Tourism: African countries must improve intra-continental connectivity — Expert
By Oluwaseyi Oduneye-Ogunwomoju
Prof. Wasiu Babalola, Director, Africa Travel Commission (ATC), has called for improved connectivity among African countries to unlock the continent’s tourism potential.
Babalola said tourism could not scale when movement between African markets remained expensive, indirect or operationally difficult.
He made the call while delivering the keynote address at the 4th Annual Symposium of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Western Zone.
The symposium had the theme: “Africa for Africans: The Role of Policymakers and Tour Operators Towards Sustainable Destination Management, Growth and Development.”
Babalola said the implementation of continental aviation frameworks was pivotal to tourism development, stressing that connectivity was a key component of tourism infrastructure.
“Tourism is an ecosystem linking policy, mobility, hospitality, communities, technology and commerce. The traveller experiences the system as one journey,” he said.
He urged Africans to participate more fully in creating, owning, managing and consuming Africa’s tourism economy.
“Build products and systems that make Africa easier for Africans to explore. Ask how much tourism value remains within African economies.
“Africa for Africans does not mean isolation; it means stronger African participation in global tourism,” Babalola said.
He noted that international travel demand had remained resilient, but growth was uneven across regions and markets.
According to him, geopolitics, airspace restrictions, climate events and economic shocks could quickly alter travel flows.
He added that fuel, foreign exchange, taxes, charges and operating costs affected the overall cost of travel.
“Safety, affordability, digital convenience, authenticity and responsible tourism increasingly shape decisions,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Olaleye Ajibade, Vice-President, Western Zone, NANTA, said stakeholders must look inward and unlock the vast commercial value of intra-African tourism.
Ajibade said Africa had successfully marketed its tourism destinations to the rest of the world for decades, but had failed to market the continent adequately to Africans.
“With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, intra-African travel still accounts for less than 30 per cent of regional tourism traffic.
“This is not merely a potential gap; it is a critical business gap that demands immediate, coordinated action.
“Africa is not short of products; our continent offers an extraordinary tapestry of world-class destinations spanning every region,” he said.
The NANTA vice-president identified weak regional integration, poor connectivity, restrictive visa policies and fragmented cross-border marketing efforts as major challenges to intra-African tourism.
“I am optimistic that at the end of this symposium, intra-African tourism will experience massive growth and development, while necessary policies will be implemented to foster seamless travel and boost the sector,” he said.