New report predicts immense growth for Africa’s tourism sector in 2023

A REPORT on the hotel and hospitality sector has revealed that African travel and tourism has the potential for immense growth after showing a faster postpandemic recovery than anticipated.

The 2023 Hotel and Hospitality Industry Confidence Index, a collaborative research report between Moore and dmg events, surveyed participants in the hotel and hospitality market from 17 African countries and found the participants were optimistic about the prospects of the sector.

The report is aimed at understanding the trends, challenges and perceptions facing the industry.

Evan Schiff, portfolio director at dmg events, said the survey paints a picture of a sector that’s largely positive in its outlook, and that’s looking to find fresh routes to traveller engagement and new ways of building traveller experiences.

“Even with the challenges facing the sector, almost 82% of respondents were positive about the next six months, while 90% felt positive about the sector over the next one to two years,” said Schiff.

According to the report, an uptick in activity last year saw Africa achieve the world average in the pace of recovery, with north Africa leading the way on the continent at -29% growth in international tourism.

“This is a big increase over the -73% during the pandemic globally. SubSaharan Africa lagged 43% behind its pre-pandemic key performance indicators, but the recovery is in motion across Africa and the opportunities for hotel and hospitality operators are vast,” said Schiff.

The report highlights that the key trends and challenges from the last year are a good indication of what to look out for this year.

Some of the trends most prevalent in travel and tourism in 2022 included environmental, social and governance considerations, with travellers seeking sustainable tourism, conscious of the energy costs of a holiday.

“Nature-bound getaways or ‘staycations’ were popular to connect people with the environment. Medical tourism saw post-pandemic risk factors shaping how some chose to travel, including in the pursuit of wellness,” said the report.

It also notes that automation and intelligent technology will further shape the industry with cost-cutting while providing exceptional service, and some trends in hospitality are here to stay due to Covid.

“Check-ins went digital, restaurant menus were accessed via QR code, and customers are happy.”