Page 379 - MOET ENGLISH PR REPORT - OCTOBER 2025 (Part 1)

10/29/25, 2:00 PM UAE–Africa Tourism Investment Summit highlights tourism’s role as key driver of economic transformation and calls to reposition A…

Investment opportunities in the African tourism sector

The first session, titled “The African Growth Story: Tourism Driving Growth and Capital”, explored

tourism’s role as a key driver of Africa’s economic transformation. Participants reviewed investment
opportunities in the tourism, culture and creative industries, noting that strengthening tourism
infrastructure is a key catalyst for inclusive growth, forming new value chains and creating opportunities
for growth in tourism and related sectors in Africa.

The panelists also focused on the importance of strengthening air connectivity between the African
countries and expanding GCC-African aviation partnerships, along with diversifying specialised tourism

destinations and offerings such as eco-tourism, heritage, nature, cultural and leisure tourism. These
efforts are key to maximising economic returns and reinforcing Africa’s attractiveness as a global
destination for sustainable tourism.

The participants were H.E. Patricia de Lille, South African Minister of Tourism; H.E. Hannatu Musa
Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy of Nigeria; and Mr. Cheick-Oumar

Sylla, Division Director for North Africa and the Horn of Africa, IFC.

Future of investment in tourism destinationsThe second session, titled “Capital Meets Culture:

Financing Africa’s Tourism Transformation,” explored the growing role of operators and investors in
developing tourism destinations through innovative hospitality models and strategic UAE–Africa
partnerships. The panelists underscored the role of investments in integrated tourism experiences that
focus on service quality and product diversity and the need for boosting long-term investments in hotel

and entertainment infrastructure to create new growth opportunities and broaden the range of tourism
destinations in Africa.

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