From the Newsroom*
São Paulo – The number of tourists to visit the African continent should double by 2020, reaching 77 million people a year. The figure is by the World Tourism Organisation (WTO). According to the organisation, last year the African countries received 44 million travellers. The rhythm of growth, which was 7% over the previous year, should remain in coming years, according to WTO forecasts.
The African continent includes 54 countries, among them Tunisia, Somalia, Sudan, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Djibouti, Mauritania and the Comoros. At least three of these countries – Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco – are traditional in the attraction of international tourists. Egypt is recognised as the crib of civilization and has some of the most important monuments in the world, like the pyramids of Giza and the Sphynx.
Morocco and Tunisia are sought for their historic sights, but also for the beauty of their beaches. The three Arab countries usually receive tourists from Europe, from where transportation is easy. The WTO forecasts show that in 2020, Africa should answer to 5% of global tourism. In 1995, when the continent received 20 million tourists a year, it was responsible for 3.6% of the global tourist movement.
The WTO believes that incentives to tourism are a way of boosting the economic growth of the region. Last month, the secretary general at the WTO, Francesco Frangialli, travelled to the continent to promote trips to the region. He visited Kenya, Mauritania and Ivory Coast. These are countries that have been undergoing social problems in recent times and want to recover their tourism potential.
WTO figures show that developing countries were the ones that posted the greatest growth in tourism in 2007. International tourist arrivals grew 8% in these regions of the world last year as against 2006, whereas in developed countries they grew 6%. “Sustainable tourism may play an important part in compliance with the Millennium development goals,” stated the WTO in a press release.
Developing countries grew from participation of 34% in global tourism, in number of arrivals in 2000 to 40% in 2007. In the same period, international tourist arrivals rose 54%, to 360 million. The organisation points out investment that is being made in infrastructure in the countries of Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and Central and South America.
*Translated by Mark Ament
