Top Tourist Attractions in Africa

Tourism is one of the primary drivers of economic growth and job creation in emerging economies throughout the world (Africa inclusive). International tourists traveling to emerging countries often inject similar amounts of wealth into national economies as private and public sector investments and development assistance from foreign governments. In 2015, foreign direct investment to the African continent totaled $54 billion and official development assistance totaled $51.04 billion, while tourism generated $39.2 billion and created 9.1 million direct jobs within the sector. Therefore, the tourism industry has an increasingly important role in the global economy by contributing to GDP, service exports, and employment.

Africa’s unique history and natural wonders are gaining attention amid the local and global increase in cultural, heritage, and development tourism. Based on analyses of various countries’ governance and business environments, it is clear that numerous African countries present tremendous promise to become or remain vibrant hosts for tourists, investors, and entrepreneurs, which can drive employment for low-skilled workers and economic inclusion for women and youth.

Tourism Opportunities in Africa

A recent World Bank study classified African countries into four performance categories: “pre-emergent,” “potential,” “emerging,” and “consolidating” tourism destinations. The performance of countries was based on indicators such as the ease of doing business; the competitiveness in terms of tourism regulation, infrastructure, and resources; the tourism receipts per long-haul arrivals; the international arrival per head of population; and the forecast of growth in tourism arrivals. The pre-emerging countries, such as Somalia and Sudan, have faced significant security and governance challenges as well as low government commitments to the tourism sector. The potential countries, such as Madagascar, Ethiopia, and Gabon, have shown relative interest and initiative in the sector, but are still facing governance challenges and market limitations. The emerging countries such as, Rwanda and the Seychelles, are prioritizing and scaling up tourism and relatively competitive. Finally, the consolidating countries, such as Morocco, South Africa, and Mauritius, are among the top performers with a relatively mature tourism sector.

Fifteen years ago, the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (renamed African Union Development Agency) adopted the Tourism Action Plan to bring visibility to tourism on the continent. Tourism has since become integral to economic development policies. Several countries recently increased their efforts to advance their travel and tourism industries, including the Gambia, Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania, to accommodate the nearly 62 million annual visitors to the continent. South Africa and Kenya receive the largest amounts of tourism-focused investment at $6.1 billion and $404 million respectively.

While motivations for travel may change periodically, the tourism industry has always been a major economic contributor of jobs and opportunity. Tourism accounts for 10 percent of the world’s jobs and GDP, and generally provides high levels of employment for women and young people. As Africa’s emerging economies begin to shift away from relying on commodities and agriculture and toward boosting their service industries, the tourism industry has become a major focus of national development strategies.

Africa's Top Tourist Attractions in 2021

• Africa is home to some of the world's most beautiful places.

• For this reason, every year, thousands and thousands of tourists take trips to Africa to behold its beauty.

• Black Folks in Diaspora should definitely plan to visit soon if you haven't already.

According to Statista, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, as of May 2021, around 1.04 million international tourists visited Africa. Do you intend to be one of these people soon? The following are Africa's topmost visited attractions:

Lekki Conservative Centre, Nigeria

In the heart of one of Nigeria's most bustling cities, Lagos, away from the usual business of the city, is the Lekki Conservative. It was established in 1990 and has since attracted tourists year after year.

The Lekki Conservative Centre is home to Africa's longest canopy walk. It has a rating of 4 out of 5 from 552 reviews on trip advisor alone. From the canopy walk, thrill, and fun moving up and down your body, you can look down at nature. At amazing trees, the chirping of birds warming your eyes. The people of Lagos, Nigeria, are welcoming people, and the city itself holds a rich heritage.

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

In the beautiful country of Zimbabwe, deep within a rainforest, Victoria Falls sits in splendor. In the local tongue of the people who live around it, Victoria falls translates: "Smoke that thunders."

This seems to be a befitting name for the largest waterfall in the world. Waterfalls from the Zimbabwean Victoria Falls at about 12,800 cubic meters per second, producing the sounds of thunder.

The Victoria Falls area is also home to colorful birds. Note that you may just have to work to stop yourself from taking pictures of this beautiful place! It gets addictive, haha.

