Tourism in Africa Essay Example

are essential for the growth of Africa's tourism industry. Many African countries have undergone political turmoil, wars and ethnic violence leading to either decline or disruption in their tourism sectors. Angola and Macaque are now exploring their potential in this area though Zanzibar previously a top destination attracting over two million visitors annually has experienced remarkable drops by 44% in revenue during H1 2002 due to internal economic, social or political instability with this negative trend persisting since 1999 having far-reaching effects on the country's economy.Kenya was once a prosperous tourism sector, but poor governance has caused problems such as crime rates damaging the country's reputation, congestion in key areas due to inadequate planning, and an unstable political climate causing concern among tourists. African tourism industries have also been hindered by ongoing wars and political unrest in countries like Somalia, Sudan (now separated into Southern and Northern Sudan), Madagascar, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, and Senegal since 2011's Arab Spring. Europe is experiencing a high mass-consumption stage or drive to maturity economically with an aging demographic structure that has time and resources for travel. Paid holidays are common thanks to government directives from organizations such as the European Union along with well-funded competent tourism authorities responsible for infrastructure development through entities including the European Regional Development Fund, European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, and European Fisheries Fund. These authorities promote destinations conscientiously while innovating according to customer needs.The tourism sector in Africa has not received significant contributions from the African Union. The continent is commonly associated with poverty due to a majority of its population living below the poverty line. There is minimal regional collaboration for promoting

Africa as a tourist destination, and sub-regional affiliations focus heavily on individual countries that have limited attractions for tourists, such as Malawi and Swaziland. The region mainly comprises of young, unemployed individuals responsible for numerous dependents.

Despite economic success witnessed by some African countries like South Africa and Mauritius, others have struggled due to various crises such as the Zanzibar hyper-inflation crisis from 2000-2009 and ongoing issues in Swaziland and Somalia. More than half of African visitors rely on air travel (51%), while road (41%), rail (2%), and water (6%) provide alternative methods of transportation.

In contrast to Europe's extensive transportation networks, easier mobility for tourists in Africa via road trips or bullet trains can provide flexible and interactive travel experiences. Additionally, Europe's high demand for airport capacity created by tourism and business travel supports many jobs in developed and developing countries.Maintaining and developing international air transport connections is imperative for success and efficiency as it enables people to travel for leisure or business to new destinations. This has led to a mass customization of air travel services. Despite obstacles, such as limited accessibility to unique tourism resources in Africa, data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Association of European Airlines indicate growth in international passenger traffic within Europe and to/from Europe in 2005, with a seat load factor of 76.4%. The lack of international and air access has been a major limitation for transmissions in Africa, particularly with regards to national parks, cultural sites, historical landmarks and scenic areas that are only accessible by 4-wheel-drive vehicles and boats. Although this may preserve environmental and intercultural integrity of some attractions, it poses challenges for

tourism operators due to poor internal infrastructure including airports which often have a low standard across African countries. As such, improved road transport systems are crucial for realizing Africa's tourism potential; however careful planning is essential due to the continent's fragile resource base.From luxurious five-star hotels to home stays, accommodation options in popular tourism destinations such as Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, Kenya, Tunisian Tanzania are diverse. In major African cities like Nairobi and Johannesburg, high-end European hotel groups like Hyatt, Sheraton, Accord and Formica (including Southern Sun, Protean Hotels and Serene) dominate the luxury hotel market. For business travelers seeking luxury accommodations in areas like Southeast Africa, Botswana or Zambia - safari lodges and island retreats on the Indian Ocean offer a unique experience. However, consistent quality standards can be an issue for accommodations lacking recognizable brand names. While countries like Kenya or Tunisia have well-established grading systems for hotels; newer rating systems in places such as Botswana or Tanzania may result in operators relying on international brands to ensure consistency of quality - leading to high leakages and repatriation of tourism products. Meanwhile in Europe there is no shortage of world-class hotels with major global brands such as Hilton or Sheraton dominating the market. With standard uniformity across western Europe ensuring that clients receive consistent service delivery regardless of location – examples include Hotel Golden Hirsch along with its 1106 five-star classic hotels located throughout Northern,Southern,and Western Europe.The consistency of tourism in Europe attracts both local and international travelers, including families. According to UNTO, intra-regional arrivals account for 88% of total arrivals in Europe, with the remaining 12% coming from outside the region. Over

