As global tourism surpasses 1.4 billion international arrivals in 2024, returning to nearly 99 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, Africa is reclaiming its place in the global travel narrative. With approximately 75 million visitors in 2024, the continent has exceeded its 2019 figures by over 7 per cent, recording a 12 per cent growth from 2023. This positions Africa as the second-fastest recovering tourism region in the world after the Middle East. While Europe continues to dominate global arrivals, Africa’s momentum underscores a shift in the international travel conversation. The continent is increasingly valued for more than just wildlife; it’s becoming a destination of identity, heritage, and human-centred experiences.
In 2024, Morocco led the continent by welcoming 17.4 million tourists, a 20 per cent increase over the previous year, and generated over $10 billion in tourism receipts. Tourism now accounts for approximately 7 per cent of Morocco’s GDP, cementing its status as a North African tourism giant. South Africa followed with over 8 million international arrivals, contributing more than R100 billion to its economy and creating over 1.6 million jobs. In East Africa, Tanzania shattered expectations by attracting 5.36 million tourists in 2024, beating its 2025 goal a year early. The country recorded nearly $4 billion in earnings, marking a 33 per cent growth in revenue compared to 2022. This data makes one thing clear: African tourism is not just rebounding; it is evolving.
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Beyond the Serengeti
Africa’s identity as a tourism hub is undergoing a shift. While wildlife safaris remain attractive, travellers are increasingly drawn to heritage, culture, and communal experience. Morocco estimates that over 60 per cent of its tourists now arrive for cultural and historical exploration, from Fez’s old medina to the ruins of Volubilis. Ghana’s “Year of Return” initiative in 2019 stands as a powerful model: it welcomed over 750,000 visitors and generated an estimated $1.9 billion in revenue. The campaign repositioned Ghana and, by extension, Africa as a pilgrimage destination for Black diaspora communities. More importantly, it changed the storyline from one of loss to one of reconnection, healing, and identity reclamation.
When Heritage Speaks Louder Than Lions
In many African cities, cultural storytelling is beginning to rival safari tourism. In South Africa’s Bo-Kaap, the vibrant colours of the neighbourhood are not mere backdrops for tourist photos; they represent resistance, survival, and the living legacy of Muslim Cape Malays. Yet Bo-Kaap has also become a contested site. Tourism has brought in revenue but also threatens to erase authenticity, as gentrification looms and local communities are priced out. A similar dilemma is playing out in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, where the construction of high-end hotels like the Ritz-Carlton has sparked concern about environmental degradation and disruption of ancient wildlife migration routes. These examples point to a growing realisation that cultural integrity must not be sacrificed at the altar of unchecked development.
Black Identity Travel
Black identity travel has become a transformative force in Africa’s tourism sector. The “Year of Return” was not merely an event; it was a movement. It catalysed global conversations around belonging, spiritual return, and reparative tourism. For many Black Americans and Afro-Caribbeans, travelling to Africa is no longer just a holiday; it’s a search for ancestral connection, lost roots, and cultural restoration. But identity travel is not without challenges. In Ghana, the influx of diasporans has driven up real estate prices, raised the cost of living in tourist-heavy zones, and ignited debates about land ownership and cultural appropriation. While the emotional and economic benefits are significant, these tensions highlight the need for policies that balance diaspora engagement with local well-being.
From Hosts to Narrators
One of the most promising developments in African tourism is the rise of community-led storytelling. In Johannesburg, the Ke-Ditselana Cultural Village is a living museum run by local custodians representing South Africa’s ethnic groups. The experience is not curated by outsiders; it is shaped by the people who live the stories being told. In Uganda, fashion is being used as a vehicle for cultural tourism. The Afri Art Fashion Show is not only a runway of fabrics and designs but also a platform to preserve and showcase indigenous artistry. These models highlight a larger trend: communities taking control of their own narratives, ensuring that tourism is not extractive but empowering.
Structural Barriers That Need Dismantling
While the growth is undeniable, structural barriers remain. Africa still receives less than 6 per cent of global tourist arrivals and about 5 per cent of global tourism revenue. Air travel is costly and fragmented. Intra-African connectivity is limited. Many countries maintain stringent visa regimes that discourage spontaneous travel. Yet, there are signs of progress. Ghana and South Africa’s recent bilateral visa waiver agreement led to a 150 per cent surge in arrivals within months. Rwanda’s visa-on-arrival policy has also positioned it as one of the most accessible destinations on the continent. These efforts signal what’s possible when policy aligns with vision.
Tanzania’s Integrated Model
Tanzania offers a compelling case study in tourism diversification and strategy. In 2024, it recorded 5.36 million tourists, an all-time high. More striking is the government’s ability to spread tourism across different experiences: wildlife safaris in Serengeti, beach escapes in Zanzibar, mountaineering on Kilimanjaro, and cultural immersion in local communities. This diversified portfolio has increased the country’s resilience against shocks and has distributed benefits more equitably across regions. The country’s $4 billion earnings in 2024 demonstrate that when tourism strategy is holistic, it becomes both sustainable and scalable.
Rethinking Tourism for People and Planet
Africa’s future in tourism must not merely chase numbers. It must focus on people, especially those who have often been left out of the benefits of tourism. It must ensure that local artisans, storytellers, guides, and community leaders are not passive bystanders but stakeholders. Luxury hotels must invest in local hiring, revenue sharing, and environmental preservation. Governments must legislate protection for cultural sites to prevent displacement and commodification. And perhaps most importantly, tourism narratives must centre African voices, not only in brochures but in boardrooms and branding campaigns.
A Strategic Framework for a Continental Reset
The African Union’s Agenda 2063 outlines a vision for making tourism a pillar of sustainable development. One of its objectives is to double the sector’s GDP contribution by 2033. To reach that goal, African nations must expand infrastructure, harmonise visa regulations, and invest in digital campaigns that present the continent in its full complexity, not as a place of spectacle, but as a land of stories, people, and potential. Such efforts must be accompanied by education initiatives that train a new generation of African tourism professionals, storytellers, and entrepreneurs who can reclaim the lens through which the continent is viewed.
Retelling, Reclaiming, Reimagining
Africa is no longer waiting to be discovered. It is rediscovering and retelling itself. Its tourism is moving beyond sightseeing into meaning-making. Beyond the Big Five into the rich tapestries of memory, heritage, and identity. The continent is stepping into a new era, not as a destination constructed by others but as a living, breathing storyteller in its own right. What Africa needs now is not more tourists but more listeners, not just more revenue but more respect. For in its stories lie not only its past but the roadmap to its future.
