ITB Berlin News 2020 #2

I REGION I AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST I
© Pankaj & Insy Shah
AFRICA &
MIDDLE EAST
TOURISM YEAR 2019:
Shining Middle East and Growing Africa
2019 was a good vintage for Africa and the Middle East. The
whole African continent saw international tourist arrivals
growing by 4.2% last year while the Middle East remained
the fastest growing region with 7.6% more tourist arrivals.
In the past two decades, international
tourist arrivals to Africa and the
Middle East have grown quicker than
the world average. Between 2000
and 2019, world international tourist
arrivals grew by almost 115%, from
680m to 1,461m. However, Africa
saw its tourist arrivals jumping by
172% during the same period of
time from 26.2m to 71.2m while the
Middle East is the top winner with
total international tourist arrivals
skyrocketing by 185%, from 22.4m
to 63.9m.
In 2019, both regions recorded a
deceleration in growth. While tourist
arrivals had grown by 8.2% between
2016 and 2017, peaking even by 8.5%
between 2017 and 2018, last year's
growth was down to 4.2%.
African countries have been reaping
the benefits of policy changes
to open tourism, which is now
considered an important economic
factor. Many African countries, such
as Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya or
Namibia, relaxed visa policies over
the past two years, with simplified
visa-on-arrival procedures.
Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia also
introduced free-visa schemes
for Chinese visitors. It is thus no
coincidence if North Africa recorded
the highest growth rate in the region,
with arrivals jumping by 9.1% last
year after 14.1% in 2017 and 11.1% in
2018. Long established destinations
such as Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia
have, over the past decade, adopted
open-sky policies, allowing low-cost
airlines from Europe to operate.
By the same token, countries in
the Middle East embarked on
a relaxation of visa regulations,
linked to ambitious plans to turn
their countries into air gateways
for the rest of the world. The UAE --
particularly Dubai -- were the first to
embrace tourism-friendly policies.
This has since been matched by
Bahrein, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and
recently Saudi Arabia. At the end of
last year, the Kingdom announced
new rules for travellers, with e-visa
provided to 49 nations and a relaxed
dress code for travellers. Saudi Arabia
hopes that tourism will contribute to
10% of GDP by 2030
MIDDLE EAST
AFRICA
BRIEFS
8.5% GDP
AND 25 MILLION JOBS:
the contribution of tourism for Africa in
2018 although the market share of the
continent in global international arrivals
reached only 4.9% last year
BETWEEN +4% AND +6%:
This is the estimated growth in international tourist arrivals as
predicted by UNWTO in January for the Middle East in 2020. The
estimation makes once again the region one of the fastest growing in
the world.
ITB BERLIN NEWS • THURSDAY 12 TH MARCH 2020 • 29