Tourism in Africa continues to underperform due to low patronage from Africans themselves, the organiser of the annual Akwaaba Travel Market, Mr. Ikechi Uko, has said.
Speaking in Lagos yesterday at the 21st edition of the event, Uko lamented that despite Africa’s vast population, most tourists from the continent prefer leisure and holidaying in Europe, America, and the Middle East, leaving African airlines and destinations to struggle.
He argued that if just 10 per cent of African tourists patronised tourism within the continent, African airlines and tourism operators would thrive.
Uko urged Africans to emulate Americans, who drive their tourism industry from within. “Americans are the engine room of American tourism.
In Africa, we have enough people to create the tourism that we need; that is what gave birth to Akwaaba. We want to make Africans the biggest travellers in Africa,” he said.
While acknowledging that domestic tourism is thriving in Nigeria, he stressed the need for more collective effort. “Our hotels are declaring billions of naira as profit annually. That money comes from within. Every Nigerian billionaire becomes a billionaire in dollars. Africa will be great, and Africa can achieve that through travel and tourism,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of Ibom Air, Mr. George Uriesi, called on indigenous airlines to embrace strong corporate governance, noting that Ibom Air’s success stems from the non-interference of its shareholders, including the state government.