Governments in Africa should give greater attention to tourists from within the continent to further grow the multi-billion sector rather than focus most on those from abroad, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) secretary-general Dr Mukhisa Kituyi has said.

Dr Kituyi, who was speaking at the 41st Annual World Tourism Conference, which is currently underway in Kigali, said the tourism sub sector yields about 8 per cent of the continent’s Gross Domestic Product with tourist receipts standing at over US$47 billion while tourism exports fetch over US$50 billion.

According to Dr. Kituyi, African countries often fail to appreciate and give attention to tourists from the continent, which is the fastest growing source of visitors. Instead, countries focus on tourists from Europe, America and Asia, who tend to be seasonal.

He emphasised that tourists from the continent visit the country throughout the year as opposed to the ‘preferred tourists’ who only visit seasonally.

“The fastest growing tourism is intra-African tourism. Movement of tourists from one African country to another. There are very many positive components about Intra-African tourism, one is that it is not seasonal. It is 12 months a year, conference tourism, medical tourism, educational tourism and business visit. This sustains the industry better than the occasional seasonal tourism,” he said.

According to statistics from UNCTAD, tourists from the continent make up a total of 44 per cent of the total visitors received in the continent and this is expected to grow to 50 per cent in coming years.

“Intra-African tourism grew from 34 per cent to 44 per cent of the total number of tourists in Africa. The projections are that it will be above 50 per cent in the next 10 years,” Dr Kituyi said.

The prioritisation of tourists from outside the continent, he said, has consequently led to issues such as poor service delivery to African tourists and has also influenced the messaging of African tourists’ destinations.

“There is traditional attitude that tourists are European, American and more recently Chinese arrival and African tourists are considered as distraction. Even in the messaging of attractions, we talk to everyone else other than the growing tourists.

“It is incumbent for Africa to know that they cannot grow their efficiencies as tourists’ destination unless they start appreciating that those African visitors are the main visitors of the future,” he said.

African countries can also boost intra-Africa tourism by advocating and rolling out visa-free regimes and passport-less travel across the continent.

Jose da Silva Gonçalves, the Cape Verde minister for economy and employment, admitted to giving more priority to connect to Western countries as opposed to the rest of the continent.

The country is currently well connected to the US and Europe but the minister said that going forward, they will invest in increasing connection to the rest of the continent.

Dr. Kituyi faulted African countries for not allocating sufficient budgets and resources to develop the tourism sub-sector and instead preferring traditional sectors such as mining.

‘Africa receives much more from the tourism sector than it appreciates. We still live in a time where public budgets are going into tradiotional sectors with limited dynamism and less assured potential of creating sustaniable employment and less capacity for the gender gap, ” Dr. Kituyi said.

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Following the August 14 unprecedented disaster in Sierra Leone, Tony Elumelu, the founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation and Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) recently paid a visit to the country to commiserate over the great loss caused by devastating mudslides and floods that have claimed hundreds of lives and left many more still missing.

Elumelu, in the company of former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo and Sierra Leonean President Ernest Koroma, visited some of the survivors at the Connaught Hospital in Freetown upon arrival in the country. Later on at the Sierra Leonean State House, he made a donation of USD$250,000 on behalf of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and another USD$250,000 on behalf of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) as emergency aid grants for victims of the mudslides.

Mr. Elumelu charged the world and the African private sector to rally around the ongoing rehabilitation and relief efforts.

“For me, the little token we are giving is what it is, little, but symbolic. At a time like this, the world must come together to support the victims of this unfortunate disaster. It is not a situation that one prays to be in, but in the event that it does happen, we should all rally to support one another,” he said.

Elumelu urged the world not to turn a blind eye to Sierra Leone’s plight: “We have on our hands a humanitarian disaster of high proportions. It requires the attention of the entire world. We have buried over 600 lives and many hundreds more are still missing. We must turn the global spotlight on Africa. The world must stand with Africa just as in the past; Africa has stood with the world,” he said.

The UBA Chairman reassured Sierra Leoneans of the Bank’s steadfast support. “United Bank for Africa (UBA) will continue to play its role in helping small and medium scale enterprises, and women, especially from the affected areas, to enable them rebuild their economic lives.

The Sierra Leonean President commended Elumelu’s unwavering presence in the country’s times of need, stating: “In you we have a brother and someone we can rely on.” He praised the consistency of the Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF). “You have always provided us with support. United Bank for Africa (UBA) was here immediately after the war to provide us with banking services to support our rebuilding efforts. Again, during our fight against Ebola, you were here through the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) and provided us with great support. And now again, you have come to support us.”

Elumelu’s donation will support the victims, some of whom are in hospital needing food, clothing and medicine. The much-needed assistance will also go towards the ongoing recovery efforts and the construction of permanent settlements for the affected persons.

The Sierra Leonean mudslides are the third catastrophe to devastate the West African country in the past two decades.

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A group of black South African businessmen will make a one-week visit to Uganda next month to search for market and investments opportunities, courtesy of the South African Department of Trade and Industry.

Dubbed the ‘Outward trade Mission’, the group that will be in the country from September 18-23 will comprise export-ready black industrialists operating in the economic infrastructure, agro-processing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics, electronics, as well as textiles, footwear and leather sectors.

Dr Rob Davies, South African Minister of Trade and Industry, says the mission is part of the implementation of the Black Industrialists Programme (BIP), one of his government’s industrialisation initiatives to expand the country’s industrial base and inject new entrepreneurial dynamism in the economy.

“The Black Industrialists Programme is specifically dedicated to supporting the growth and building the global competitiveness of majority black-owned and managed businesses in the manufacturing sector,” Dr Davies says.

He adds: “the intention of the mission is to contribute towards shifting the demographic composition of South Africa’s industrial sector by engaging with and nurturing emerging Black Industrialists to tap into a reservoir of potential jobs, revenue, taxes and innovation,” says Davies.

The trade mission is expected to open a market for the Black Industrialists for trade and investment in Uganda and potential markets in other parts of the East African region.

According to Davies, Uganda has been selected due to its geo-political position within the East African region, as well as its economic size and importance for trade with South Africa and as a destination for South African investments.

The minister says the mission to Uganda will be the third that South Africa has arranged for the black industrialists, after missions to Nigeria in September last year, and Namibia in June this year.

Fifty projects with an estimated grant value of R1.3 billion have been supported through the Black Industrialists Incentive Scheme since the inception of the programme in 2015. This is matched by approximately R3.6 billion of private sector investment across all sectors with 8 000 jobs supported.

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