the past 15 years, some sub-regions have seen an increase in intra-regional flows. In contrast, Africa's focus is more on international arrivals. Slovenia offers year-round tourism with various attractions such as culture tourism in Lausanne, skiing, sun & beach, and wellness/spas. The UK and Germany are leading European cruise markets that experienced growth in 2005 and are expected to grow further by industry experts. The market penetration rate remains low at only 1%, so there is a growing demand for European cruises. Non-European markets in the Mediterranean are also predicted to contribute significantly to this trend. Kenya has become a mass tourism destination due to its past development efforts despite recent attempts towards promoting sustainable tourism and wildlife conservation initiatives; negative impacts of tourism still outweigh benefits here. Other African countries like Zanzibar offer separate pricing for local and foreign markets across various facilities such as hotels or national parks resulting in up to three times higher prices for foreign tourists compared to local ones.The price difference can be affected by the currency used, as fluctuations in currency exchange rates due to external factors can occur. To prevent a discrepancy from the local price and promote unity between domestic and foreign consumers, it is recommended that US prices are established based on internationally-accepted rates. While restaurants do not have differential pricing, they pay a special tourist tax. In 1998, protests arose against fast food establishments for being predominantly used by local consumers, indicating overlap in spending between tourists and locals. On the other hand, European markets have adopted even pricing in hotels and airfares using the Euro as a universal currency to eliminate discrimination against

tourists and simplify calculations for respective countries' economies. Training for tourism industry employees is similar to other industries with most training done in-house across African countries; however, some individuals who received specialized training transitioned into providing tourism-specific services which was recognized by large travel agents and airlines offering formal training programs while viewing labor loss as an expense. The quality of training in the tourism industry varies depending on ideologies resulting in poor standards especially when dealing with foreign customers.In the importing country, travel agents and tour companies serve as primary links with exporting country's tour companies and hotels. However, there are few integrated companies that operate across both countries. Plenipotentiaries play a crucial role in integrating encounters into the importing market as distributors while also informing companies about consumer demands as marketing agents. African exporting countries have similar intermediaries between foreign agents and local hotels who provide direct services to tourists. Governments shape the tourism industry environment through policies on visas, customs, access to airlines, transport indemnifications infrastructure within countries, taxation, and customs duty rules impacting international industrialization. International entities have policies concerning investment promotion of small and medium industries impartiality towards specific regions or populations affecting all sectors. Health and safety regulations apply to the industry including location preservation of natural resources. Interestingly, tourism stands out with two distinct features: involvement from overspent individuals in planning the industry; however, despite tourism ministries' existence with white papers and plans in place governing the industry often lacks government intervention support.Compared to other developed countries, the tourism industry has relatively weak health and safety regulations. Furthermore, there is currently no official regulation for hotel or service

grading in any country. Mauritius relies heavily on company standards and does not have grading information available. While some countries are considering implementing such a system, Zanzibar abandoned theirs. South Africa had an official system but is now contemplating replacing it with a private one.

In Mauritius, the focus on building more second houses and hotels has resulted in the abandonment of development control mechanisms in specific areas. The tourism sector relies heavily on trust and financial credit, yet there are no specific regulations regarding taxation or credit policies for this industry. In many countries, concerns have been raised about inadequate primary airport facilities for tourism purposes. Johannesburg airport underwent redevelopment twice since 1993 and is currently deemed satisfactory; however, Hares' construction of a new terminal was not done in consultation with stakeholders in the industry and may have been intended to satisfy Air Zanzibar or other well-connected individuals within the construction industry.

Finally, it should be noted that tourism represents a significant user of transport infrastructure in Mauritius.Since 1988, discussions have taken place regarding infrastructure development to address tourism needs in various regions. However, upgrading road systems, airports and sewage have not been given high priority. Conversely, South African Zanzibar did not consider tourism as a significant factor in its infrastructure plans. In both Mauritius and Zanzibar, the government was criticized for limiting capacity of their national airline while protecting it. Prior to the mid-1900s, aviation sectors were prioritized over tourism industries in both Mauritius and South Africa without any revenue or employment contributions basis. Established hotels and companies supported limited access and high prices policy considering air access protection necessary in Mauritius. Additionally, cellular

networks' attendance allowed remote communities to connect with outsiders even in areas lacking fixed-line telecommunications networks thus decreasing travel risks significantly.