African Tourism News

The first-quarter performance bodes well for another good year for South Africa in terms of international arrivals, the minister told a summit on tourism organised by the portfolio committee on tourism.

In 2012, South Africa recorded 13-million international arrivals, of which 9.2-million were tourists.Particularly encouraging, the minister said, was the strong growth in tourists from Europe during the first quarter after a long period of stagnation. The number of German tourists grew 17%, France 14% and Italy 17%, while the UK grew 3% off a high base.

The growth in tourist numbers from emerging markets in the first quarter of the year, according to figures provided by Statistics South Africa, was equally strong with Chinese tourism registering a 37.4% increase, India 22%, Nigeria 22% and Ghana 46%.Mr van Schalkwyk stressed that the stiff competition in the international tourism market and the need for South Africa to innovate and diversify its product offering to "stay ahead of the game".

While wildlife tourism would remain the backbone of the industry, South Africa needed to diversify its offering to include its cultural heritage, lifestyle products and conventions.

Foreign tourists spent a total of R76.4-billion in South Africa last year, up 7.6% on the total foreign direct spend in the country in 2012.
also emphasised the need to build a strong domestic tourism industry, which currently contributes R10bn to the economy annually.To extend the infrastructure for domestic tourism, the Industrial Development Corporation was conducting an audit of state assets to determine which could be converted into tourist facilities, particularly for the low-income market.

Africa was vital to South Africa’s future tourism strategy and Mr van Schalkwyk welcomed South African Airways’ plans to expand its services on the continent.

"Africa is key to what we want to achieve," the minister said. He acknowledged that the relationship between the Department of Tourism and SAA in the past had not been "very constructive" as their strategies were not aligned, but said this was now "going much better".

Click to expand...

He said: "Our immediate focus in tourism is to ensure that affluent tourists from all over the world come to visit Tanzania with their private jets, in order to boost the foreign earnings, in which the tourism industry generated $1.7 million in the year 2013."

Speaking at a ceremony to bid farewell to a second group of 42 high-net worth individuals (affluent people) from the United States last week, he said already Tanzania has seen a higher figure of tourist arrivals than ever and the country is among the leading destinations in Africa.

The Americans travelled by a private jet (owned by Abercrombie & Kent) for a 19- day safari across Africa.Nyalandu said tourism in Tanzania is one of the leading industries to break the poverty cycle among the rural poor by uplifting their livelihood and quality of life.

The itinerary of the first group of 42 tourists which visited Tanzania two weeks ago through a 'Travel with us in Africa: Across A Continent by Private Jet' took the tourists through Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa.

According to the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), the number of tourists visiting Tanzania grew by 24% in the year 2012, raising hopes that the sector will spur the country's economic growth momentum from its GDP contribution of 17% to 25%. In 2011, a total of 867,994 tourists visited Tanzania compared to 1,077, 058 in 2012.

The tourists who spent four days in Serengeti National Park were booked by Abercrombie & Kent, one of the world's leading luxury travel companies. Geoffrey Kent, the Abercrombie & Kent, CEO, Chair and Founder, speaking at the same function held at the Kilimanjaro International Airport said the Serengeti visit by the two groups was one of the best during their African tour.

Serengeti is a World Heritage site, well known for its annual migration and attracting millions of tourists annually.He said that his company is dedicated to promote Tanzania tourism and in particular, Serengeti, the second largest park in Tanzania and one of three out of the seven Africa's natural wonders.

Beautiful weather, abundant wildlife and bird' species, coastal and beach tourism have seen Tanzania attract more regional and International tourists, including some of the world's wealthiest business and showbiz people.

Top American business television networks, NBC and CNBC covered the trips..
Jessica Joseph, a CNBC crew took time to interview Nyalandu about Tanzanian tourism before they departed for Uganda, where the group is to visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to see Mountain Gorillas then on to Ethiopia to explore the rock-carved churches of Lalibela.

Click to expand...

This investment is part of MHG's strategy to expand its footprint globally and increase the group's presence in Mozambique, which represents a continued investment in the long term strategic partnership agreement MHG has with Dubai-based Rani Investment LLC. The two organisations formed a joint venture company in August 2013 for the ownership of Indigo Bay Resort & Spa in Mozambique, which was re-branded to Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort & Spa in November.

The three properties are located on the northern coastline of Mozambique, operating as part of the Rani Resorts portfolio. On the mainland, the 185-key Pemba Beach Hotel & Spa will be rebranded to AVANI Pemba Beach Hotel & Spa. Located in the Quirimbas Archipelago, the exclusive boutique island properties – Medjumbe Private Island with 13 chalets and Matemo Island, currently with 24 villas – will both be rebranded to Anantara. Matemo Island is currently closed for an extensive renovation and the addition of more keys. All three properties will be rebranded by the end of 2014.

MHG's strategic partnership with Rani Investment LLC continues to explore opportunities in Mozambique's capital, Maputo, and in the vibrant East Africa market to further strengthen MHG's presence on the continent. These properties will be a mix of new-build and rebrand and will be flagged with MHG's international hotel brands, including the luxury Anantara brand, the upscale AVANI brand and the serviced apartment Oaks brand which is currently expanding into Asia and the Middle East.

Rani Investment is the investment arm of Aujan Group Holding with more than US$300 million of dedicated investments in the Middle East and Africa. Rani Investment is the largest private hospitality owner-operator in Mozambique, having first established its presence in 1999 under the Rani Resorts name.

Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotel Group, commented, "This latest investment in three hotels in Mozambique demonstrates Minor Hotel Group's commitment to the country's growing tourism sector and more widely to the overall African tourism market. We are actively exploring other opportunities to expand our footprint in Africa through the expansion of all our brands and are very excited about these latest additions to our portfolio in Mozambique."

Salim Bitar, CEO Rani Investment LLC, added, "The expansion of our relationship with the Minor Hotel Group is a further commitment we are making to Mozambique, and a statement that Rani will continue to play a leading role in the sustainable growth and development of the tourism and hospitality sector in the country."

Click to expand...

Economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to rise to 5.2% in 2014 from 4.7% last year, which the report said was “boosted by rising investment in natural resources and infrastructure, and strong household spending”.
According to the report, “growth was notably buoyant in resource-rich countries, including Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo”. Growth remained steady in Cote d’Ivoire, while rebounding in Mali, supported by improved political stability and security, the report said. “Non-resource-rich countries, particularly Ethiopia and Rwanda, also experienced solid economic growth in 2013.”
Inflation in sub-Saharan Africa slowed – growing at an annual rate of 6.3% in 2013 compared to 10.7% a year ago – in response to lower international food and fuel prices and what the report said was “prudent monetary policy”.
The report added: “Some countries, such as Ghana and Malawi, have seen an uptick in inflation because of depreciating currencies. Remittances to the region grew 6.2% to $32bn in 2013, exceeding the record of $30bn reached in 2011. These inflows, combined with lower food prices, boosted household real incomes and spending.”
“Tourism also grew notably in 2013, helping to support the balance of payments of many countries in the region,” the report added.
According to the UN World Tourism Organization, international tourist arrivals in sub-Saharan Africa grew by 5.2% in 2013, reaching a record 36 million, up from 34m in 2012, which has contributed to government revenue, private incomes, and jobs.
The World Bank’s vice-president for Africa Makhtar Diop said a number of African countries are now “routinely among the world’s fastest-growing countries as a result of sound macroeconomic reforms in recent years and the fact that the rest of the world has steadily updated its reality of the continent as a high opportunity region for trade, investment, business, science and technology, and tourism”.
Diop added: “Poor physical infrastructure will, however, continue to limit the region’s growth potential. Significantly more infrastructure spending is needed in most countries in the region if they are to achieve a lasting transformation of their economies.”
Chief economist for World Bank Africa region Francisco Ferreira added: “Although sub-Saharan Africa’s exports remain concentrated in a few strategic commodities, the region’s countries have made substantial progress in diversifying their trading partners.”
Ferreira said: “Over the last decade, exports to emerging markets such as the BRICs – Brazil, Russia, India, China – have grown robustly, primarily due to the prolonged boom in commodities demand. The BRICs received only 9% of sub-Saharan Africa’s exports in 2000 but accounted for 34% of total exports a decade later.”
EY’s third ‘Africa Attractiveness Survey’, published in May 2013, noted “an important shift in emphasis in investment into the (African) continent over the past few years, in terms of both destination markets and sectors”. The report said: “While investment into North Africa has largely stagnated, FDI projects into sub-Saharan Africa have grown at a compound rate of 22% since 2007. Among the star performers attracting growing numbers of projects have been Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia Mozambique, Mauritius and South Africa.

Click to expand...

Mozambique will be attending the Carnival International de Victoria, in Seychelles, from the 25th to the 27thApril 2014 with a delegation composed of 23 people, from Government representatives (Ministry of Tourism & the Mozambique Tourism Authority), media and local artists.

Minister Carvalho Muaria, the Mozambique Minister responsible for Tourism and Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture had discussed earlier this agreed together that Mozambique would be present to showcase its culture and in so doing its people at the Carnaval International de Victoria. Mozambique along with KwaZulu Natal of South Africa, the Kingdom of Swaziland and the Seychelles are all working together in the EAST3ROUTE Tourism Organisation promoting cross border tourism to help grow tourism in Africa.

Mozambique will be using this great opportunity at the carnival in Seychelles to promote its rich and diversified culture to the world. To this aim, the local singer LILOCA will be the queen of the Mozambique artist group, joined by the MAQUINISTAS dancers. Together they will perform a variety of local dance and music, both from the south, center and north of the country. A total of 12 artists will be integrated in the Mozambique delegation and they have said that they will proudly showcase their culture and their people to ensure Mozambique is recognised by the world as a serious tourism destination.

Sherin Naiken, the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board saw the Mozambique singer LILOCA in action when she participated in the 2013 EAST3ROUTE meeting and appealed to Minister Carvalho Muaria, the Mozambique Minister responsible for Tourism to include that very famous singer in Mozambique's delegation to the Carnaval International de Victoria.

Mozambique float will feature the Mozambique cultural mosaic, a mix from traditional African culture, Arab and Portuguese influences. Therefore, its archipelagos contain stories and legends that are still respected from generation to generation. But its charm comes not only from its exotic places, landscapes or environment of their cities, but a contrast in the land and the people who are born and live with passion and intensity.

Click to expand...

popa1980 said:

Maputo could well be an international tourist industry if it plays its cards right.

But in all of Africa, how many international CITY destinations are there? And Im not talking about business or transit/entry points. Im talking about cities where somewhere will take a plane from Europe specifically to go there- Marrakech & Cape Town. Anything else?

Click to expand...