the CEO of theAfrica Channel, an international satellite television station that focuses onevents on the continent, says tourists are now considering visits to Africa?more than ever before? because of the ?price factor.? He says the quality of travelin Africa has improved a lot, while the costs associated with visiting moretraditional destinations in Europe, for example, have increased dramatically. ?We have opportunities with Africa, because we know howexpensive it is to go to Europe?. We know that there?s such variety on thecontinent of Africa that we can get Americans traveling (there) over and overagain,? says Walton. Novimbi Merriwetheris the founder of Meticulous Tours, the first travel company in the US owned bya black South African. Since 1983 her firm has coordinated visits to variousAfrican destinations, including her home country and the entire southernAfrican region, Ethiopia, Kenya and Ghana. Merriwether isconvinced that the main reason for the ?booming? interest in Africa amongtourists is ?value for your money. Africa is much cheaper than Europe. In twoweeks in Africa, you can see so much. You can visit South Africa, Zimbabwe,Namibia and Mozambique all at once. Four of five countries in a two-week periodis no problem. You can?t do this if you visit Europe, unless you?re very rich,?she laughs. Kinkade adds thatup until recently, few global travel agencies offered detailed informationabout African destinations to clients, although more are now doing so. He alsocredits the Internet for ?slowly but surely? increasing knowledge of Africa. ?Information aboutthe world, about its cultures and natural wonders, is now available at ourfingertips. And all that?s raising consumers? comfort levels, piquing theircuriosity and inspiring them to get out and visit these places (in Africa)first-hand.? Stephen Hayes is confident that with all the effort that?sbeing made to establish Africa as a leading tourism destination, the continentwill soon be ?at the top of the wish list? of international ? and especiallyAmerican ? travelers.