In Africa, South Africa takes the number one spot as the preferred destination by tourists, followed by Mauritius, Botswana, and Kenya
Ghana is ninth among the top 10 tourist destinations in Africa, but ranked the highest in West Africa, according to a recent report by the World Economic Forum.
The Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2024 released just last month, measures the factors enabling sustainable growth in the travel and tourism (T&T) sector - ranking 199 countries based on factors such as enabling environment, infrastructure and services, T&T resources, and sustainability.
In Africa, South Africa takes the number one spot as the preferred destination by tourists, followed by Mauritius, Botswana, and Kenya.
| Country | Score | TTDI Rank |
| South Africa | 3.99 | 55 |
| Mauritius | 3.98 | 57 |
| Botswana | 3.71 | 75 |
| Kenya | 3.68 | 77 |
| Tanzania | 3.65 | 81 |
| Rwanda | 3.45 | 93 |
| Namibia | 3.45 | 95 |
| Zambia | 3.45 | 104 |
| Ghana | 3.28 | 106 |
| Senegal | 3.24 | 107 |
According to the report, Sub-Saharan Africa has seen significant improvement, with the T&T sector boosting job creation and economic development.
"Sub-Saharan Africa (Africa) has shown the most substantial enhancement in TTDI performance since 2019 (+2.1%), with 16 out of the 19 regional economies covered by the index increasing their TTDI scores," it said.
In 2024, the region had the highest score for T&T Socioeconomic Impact, with the T&T industry in Africa generating, on average, over 21% more jobs with an average of over 43% of the sector workforce employed in segments that are considered relatively high wage.
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Given the region's price competitiveness and natural resources for tourism, there's potential to develop the sector. However, challenges remain.
The report highlights that despite some investments by governments into the sector and unilateral and multilateral strides in policies such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Free Movement of Persons Protocol, and the Single African Air Transport Market, implementation is usually a hurdle - making examples of visa requirements, and aviation growth.
"With the region scoring low for the number and degree of liberalization of air service agreements, this can, in particular, make it more difficult for Africa's already underdeveloped aviation sector to grow. Innovative funding solutions for air, ground, and port infrastructure also need to be found to make destinations easier to access."
Globally, the Travel & Tourism (T&T) sector is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2024, driven by the end of restrictions and strong demand. However, challenges such as uneven regional recovery, labor shortages, and supply-demand imbalances persist. External factors like global inflation, conflicts, and environmental issues add further pressure.
