Travel and tourism are vital to Africa’s economic growth, but are they properly marketed?

When it comes to boosting Africa’s economic growth, tourism is among the lowest of low-hanging fruit. The continent is home to some of the most spectacular landscapes on the planet, offers unparalleled wildlife experiences, and has an incredibly diverse array of cultures and heritages. You could spend a lifetime exploring it and still encounter new things every day.

Building up a tourism industry also means bringing in foreign currency, helping to stabilise economies and reduce the reliance on other export sectors. That’s to say nothing of the many direct and indirect jobs it creates, which are so desperately needed in countries across the continent.

Of course, many African countries have recognised the potential of tourism and have mature tourism industries which contribute significantly to their economies. According to Statista, tourism added approximately US$182.6 billion to Africa’s overall gross domestic product (GDP). But the sector could be much bigger too. According to a report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in collaboration with VFS Global, the African Travel & Tourism sector could bring in an additional US$168 billion to the continent’s economy and create over 18 million new jobs over the next decade. Effective marketing and communication will be critical to its ability to do so.

Growing competitiveness in global tourism

On the face of it, that might sound strange. Those of us who know the continent and who have experienced even a fraction of what it has to offer are already sold on it. A part of us might even believe that the continent should sell itself.

But for many of the world’s biggest travel markets, travelling to Africa requires at least one long-haul flight, if not more. That means people have to spend significant amounts of time and money to get there. While at the extreme end of things, a direct flight from New York to Cape Town means spending close to 15 hours in the air, for instance.

That means even countries with well-established tourism sectors must work hard to keep people coming back. Those with emerging tourist industries, meanwhile, must work even harder to entice visitors in the first place. Crucially, African countries are having to put this work in at a time when the global tourism space is more competitive than ever.

Countries that weren’t previously thought of as tourism hotspots and which are much closer to key markets have become seriously competitive players in recent years. Montenegro, for example, saw a 7% year-on-year increase in tourist visits in June, following a 5.1% increase the month before. It also happens that Londoners can reach its spectacular coastline with little more than a three-hour flight.

The right marketing matters

If African countries are to be competitive in that kind of landscape, it’s therefore critical that they market themselves effectively. That means telling the right kind of stories to the right kinds of people, on the right channels, at the right time.

But it also means recognising that today’s travellers and their needs are more diverse than ever. Trying to sell your country purely on stunning sunsets over the savannah or unspoiled, sandy beaches just isn’t going to cut it anymore. Make no mistake, those kinds of things are still important drawcards, but for country tourism boards in particular, appealing to urban sophisticates and foodies is just as important as appealing to nature lovers and adventurers.

While specific destinations can afford to be a little more focused, they shouldn’t shy away from demonstrating their diversity. How could a Cape Town hotel or Kenyan lodge, for instance, convince families that there is as much to attract their 17-year-old thrill-seeker son as there is for their more culturally inclined 75-year-old grandmother? How can they appeal to group, solo, and family travellers simultaneously? And what about the business travellers who increasingly tack on a few days of leisure to their travels?

The right partners matter

Key to getting that diverse appeal right is identifying and engaging with the right marketing partners. That means finding partners that understand which traveller archetypes you’re most likely to appeal to and how to reach them. But it also means finding partners that understand and have feet on the ground in your most lucrative target markets.

These partners should be able to tell your ever-evolving story in ways that mean you’re not just an option but somewhere they yearn to visit, high up at the top of their bucket list. And they should demonstrate that they can evolve with you and take the strategic lead wherever necessary.

Of course, there are other things – such as improvements in infrastructure, visa facilitation, and intra-African flights – which would all make a tangible positive impact on Africa’s tourism sector. But the best way to get action on those things is to build up demand and nothing creates demand like effective marketing.