Travel Industry News
Africa travel industry awaiting good years
Friday, 12, March 2010
As the global travel industry is set to rebound in 2010, perspectives for sub-Saharan Africa are especially good. The region is living a long-term trend of growing market shares in the important tourism industry.After a chilling 2009, the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) forecasts a growth of 3 to 4 percent in international tourism this year. The rise follows a 4 percent drop in tourism in 2009 and a loss in earnings of 6 percent during a year that was dominated by the global financial crisis.But even during the crisis, one single region managed to see strongly increased tourist numbers.
While international tourist arrivals to sub-Saharan Africa had increased by 3 percent in 2008 - around the global average - arrivals grew by an impressive 6 percent in 2009, while global tourism otherwise was in a recession.And Africa's tourism industry is predicted to defend last year's increased global market share. Forecasts from UNTWO even predict that sub-Saharan Africa's market share will continue growing for years to come.While the UN agency predicts a global growth in tourism of 3 to 4 percent this year, the forecast for Africa is a growth of 4 to 7 percent in international tourist arrivals in 2010.
