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Advertise in our 3 Travel, Trade and Economic Development Magazines   Will Africa become the tourism destinationof the future for African-American travelers and investors? by David J. Saunders The emergence of travel and tourism opportunities to the Continent of Africa is good news for the savvy African-American traveler. Recent trends indicate that today's African-American traveler wants a more enriching experience than what is typically offered by the conventional "sun and sea" vacation. African-Americans are becoming more aware of the fact that the Continent of Africa offers a wide diversity of people and environments which is unequaled by any other region on earth, from its fantastic wildlife and natural landscapes to its fascinating cultural and historical heritage. Unfortunately, the travel and tourism industry has not yet devoted a significant levels of interest and marketing effort to encourage the African-American traveler to consider all that the African Continent has to offer. Poised for growth According to 1998 world tourism figures, Africa attracted only four percent of the 626 million international tourist arrivals recorded, and received only 2.2 percent of the US $445 billion spent globally by tourists. Fortunately, that share of the international travel and tourism industry is expected to grow considerably within the first decade of this new millennium. Marketing Travel in the New Millennium The African American Mega Market “Like a great book has many "chapters" -- some large, some small, local chapters are the heart and soul of ATA. African Americans are the backbone of our chapters in the USA.” Jerry W. Bird, Editor (see below) In fact, the travel and tourism industry is projected to become Africa's most attractive sector for foreign direct investment during the next five years, according to the 1999 World Investment Report issued by the United Nations Conference on Trade and development. This forecast was based on the results of a survey of 44 African investment promotion agencies which showed that from 1996 to 1998 tourism was ranked third behind the telecommunications and agri-business industries that received considerable foreign direct investments. Encouraging facts in Tourism's favor Moreover, it is a little known fact that the travel and tourism industry is the only major sector in international trade in services in which developing countries recorded surpluses. This positive balance in their travel and tourism account improved from an mount of US $6 billion in 1980 to US $62.2 billion in 1996, according to United Nations' statistics. The world Tourism Organization currently ranks the African Continent as one of the fastest growing destinations for international tourists. International tourist arrivals rose in Africa from 7.5 percent in 1998 to US $24.9 million (from $23.2 million), while receipts jumped 5.9 percent from US $9 billion to $9.6 billion. Tourism organizations, tour operators, governments, hotel groups, airlines and other service-related providers in Africa are now joining forces to ensure that the continent is put firmly on the map as one of the world's premiere travel and tourism destinations. A pattern set by Caribbean Tourism In fact, there is an international trend towards the establishment of tourism and marketing strategies much like what was done for African-Americans with regard to the travel and tourism industry of the Caribbean Islands. Interrelated travel and tourism indicators and trends strongly point towards a thriving business opportunity for investors in the travel and tourism industry on the continent of Africa. Consequently, many African tourism ministries are working with a number of international organizations and governments to develop their tourism research master plans. African countries are also cooperating on a regional level to attract international tourists and investors with a focus firmly on the more affluent foreign traveler rather than cheap charters and the potential for returns on their investments are very attractive. It is a strategic partnership that will stretch beyond Africa's borders but the question is how will African-Americans benefit from this increased investment opportunity? David J. Saunders (continued) Marketing Travel and Tourism African Americans- Africa's Mega Market in the USA by Jerry W. Bird The longer I remain on the cutting edge of travel to Africa from the USA, Canada and the Caribbean, the more I appreciate how vital the African American Market is to our success as the Africa Travel Association's official magazine. I'll point to some powerful and timely statistics, but let me begin by getting personal. It's a real eye opener, heart warmer and soul lifter to visit Africa several times each year with my many African Americans friends. What joy to share the thrill as they discover their historic roots, explore exciting new tourism destinations and enter an ever-expanding world of business, investment and networking opportunities. The fact that most of our readers and web site visitors are Travel Agents and Tourism Professionals is a huge plus. This means that the more they get to know about Africa through our magazine and web site, annual congresses, ecotourism symposia, ATA chapter seminars and events, the greater Africa Travel Magazine's reach and influence will be. One active, effective travel agent can represent several thousand consumers -- that's what an influential readership means. A key indicator is the popularity of Africa Travel Magazine Online (www.africa-ata.org) with page views soaring every month. Combined with our print circulation, the mail boxes are overflowing. It's truly a win, win situation. Did you know? The African American population in the USA now exceeds 35,000,000, representing over 12.7 % of the total. Almost half (43%) are homeowners, and nearly one quarter (23%) hold Bachelor's degrees or higher from US. Universities. As consumers, African Americans spend over $500 billion annually, or an average per household of $23,442. Their purchases will include around $33 billion on new automobiles and close to $4 billion on consumer electronics. African Americans are no longer rural; 85% live in urban centers, mostly the top 20 metro areas. The African American median age is 30, some 6 years younger than the total US population. Source: US Census . E-mail for more background on Black Buying Power in the USA.   Organization of Africans in the Americas (OAA) Description on : http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/6876/ Write: 1234 Mass Ave, NW, Suite C-1007 Washington, DC 20005, Tel: 202-638-1662 Fax: 202-638-1667