Turismeindustrien rummer store muligheder for økonomisk vækst og nye jobs, men så må infrastrukturen følge med, vurderer Den Afrikanske Udviklingsbank – over 63 mio. internationale turister ankom i 2012 mod godt 17 mio. i 1990.
TUNIS, 6 February 2014 (AfDB): The potential of Africa’s tourism is untapped, writes Mthuli Ncube, African Development Bank Group Vice-President and Chief Economist, in the inaugural issue of the Africa Tourism Monitor.
Africa is home to some of the fastest-growing economies, and revenues (indtægter) from tourism in Africa already represent more than double the amount of donor aid.
Tremendous opportunities exist to further expand tourism across the African continent, yet challenges remain.
The need for solid infrastructure, in the form of good roads and transportation corridors, for better airline connections, fewer visas to cross African borders and improved marketing to niche sectors such as adventure and eco-travellers are just a few of the reasons Africa’s tourism sector has not taken off.
Turisme skaber allerede 8,2 mio. jobs
According to the United Nations World Tourism Association, 63,6 million international tourists arrived in Africa in 2012, compared to 17,4 million visitors in 1990.
The top six countries for international tourist receipts (afledte indkomster) in 2012 were, in descending order:
Egypt (9,94 billion US dollar), followed by South Africa (9,994 billion), Morocco (6,711 billion), Tunisia (2,183 billion), Tanzania (1,564 billion) and Mauritius (1,477 billion).
The economic potential of tourism is remarkable, with direct and indirect impact on employment. In Africa alone, travel and tourism generated 8,2 million direct jobs in 2012.
Africa is home to the world’s youngest populations, with close to 70 percent of its inhabitants below the age of 25, and youth constituting about 37 per cent of the labour force, but making up approximately 60% of unemployment.
For this reason, the AfDB aims to promote tourism through the development of cross-border infrastructure and regional transport corridors, which will facilitated the movement of people and goods on the continent.
Africa’s future looks bright given the huge growth in adventure and eco-tourism, coupled with the continent’s rich cultural heritage and natural beauty.
Already, several airlines from the United States, Africa, Europe and the Middle East have plans to expand their routes. Soon those untouched beaches and remote villages will become a thing of the past.
Africa Tourism Monitor is a joint initiative produced by the African Development Bank in partnership with the Africa Travel Association and Africa House at NYU.
Læs hele artiklen her:
http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/article/tourism-in-africa-is-an-untapped-goldmine-12796/
Læs rapporten her:
http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/September%202013%20-%20Africa%20Tourism%20Monitor.pdf
