Menu

Hausse Hospitality, a Lagos-based boutique hospitality firm, has released a report highlighting the opportunities in the travel and tourism sector and the path it offers for African countries aspiring to diversify their natural resource-dependent economies. The new report, titled: Travel Africa: Making a case for Africa’s Travel & Tourism Sector, underscores reasons African countries should invest in the sector.

According to the report, the travel and tourism sector provides an extensive value chain that can generate revenue and other growth opportunities for a country. Developing the travel and tourism sectors in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries will contribute to economic growth, positive marketing and public image, skills readiness and the creation of educational opportunities, and the creation of direct and indirect employment for the young population in the region.

In the latest Mastercard’s Destination Cities Index, Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria, saw 1.5 million international visitors in 2017. The report shows that these visitors, who usually come for business purposes, are now increasingly coming for social and cultural events, to visit family and friends as well as during festive and holiday periods.

The Travel Africa report notes that a nation rises out of poverty when it invests in its people and in its infrastructure. The report, therefore, enjoins SSA countries to invest in infrastructures such as airports, good road networks and alternative power solutions. It also advocates for an educated and ready workforce to work at the airports, hotels, transportation services, restaurants, retail outlets and other industries connected to the travel and tourism sector. The governments should also create enabling environment for domestic and foreign investors.

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), SSA countries generated $30.2 billion from visitor arrivals and $17.5 billion in travel and tourism investments in 2017. Hausse Hospitality reported that these figures only represent 2 percent of what was generated globally, indicating a need to attract increased capital investment and visitor arrivals.

The (WTTC) also reported that the travel and tourism sector accounted for 10.4 percent of global GDP and supported over 300 million jobs, or equivalent of 10 percent of total global employment, in 2017. In the last decade, one in every five jobs created has come from the travel and tourism sector. The sector has also helped to promote developmental and environmental sustainability, youth skills acquisition and cultural exchange.

The benefits of a country’s travel and tourism sector can be seen clearly, as the Hausse Hospitality’s report states. The sector can increase skills, knowledge, employment and cross-cultural understanding. Travel has proven to be an important force for creativity and open-mindedness, as well as global exposure and income generation.

Other reasons building a viable and sustainable travel and tourism sector should be on the agenda of SSA countries include to generate tourism dollar, increase their market share of the travel industry, deepen opportunities for trade and movement, and foster connections with the African Diaspora.

Founded in 2017, Hausse Hospitality provides investment advisory and operational support to clients who have existing hospitality and travel businesses, or are looking to develop new projects. The firm plans to launch Light Continent, an online platform for all things hotels, restaurants, and travel destinations in Africa.