East Africa - Tourism Destination Market Insight

East Africa - Tourism Destination Market Insight

Summary

Analysis of destination markets, infrastructure and attractions, as well as risks and opportunities in East Africa. This report explores the types of travelers that visit the country as well as a SWOT analysis.

Key Highlights

• 2021 was a turbulent year for the travel and tourism industry across East Africa. However, it has shown significant signs of recovery, with GlobalData forecasts predicting that overall inbound trips in the region will increase by 149% YoY.
• Domestic trips are also expected to increase by 160% YoY. As such, 2022 will be a pivotal year in tourism recovery. East Africa has the potential to become a competitive tourism destination in the future, providing it gets suitable investment and adequate development opportunities for its infrastructure. This is currently lacking in areas such as Djibouti, Burundi and Eritrea. However, destinations such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Seychelles have been able to carve a space in the niche tourism market through various cultural, eco and luxury tourism products. Nevertheless, the impact on the mass tourism market remains to be seen, and any form of penetration to this area looks unlikely for the foreseeable future.
• East Africa’s key selling point is the wildlife in the region which is under threat. Known as the big ‘five,’ elephants, buffalo, lion, black rhinoceros and leopard are key to attracting eco and wildlife tourism globally. Unfortunately, the numbers of some animals are dwindling, and extensive conservation efforts are required to prevent such species from the threat of extinction. The development of national parks and wildlife tourism has helped support these efforts financially while helping to boost local tourism in the areas. However, this will continue to be a key issue moving forwards into 2022.

• This report is part of GlobalData's Destination Market Insights Series. These reports provide an in-depth analysis of a tourist destination and its key source markets, as well as an assessment of the trends and issues in the covered destination market, in this case East Africa.

• Obtain a clear and detailed insight into new developments in a burgeoning tourist destination.
• Use data and analysis to explore future trends related to international arrivals, airlines, niche tourism, and hotel developments.
• Gain a strong understanding of the opportunities in the market, as well as the risks, to support better business decisions.