Travel trends in Africa continue to be moving upward besides the sluggish economy. The highest growth is in domestic travel as countries start to look inward due to terrorism threats, Us political climate and the aftermath the Brexit.
The report was given on the opening day of the World Travel Market Africa taking place in Cape Town. The event ends on Friday.
In a presentation, Christy Tawii from Euromonitor International, said countries like Kenya,Nigeria and South Africa are coming up with more aggressive campaigns to encourage domestic tourism.
"The purchasing power of locals is increasing allowing them to explore their countries more. Also, through domestic tourism campaigns, locals are being shown what their countries have to offer," said Tawii. The entry of short term rentals like AirBnB has also seen a change in how people book accommodation. The hotel industry is still driven by luxury brands with the Radisson group dominating the African market.
Over the years there has also been a move from promoting Africa as a Safari destination. Niche tourism is growing especially in sport,Eco,medical and solo travelling. Inter country marketing campaigns are also boosting Africa as a destination of choice. With some countries are doing joint visa marketing campaigns. Business Tourism is still the biggest money spinner, it is six times more than leisure travelling.