We cannot lose sight of the fact that in a finite world of relative value, pursuing sector development that enables competitiveness is a driver for long term success. A lack of competitiveness will never drive growth, at best we would continually be fighting for survival.
The tourism sector has been a key driver of economic growth for many African countries. Our abundance of unspoilt natural resources, coupled with our unique culture and heritage makes the African experience both diverse and appealing for global and local travellers. That is, we have a compelling and competitive value proposition within the tourism sector.
Yet our air access, visa requirements and safety are often deterrents for travellers. We must recognise then, that with any sector, creating an enabling environment is critical for sector development. The enabling environment is dependant upon a variety of different stakeholders, including public sector entities (e.g., Home Affairs, Police Services and so forth), airline operators, hotel operators, tourism operators and so forth.
Building on this, our ability then to leverage technology to provide bespoke experiences for increasingly discerning travellers, is a unique opportunity that many African countries can leverage off thereby creating value competitively.
Africa should also look to within the continent to drive increases in tourism, and the fact that visa free travel within the continent is not yet a reality is a sore point that can be resolved meaningfully.