Table Mountains, South Africa

A beautiful, flat-topped mountain overlooks the South African city of Cape Town. This mountain is a prominent tourist attraction, pulling up to 4.2 million people every year. These people come to do a number of activities:

- To watch the serenity.

- To hike

- To vibe in cars

- To take rides in the beautiful cable cars.

The table mountain of South Africa is one of the new seven wonders of nature.

It is a safe place to be and is adequately protected. For this reason, many tourists from overseas love to visit there. There are a number of suites and hotels within it. You can have a taste of South Africa's exquisite meals and a feel of the warmth of South African people.

Lake Retba, Senegal

A beautiful and special lake sits deep within Senegal, about 30 kilometres from the capital city of Dakar. This lake is called Lake Retba and also referred to as 'Lac Rou' by the locals. It draws day-tripping tourists from all over the world.

An alkaline body of water, it is one of the few pink-colored lakes in the world. It gets its color from a pigment produced by the bacteria covering it. Lake Retba is one beautify to behold when the sun casts its rays on it. You just cannot see enough of it, and you might have a hard time stopping yourself from taking pictures.

River Nile, Egypt

One of Africa's most magnificent sights is the river Nile. It is one of the longest river in the world, second only to the Amazon river.

The River Nile brings in vast tourist visits every year. Tourists also use the opportunity to see the John Speke monument, the first explorer to find the source of the Nile while visiting the River Nile.

Spanning across ten countries, the Nile is one of the seven wonders of Africa. The Nile area is mentioned in a number of myths and legends. No wonder is one of the most visited places by tourists in Africa. The sun's glare on the river surface is a calming sight.

Sahara Dunes, Morocco

Morocco offers one the safest places to view the Sahara desert. A trip to the Sahara Dunes, Morocco, should be on your list if you are seeking to visit Africa's most beautiful tourist attraction sites.

The Sahara desert, which derives its names from the Arabic noun ṣaḥrāʾ is one of the largest deserts worldwide and is very beautiful. Camels and Nomads are not uncommon sights for visitors. The sand and dunes are aesthetic and look pretty good in pictures.

Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, is by far the highest mountain in Africa and one of Africa's magnificent sights. According to the National Geographic, it is the world's largest free mountain and stands about 5,895 meters (19,340 ft) above sea level.

It's about 4,900 meters (16,100 ft) above its plateau base. Every year, Kilimanjaro draws thousands of tourists who come to see the talked-about Kilimanjaro. It is a part of the Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania and is often studied by geographers and scientists. Hikers will have a great time at Kilimanjaro! Many people visited East Africa, especially Tanzania because of the mountain.

Pyramids of Egypt

These masonry structures are said to be man's greatest architectural accomplishments. They are the only surviving wonder of the world. The great pyramids date back to the 26th century (c.2575-c. 2465 BCE)

They were erected on a rocky plateau on the western end of the Nile River, close to Al-jizyah(Gizah) in Northern Egypt.

According to National Geography, it estimated 2.5 million blocks of limestone, which are said to weigh 2.5 to 15 tons. Its sides are oriented exactly to the north, east, south, and west. The pyramids of Egypt offer a fantastic sight to tourists; visiting them proves to be a life-changing experience.

Lake Abbe, Ethiopia/Djibouti

Lake Abbe, commonly referred to by the name Lake Abhe Bad, is an alkaline lake that lies within the Ethiopian-Djibouti border. It spans about 15km wide and is 14km long.

It is one of the six lakes connected to each other around this hot area and receives water from the Awash River.

It offers soothing scenery and is home to flamingos. These beautiful birds gather around the river, and it's such a beauty to watch.

Sossusvlei Dunes, Namibia

Namibia is a small country in Southern Africa and is home to the Sossusvlei Dunes. In the mother tongue, Sossusvlei translates, "The gathering place for water," but this does not mean the dunes are water. They are normal dunes sand.

The Sossusvlei Dunes are a landform that has developed over the span of millions of years. The view from these dunes is magnificent and beautiful, and tourists will have a lot of fun here.