Page 81 - WTM Cities Report

Travel industry has role to play
Seamless borders, or even visas upon entry for more African countries, will o er great opportunities to the travel industry.
However, the industry also has a role to play. At the moment, there are very few direct air connections between African countries, and many African citizens resort to travelling
via Europe to reach another African country. Increasing ight paths between regional hubs would contribute to a more open Africa.
With the strong growth in GDP in many African countries, and a population that is set to grow from 1.2 billion to 1.7 billion by 2030 in the AU member states, there is strong potential for increased business and leisure travel.
While there have been some initiatives to increase domestic travel in Africa, intra-regional travel still has some way to go. African tourist boards will need to shift their focus, as many tend to focus on attracting European and North American travellers instead of their neighbours.
It is immensely encouraging to see African countries looking to simplify cross-border travel by easing, and in some cases abolishing, visa restrictions. As part of West Africa Tourism we have been lobbying with ministries for a number of years to implement an ECOWAS tourist visa which will give access to all countries in the regional bloc. Whether or not it will be implemented is another story, but the principle of open borders is great.
David Oades
Founder, Overlanding West Africa Board member, West Africa Tourism
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
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