Nine African nations drive tourism surge with 50 million visitors
Africa's tourism sector has marked a significant milestone with nine leading destinations collectively welcoming over 50 million international visitors, according to recent tourism data.
Egypt leads the continent's tourism recovery with 14.91 million visitors, followed closely by Morocco with 14.52 million. Tunisia rounds out North Africa's strong performance with 9.37 million arrivals.
South Africa remains sub-Saharan Africa's most visited destination, attracting 8.54 million tourists, while Tanzania welcomed 1.81 million visitors, drawn by its wildlife and natural attractions.
Indian Ocean destinations also performed strongly, with Mauritius recording 1.30 million arrivals. Ethiopia's cultural heritage sites drew 1.08 million visitors, while Eswatini and Seychelles attracted 390,000 and 350,000 visitors respectively.
The surge aligns with IATA's latest figures showing African airlines recorded a 10.4% year-on-year increase in Revenue Passenger Kilometres, with seat capacity growing by 5.3%.
According to the UN World Tourism Barometer, Africa's tourism sector saw a 6% increase in arrivals compared to 2019, outpacing global recovery rates.
Several of these destinations have recently implemented visa-free policies for key source markets, with Egypt now offering visa-free access to 112 countries and Morocco welcoming visitors from 67 nations without visas, marking a significant shift towards more accessible African travel.
Source: Travel and Tour World