MARKET TRENDS
Tourism has become the world’s single largest industry, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); in 2006, world tourism receipts exceeded $700 billion. Africa’s tourism grew by nearly 10 percent in 2005, outpacing the world average of 5.5 percent, according to a report by the UNWTO. There is some disparity in the numbers that should be recognized for Africa as a whole. Much of the recent tourism growth has been in sub-Saharan Africa, which is the lower three quarters of the continent, south of the Sahara Desert. Based on UNWTO world tourism receipts numbers, sub-Saharan Africa received $14.5 billion—more than twice as much as the $7 billion received by North Africa. Improving infrastructure, safety, air travel and appealing to a more diverse tourism audience are just a couple of things Africa will have to do in order to continue its growth.
Source: www.unstats.un.org
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