If you like it or not, Africa is about to become the new trendy travel destination. According to the latest rumor from the World Tourism Organization, Africa is receiving a boom of tourists, while the rest of the world is experiencing the opposite. In fact, the actual numbers say that Africa’s tourist arrivals for 2009 was 5% higher than the previous year, while the total amount of travelers in the world was reduced by 4%. Thus, Africa seems to be on a good track. And why exactly is that? Well, the experts have agreed: Obama and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The Obama Effect
This is a really weird concept, but it seems like the heritage of the world’s new superstar president has actually affected the way we travel. At least for some. Already immediately after he won the election, the first Obama Safaris, Obama Heritage Tours and other Obama Packages started appearing on the market. Supposedly they sell extremely well, especially amongst African Americans who wish to see the village where his ancestor lived and grandmother still lives.
But for African Americans it is not only Obama’s heritage that is the attraction. A trend that seems to make far more sense (to me), is tourists who travel to visit their own origins. Genealogy tests have become very popular in the USA, with 35 000 tests each year done by African Americans. The purpose of the test is to find your ancestral origin in Africa. And as soon as you have that knowledge, I can surely understand that the next step is to travel there.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup
It is nothing shocking about the fact that the Football World Cup in South Africa will attract large hordes of travelers. Two million tickets have already been sold, and one million more should sell before June. A big share of these tickets are naturally bought by South African citizens, but there are also large numbers of Americans, British, Australian, German, Mexican and many many more.
So if you’re traveling to the Sub-Saharan Africa in 2010, you are part of an increasingly larger crowd, that many hope will help bring income, jobs and opportunities to countries that desperately needs it. Just remember to travel Africa responsibly!
