Covid19 lockdown a look into how to promote domestic tourism in Africa.

As we fight Covid 19 lockdown in Africa , we are yet to fight another  economic pandemic of no activity in tourism fraternity.  Africa will be experiencing financial problems revenue that used to be generated from tourism. Generally all tourism in Africa depends on foreign tourists who come from other continents mostly America and Europe.  These continents are being hit harder by Covid19 . What does this one mean it means that even their economies are facing difficulties and jobs are being lost.  People loosing jobs are potential tourists in Africa. For example in America it  is being speculated that only in fuel industry , about 6 million jobs have been lost  or affected.  Where does this one leave Africa. It means we shall be experiencing few  or little business of levels of inflows of tourists we were receiving in African safaris.

Here in Africa our tourism industry has been surviving on foreign tourists.  Now the future is unpredictable of the inflows. Many tours packages that were booked and confirmed are being called and few are being rescheduled. What does this one mean , it tells us that some hotels and lodges will go with empty rooms for quite some time and future is unpredictable. 

Tour and safari handlers call them tour operators  survive on commission what these tourist spend and the difference help tour operators to survive. Tour operators packages are all designed to attract foreign tourists. At any no time have tour operators targeted domestic tourism. 

Uganda countryside

Murchison falls in uganda

Its high time African  safari tourism stake holders meet and consolidate how to harness domestic tourism as we wait for the foreign tourism to come back in full swing. It’s the onus of Park /wildlife authorities call them those who look after national   parks come together with hotel and lodge owners and tour operators call them tour agents  meet and deliberate the way forward. Many countries have tourist boards that are in charge of marketing each country destination . Its high time to promote domestic tourism to fellow country men.