ABSTRACT
At the June 2020 meeting of African tourism ministers, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Commission for Africa acknowledged that the COVID-19 crisis can lead to an opportunity to encourage and expand intra-African tourism. There was also consensus on the urgent need to work together in designing a continental roadmap both for the response to the crisis and in preparation for the post-pandemic recovery that prioritized the following initiatives: unlocking growth through investment promotion and public–private partnerships; promoting innovation and technology; promoting travel facilitation, including enhanced connectivity and tourism visa policies; fostering resilience, including through promoting safety and security and crisis communications; and advocating for ‘Brand Africa’. This chapter provides a background analysis of the effectiveness of African tourism development prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and then examines how these five initiatives can mobilize resources to help build resilience and sustainability, and the potential areas of opportunity and risk that may benefit or undermine their implementation.
