As the world prepares to mark the 2026 edition of World Tourism Day [WTD] on 27 September, the African Travel Commission [ATC] has called on African governments, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, to give greater recognition to the contribution of travel and tourism to national economies and provide adequate funding for the development and promotion of the sector.
The Commission said World Tourism Day provides an important opportunity for governments, tourism authorities, the private sector and other stakeholders to reflect on the contribution of travel and tourism to economic and social development and examine what more can be done to strengthen the industry.
World Tourism Day is an annual global event celebrated every 27 September and has been observed since 1980. The occasion highlights the economic, social and cultural importance of tourism and provides an opportunity to draw attention to the industry’s contribution to development.
For the ATC, however, the annual celebration should go beyond ceremonies and statements and serve as an opportunity for African governments to examine the level of commitment and resources being devoted to the development of the sector.
The Commission believes that travel and tourism remains one of the most important sectors capable of generating employment, attracting investment, promoting cultural understanding and supporting economic diversification across the African continent.
The ATC expressed concern that, despite Africa’s enormous tourism resources, many countries continue to underfund the sector and fail to adequately recognise and measure its contribution to Gross Domestic Product [GDP].
The Commission’s leadership maintained that tourism should no longer be treated as a secondary activity that receives attention only after other sectors have been allocated resources.
Rather, it argued, the industry must be recognised as a strategic component of national economic planning, with appropriate budgetary allocations for infrastructure, destination marketing, research, skills development, product development and investment promotion.
The economic significance of tourism is reflected in the performance of several African destinations in 2025.
Morocco recorded a record 19.8 million visitors in 2025, representing a 14 per cent increase over 2024. Tourism foreign-exchange receipts reached 138 billion Moroccan dirhams, equivalent to approximately US$14.7 billion.
Egypt also recorded a major increase, welcoming approximately 19 million tourists in 2025, representing a 21 per cent increase over the previous year. Tourism receipts were reported at about US$17.8 billion.
Tunisia received more than 11 million tourists in 2025, generating approximately 8.096 billion Tunisian dinars in tourism receipts. Together, Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia welcomed about 49.8 million tourists in 2025, generating approximately US$35.25 billion in tourism receipts.
South Africa also recorded a strong performance, with 10,498,506 international tourists visiting the country in 2025, according to Statistics South Africa. The country’s total foreign arrivals, including same-day visitors and other travellers, was higher.
The performance of sub-Saharan African destinations further demonstrates the economic importance of the industry.
Tanzania recorded 2,294,495 international tourist arrivals in 2025 and generated US$4.41 billion in tourism earnings, an increase of 13 per cent over 2024.
Kenya recorded approximately 2.7 million international visitors in 2025, alongside 5.2 million domestic travellers. The country reported tourism earnings of about 500 billion Kenyan shillings, up from 452.2 billion shillings in 2024.
Ghana recorded 1,306,962 international tourist arrivals in 2025 and generated approximately US$4.34 billion in tourism revenue. Domestic tourism also increased to about 1.79 million visits during the year.
These figures, the ATC said, demonstrate the scale of economic activity associated with travel and tourism and reinforce the need for African governments to give the sector greater policy attention and financial support.
The Commission noted that the figures also illustrate why tourism should not be measured solely by international arrivals. Domestic tourism, visitor expenditure, employment, investment and the wider economic activity generated through the tourism value chain must also be taken into account.
The importance of travel and tourism to the global economy has continued to attract the attention of governments, international organisations and development institutions.
The World Travel & Tourism Council [WTTC], through its Economic Impact Research, has consistently highlighted the sector’s contribution to GDP, employment and economic activity across countries and regions.
The industry supports a wide range of businesses, including airlines, airports, hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, tour operators, transport companies, cultural institutions and entertainment providers.
Its economic impact also extends beyond direct tourism businesses to agriculture, manufacturing, construction, financial services and other sectors that supply goods and services to the tourism value chain.
For Africa, the economic potential of tourism is particularly significant because the continent possesses a rich combination of natural attractions, wildlife, cultural heritage, historic sites, beaches, festivals and traditional communities capable of supporting a diverse and sustainable tourism economy.
However, the ATC believes that these resources must be supported by effective policies, adequate investment and strong institutional commitment if they are to generate the desired economic and social benefits.
The Commission’s position is that African countries must begin to place greater value on tourism’s actual and potential contribution to their economies.
For decades, many African countries have relied heavily on agriculture, oil, minerals and other primary commodities. While these sectors remain important, tourism offers an opportunity to diversify national income, attract foreign investment and create employment in both urban and rural communities.
In countries with established tourism industries, the sector supports hotels, restaurants, tour operations, transport services, cultural enterprises and thousands of small and medium-sized businesses.
In countries where tourism remains underdeveloped, the potential for growth is equally substantial, provided governments are willing to invest in the necessary infrastructure, services and human capital.
The ATC said the challenge is not the absence of tourism resources, but the failure in many instances to provide the support required to convert those resources into sustainable economic opportunities.
The Commission is therefore urging African governments to increase budgetary allocations to tourism authorities and ensure that adequate funds are available for destination promotion, tourism research, product development, training and the maintenance of visitor facilities.
