Despite growing its impact on economies around the world, Africa’s tourism sector has made little progress towards reducing its environmental impact, despite efforts spanning four decades.
Sustainable tourism came under the spotlight during the World Travel Market 2024 event held in Cape Town last week, with speakers highlighting the importance of sustainable tourism becoming a key focus for tourists, operators and destinations alike.
The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that the global tourism sector currently contributes between 8-11% of greenhouse gas emissions with transport (aviation, road, rail and other) accounting for almost half of this.
In Africa, tourism accounts for 7% of GDP, and 7.4% of total job creation. As a sector, its GDP contribution is larger than manufacturing and banking combined, and it creates more jobs than mining and agriculture combined, Geoffrey Manyara, Economic Affairs Officer for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, said…
