Due to the 30 January 2017 decision to allow Morocco to rejoin all independent African countries are now members of the African Union.
The 55 participants are divided into five geographical areas (North, South, West, East and Central).
The sixth region, the diaspora, was established in 2003 to promote participation among Africans with roots outside the continent.
In addition, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with 15 members, is the region with the most nations.
With an estimated 350 million residents in 2015, it is also the region with the highest population.
More than half of West Africa’s population resides in Nigeria.
By 2050, it is projected to surpass China and India as the third most populated nation on Earth.
Eight regional economic communities are acknowledged by the African Union (UMA, COMESA, CEN-SAD, EAC, ECCAS, ECOWAS, IGAD and SADC).
They are integral to the operations of the African Union and act as its foundation.
ECOWAS is one of the continent’s top-performing economic regions despite numerous obstacles.
Africa is the world’s second-largest and most-populous continent, after Asia occupying 20% of the planet’s land area totalling 30.3 million km2, or 6% of its surface area. As recent as 2021, it has 1.4 billion inhabitants or nearly 18% of all people on Earth.
For many African nations, tourism is a crucial economic sector.
Numerous nations, including Uganda, Algeria, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Gambia, Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Tanzania, greatly profit from tourism. Lately, countries like Senegal and Sierra Leone are also attracting visitors.
The diversity and abundance of the continent’s landscapes, areas of interest, and rich cultural legacy make it unique from other tourist destinations.
In several African nations, there is also an ecotourism business.
Successful tourist destinations include Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, and Tunisia.
Kenya, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and Mauritius are examples of nations that consistently and steadily earn money through tourism.
Countries with little to no economic advantage from tourism, like Algeria and Burundi, would like to see it grow.
The prosperous nations in the tourism industry are doing so for several reasons.
The attractive beaches and proximity to Europe are advantages for nations like Morocco and Tunisia.
Egypt’s tourism industry is founded on the country’s rich history, pyramids, treasures, and stunning Red Sea beaches.
Wild safari excursions provide tourists with Africa’s wildlife, which benefits South Africa and Kenya.
We can, therefore, boldly say, COME TO AFRICA.
African Tourism Conference and Dinner/Award Night
According to IBISWorld, the global tourism industry has experienced steady growth over five years, from 2012 to 2017. The global tourism market research report of June 2017 showed the tourism industry globally was worth $2trillion in profit with an annual growth of 3.3 per cent. It generated about 61,978 employments.
International tourist arrivals continue to grow as global per capita income increases, and consumer sentiment improves. The industry is expected to grow in the coming years as the global economy strengthens.
The report also revealed that emerging economies, including African markets, accounted for a much-improved tourism industry share. The mobilization and packaging of unique locations and activities for visitors to experience and admire are increasingly becoming an expanding source of income for many countries across the globe.
African Travel Club was established in 2014 as an online travel club with more than 5,000 members from over 50 countries with its Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn platforms.
The African Travel Club members will stage an annual tourism conference with Come To Africa magazine. The event will bring together about 200 participants and provide priceless opportunities for people to network and do business with political and business icons from several subfields in the African tourism market. It will always be a weekend of music/entertainment plus an award/recognition and tourism exhibition.