“Tourism cannot be expected to contribute meaningfully to national development if governments are unwilling to invest in the sector,” the Commission said.
For the ATC, funding for tourism marketing and promotion deserves particular attention.
The Commission believes that Africa cannot attract a greater share of the global tourism market without sustained investment in destination branding, international promotion, digital marketing, trade fairs, market research and partnerships with airlines and travel businesses.
It also stressed the need for African countries to support domestic and intra-African tourism, which can help reduce dependence on long-haul international markets and strengthen regional economic cooperation.
For the Commission, the inadequate measurement of tourism’s contribution to national economies is another issue that must be urgently addressed.
Tourism expenditure is distributed across several sectors, making it difficult to capture its full economic impact through conventional statistics alone.
A visitor may spend money on flights, accommodation, food, transportation, shopping, entertainment and cultural experiences. Each of these activities contributes to economic activity, generates income and supports employment.
The ATC believes that African countries must strengthen their tourism statistics and adopt internationally recognised methods of measuring the sector’s contribution to GDP, employment, foreign exchange earnings, investment and other areas of economic activity.
Reliable data, it argued, would enable governments to make better-informed decisions about tourism policy, planning and funding.
It would also help tourism authorities demonstrate the importance of their work to finance ministries, development institutions and the private sector.
The ATC’s position is that tourism should be assessed not only by the number of international arrivals but also by domestic tourism, visitor expenditure, employment generation, investment and the wider economic activity associated with the industry.
The Commission is therefore calling for closer cooperation among tourism ministries, national statistical offices, central banks, immigration authorities and private-sector operators to improve the collection and analysis of tourism data.
The ATC also sees travel and tourism as a major opportunity to address unemployment, particularly among Africa’s growing youth population.
The sector offers opportunities in hospitality, aviation, travel management, tour guiding, transportation, event management, digital marketing, cultural entertainment and conservation.
Young people can also establish businesses in tourism-related services, including travel consultancy, destination content creation, tour operations, hospitality supply and digital tourism services.
However, the ATC believes that these opportunities can only be fully realised through sustained investment in education, vocational training, entrepreneurship and professional development.
It is therefore calling on governments and private-sector operators to work together to develop the skills required by the modern tourism industry.
The Commission has also stressed the importance of supporting women, young people and small and medium-sized enterprises that form a significant part of the tourism value chain.
According to the ATC, tourism development must go beyond attracting visitors to destinations. It must also ensure that local communities benefit from tourism-related economic activities.
This, it said, requires policies that encourage local sourcing, community-based tourism, cultural enterprises, small business development and the participation of local people in the tourism economy.
Beyond funding and statistics, the ATC sees connectivity as another major factor in the development of African tourism.
Visitors should be able to move easily, safely and affordably between African countries if the continent is to maximise the potential of intra-African tourism.
Air connectivity, road networks, rail systems, visa facilitation and efficient land-border procedures are all critical to the movement of tourists and business travellers.
The ATC said it would continue to advocate stronger cooperation among African countries to improve travel within the continent.
Better connectivity would encourage intra-African tourism, strengthen regional economic integration and enable visitors to combine several destinations in a single trip.
Greater collaboration among national tourism organisations, airlines, private-sector tourism federations and regional institutions is also essential if Africa is to maximise the opportunities presented by the sector.
The Commission believes that the development of regional tourism corridors, improved air links and more efficient land-border procedures would help unlock the continent’s tourism potential.
It also sees the removal of unnecessary barriers to travel as important to the growth of tourism, particularly among African countries seeking to attract visitors from neighbouring markets.
As World Tourism Day 2026 is marked on 27 September, the African Travel Commission is urging governments across the continent to reassess the place of travel and tourism in their national development priorities.
The Commission believes that tourism must be treated as an investment rather than merely an expenditure and that its contribution to national economies must be properly measured, recognised and reflected in government policy.
It also wants governments to provide the necessary funding to enable tourism authorities to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
For the ATC, the future of African tourism will depend largely on the willingness of governments to invest in infrastructure, marketing, research, skills development, connectivity and sustainable tourism development.
The Commission’s message is that Africa cannot continue to celebrate its vast tourism resources without taking the practical steps required to develop and market them.
The 2026 World Tourism Day observance therefore provides an opportunity to move beyond celebration and focus attention on the policies, funding and partnerships required to transform Africa’s enormous tourism potential into measurable economic and social benefits.
Travel and tourism is not merely about leisure and recreation. It is an industry that connects people and nations, creates economic opportunities, promotes cultural understanding, supports livelihoods and contributes to national development.
The ATC is calling for a renewed commitment to recognising and investing in the sector, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where tourism remains an important opportunity for economic diversification, employment creation and inclusive growth.
As Africa joins the rest of the world to mark World Tourism Day 2026 on 27 September, the Commission’s message is clear: tourism must be valued, properly measured and adequately funded if it is to fulfil its potential as a driver of economic development and human progress.
The theme of this year’s World Tourism Day celebration, as designated by UN Tourism, the United Nations specialised agency responsible for tourism, is “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.” The international celebration will be hosted by El Salvador.
By Lucky Onoriode George, Ph.D., Executive Director, African Travel Commission [ATC]