WTTC Appeals To International Financial Bodies To Support The African Tourism And Travel Sector

In the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, the African travel and tourism sector which employs 24.6 million people, could see a collapse if it doesn’t receive urgent funding. In a bid to stop this, five International tourism and air transport organizations, led by the World Travel & Tourism Council [WTTC], have called upon international bodies to help.

In the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, the African travel and tourism sector which employs 24.6 million people, could see a collapse if it doesn’t receive urgent funding. In a bid to stop this, five International tourism and air transport organizations, led by the WTTC, have called upon international bodies to help.

These bodies which include international financial institutions, international donors, and country development partners would be required to provide the following relief:

$10 billion in relief to support the African Travel & Tourism industry and help protect the livelihoods of those it aids, directly and indirectly, access to financing and cash flow assistance to inject liquidity and provide support to severely impacted countries

Financial measures to help minimize disruptions to much-needed credit and liquidity for businesses.

Ensuring that all funds flow down immediately to save businesses in urgent need.

The urgent call has been made jointly by the World Travel & Tourism Council [WTTC], International Air Transport Association [IATA], Airlines Association of Southern Africa [AASA], African Airlines Association [AFRAA], and the United Nations World Tourism Organization [UNWTO].

According to WTTC President & CEO, Gloria Guevara, the collapse of the Travel and Tourism sector in Africa will lead to hundreds of millions of livelihoods being impacted and enormous financial pressure for years to come. To counter this, she insisted on the importance of governments working together on a global approach towards a swift recovery ensuring that the most vulnerable communities receive international help.

The African tourism sector represents 7.1 percent of the continent’s GDP. Meaning that it contributes $169 billion of the continent’s economy, a staggering figure whose loss could take millions of jobs with it.

Being one of the most affected sectors in most countries, some African governments are trying to provide temporary support. However, the situation is critical and many governments aren’t able to keep up with the mounting losses.

Take Kenya, for example, a top player in the tourism industry on the continent, which also stands to lose if the crisis goes unchecked. In a recent press statement, the country’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta, noted the effects of the pandemic to the sector due to restricted movements and the termination of international flights.

“To jumpstart this important sector, and protect Kenya tour operators such as Masaimarasafari.in and other players in the industry from heavy financial losses, my administration will provide soft loans to hotels and related establishments through the Tourism Finance Corporation [TFC], and a total of KSH 2 Billion will be set aside to support the renovation of facilities and the restructuring of business operations by actors in this industry,” he said.

He then assigned KSH 1 billion to the Kenya Wildlife Service to engage 5,500 Community Scouts and another KSH 1 billion to approximately 160 community conservancies.

These efforts coupled with those lent by the international community should help the sector remain afloat as the crisis is being dealt with. Otherwise, as IATA’s Director-General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac noted, the COVID-19 crisis could take Africa’s development back a decade or more. “Financial relief today is a critical investment in Africa’s post-pandemic future for millions of Africans,” he went on to say.

Speaking in response to the press release, James Gatheru, a Masai Mara based safari guide and the owner of Ajkenyasafis.com, welcomed the move by the WTTC and the Kenyan government to support Kenya safari companies, community guides, and other tour operators in Africa.