South Africa hosted the Tourism Investment Forum with UN Tourism, bringing together investors, policymakers, and tourism leaders from around the world to discuss fresh opportunities in Africa’s travel industry.
Last year, the country attracted nearly nine million international visitors and recorded 47 million domestic trips. Tourism now makes up more than 12% of South Africa’s GDP.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili told the Forum that tourism investment is about more than infrastructure. “It’s about building a sustainable future through education and inclusion,” he said.
New Guide for Investors
UN Tourism and South Africa’s Department of Tourism launched a new guide, Tourism Doing Business – Investing in South Africa. It outlines opportunities, incentives, and priority projects for investors. It highlights the country’s diverse mix of natural and cultural attractions, from Table Mountain to Kruger National Park, supported by modern infrastructure and a welcoming climate for investment.
UN Tourism also released a preview of its new Investing in Africa guidebook, which maps out tourism investment prospects across the continent. It draws on input from both public and private partners to provide key data and strategies.
New editions of the Tourism Doing Business guides for Angola, Cabo Verde and Kenya were announced. These will build on existing guides for South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Morocco, Mozambique, Mauritius and Tanzania.
To help young people gain skills in the tourism sector, UN Tourism awarded South Africa 100 Online Academy Scholarships during the event.
Sessions at the Forum covered public-private partnerships, digital tools, sustainable hospitality, and conservation. The event aimed to link investors with tourism projects across Africa and strengthen the continent’s tourism industry.
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