ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the contribution of tourism in African development. The goal is to assess whether tourism is a viable development strategy for the continent. The analysis focuses on the performance indicators of tourism, namely foreign exchange receipts, employment, government revenues and regional development. The chapter shows that it is difficult to make a definitive assessment of tourism in Africa because the industry has developed on the continent in an unplanned manner. It discusses the development crisis in Africa and examines the failed development strategies. The chapter provides the argument and structure for a detailed study of tourism on development for any African country. It suggests that the complexity of assessing the impact of tourism on a continental scale. The role of tourism in development has become especially urgent because of Africa's declining economic fortunes. Under the dependency theory, international tourism would be seen as an "export" of peripheral economies.
