The inaugural Africa Tourism Forum kicked off this week in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. It brought together tourism leaders from over 20 countries forcharting a path for sustainable tourism growth across Africa. Egyptian Tourism Minister, Ahmed Issa, opened the forum, focusing on Egypt’s recent tourism progress, including a record-breaking year for visitor arrivals in 2023. Minister Issa underscored the importance of establishing unified policies to boost intra-African tourism and foster collaboration among African nations.
“This forum serves as a platform for tourism professionals to connect and showcase the unique tourism offerings of Africa,” stated Issa. “Reports indicate that Africa’s tourism sector was the fastest-growing in 2023, a source of immense pride. This motivates us to further strengthen collaborative mechanisms for joint African cooperation and integration, ultimately charting a clear roadmap for the future of African tourism.”
In this regard, Issa attributed Egypt’s recent tourism success to the implementation of their National Tourism Development Strategy. This strategy targets ambitious annual growth rates of 25% to 30%, attracting 30 million tourists by 2028.
On the other hand, Founder and President of the Africa Tourism Forum, Selçuk Meral, expressed his pleasure in hosting the event in Sharm El-Sheikh. Meral stressed the importance of developing tourism across Africa and fostering collaboration between continents.
Further, the Vice President of Egypt’s General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), Yasser Abbas, emphasized the importance of a welcoming environment for international tourists and investors.
Other prominent speakers included Khaled Fouda, Governor of South Sinai, and Yousry El-Sharkawy, President of the Egyptian African Businessmen Association. Both figures underscored the significance of the forum for Africa, reiterating the need for cooperation and investment to unlock the continent’s full tourism potential.
Besides, the Founder of the Rixos Hotel chain, Yasser Abbas, echoed the importance of the Africa Tourism Forum. He personally recommended Egypt as a prime tourist destination, suggesting the country has the potential to attract a staggering 60 million tourists annually.
