Good news for the african continent : at the beginning of 2021, the tourism industry is expected to grow. It is, in any case this project the experts of the world tourism Organization (UNWTO). While the number of international tourists is expected to decrease 60 to 80% by 2020 under the effect of the pandemic of the novel coronavirus, the UN agency based in Madrid, provides more positive prospects concerning Africa and the Middle East. "The majority of the experts predicting a recovery in 2020 ", while those in the Americas are the most pessimistic, with a recovery perceived as difficult in 2020. For Europe and Asia, " the outlook is mixed, half of the experts predicting a recovery this year ". A total loss of $ 80 billion in tourism exports in the world has been saved. It must be said that Africa was on an upward trajectory since last year with an increase of the order of 3 to 5 % of international tourist arrivals on the continent which is mainly due to the larger number of companies serving Africa and the ease of visa procedures.
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one of the most affected sectors
According to the united Nations, the tourism industry as a whole – food, accommodation, recreation, parks, employs more than 24.6 million people on the continent. They are close to a million people to work in this sector whether in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania or South Africa. The sector contributes up to us $ 169 billion to the african economy, or 7.1% of the GDP of the continent. But due to the spread of Covid-19, many of these small and medium-sized businesses eliminate jobs and lose revenue. The UN estimates that the pandemic will cost up to 2 million direct and indirect jobs in tourism on the continent. Five international organizations have already warned that, without emergency funding, the crisis of the Covid-19 could result in a collapse of this sector in Africa. Example in Uganda, where president Yoweri Museveni has warned, in his last address to the nation that his country could lose up to $ 1.6 billion in revenue. Tourism is one of the economic pillars of this country from East Africa and one of the main sources of foreign currency. Uganda welcomes every year hundreds of thousands of tourists attracted by the mountain gorillas in the forest in the south-west of the country to the border with the democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. But because of the increasing cases of coronavirus – at the date of 3 June, the african Center for prevention and disease control has recorded 158 318 confirmed cases of coronavirus – Africa does not really have any other choice than to keep its borders closed for the time being. Cancellations and postponements follow each other, they could result in a loss of 30 to 50 billion dollars in revenue for the tourism industry on the continent this year, according to the united Nations. also Read Ghana : this the "Year of return" which boosts tourismA conservative revival
But evidence that a recovery is possible as early as this year, the world Council of travel and tourism (WTTC) said in a press release published Wednesday, June 3, that the Mauritius was as a safe destination in the context of the Covid-19. This instance has put in place a series of measures mandatory health in the context of efforts to enable the recovery of tourism activities. Since the 26th of April, no case of local Covid-19 has not been recorded on the island of Mauritius, which has pushed the government to put an end to the containment of health on may 31. The country is moving today to another phase, waiting to welcome its first visitors at the end of the period of closure of the borders, application of measures of confinement and strict isolation of the sick, as well as intensive tests. In this context, the UNWTO secretary-general, Zurab Pololikashvili, stressed " the need for vigilance, responsibility and international cooperation as the world opens up again slowly ".Stimulate the local tourism
According to the UNWTO, it will take at least 10 months to the world tourism industry to recover from the effects of the sars coronavirus. A little more to Africa. For Elcia Grandcourt, the director of the Africa department of the world tourism Organization, there is no doubt that the african tourism is recovering from the crisis. Especially if the mainland would give priority to domestic tourism, she explained during a video conference devoted to tourism in Uganda." It will be necessary to boost domestic tourism, or even the continental and regional, because it is there that the market will be, and we don't know when the other countries open their borders to facilitate international arrivals. "For Ms. Elcia, flights continental are likely to open more quickly than the international flights.
" travel is intra-regional, can be stimulated by developing unique products to stimulate the domestic tourism and by adopting diversification. It is necessary to rethink the model, for example, by looking at how other countries have exploited the tourist market the local to increase their number ", explains she. In conclusion, it should be that the mainland enterprises to adapt to the context by improving their offerings in digital, focusing on local tourism, more focused on the immediate environment, but also with health facilities nearby.
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