Lagos — The "Obama effect" of a United States president with African heritage and the forthcoming 2010 World Cup are boosting tourism in Africa, industry experts say.

"There has been a shift in the way people look at Africa. Africa is now considered a very serious destination for travellers from the major generating markets," said the secretary-general of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Taleb Rifai at a conference during the just concluded Madrid tourism fair, Fitur 2010, in Spain.

Last week UNWTO said Africa had "bucked the global trend" in tourism in 2009, as it was the only continent to see a rise in the number of international tourist arrivals last year - with travellers increasing by five per cent.

That compared to fall of 4 per cent worldwide, attributed to the economic crisis and the swine flu pandemic.

However Rifai said Africa's share of the tourist market was still only five per cent - or around 50 million tourists from a total of nearly 900 million.

Kenya's tourist board says that the fact that President Obama's father was from Kenya has led to an increase in Americans visiting the country.

Meanwhile the African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA) has said this year's World Cup, which takes place in South Africa, will have an "enormous effect".

"The World Cup is certainly the most exciting thing to happen to Africa, not just southern Africa, all Africans are very proud that it's going to be there," the ATTA's head, Nigel Vere Nicoll, said.