Africa records 8% growth in tourism

Harare - International tourist arrivals in Africa increased by 8% between January and September 2016 over the comparable prior year.

According to the latest United Nations World Tourism Organisation World Tourism Barometer released on Tuesday, demand for international tourism rebounded strongly throughout the year, while North Africa picked up in the third quarter.

At least 956 million international tourists travelled around the globe during the period, representing a 4% increase from the comparable period in 2015.

After a strong start to the year, growth was slower in the second quarter of 2016 but picked up again in the third quarter of the year, according to UNWTO.

China remained the world’s top source market driving demand, after reporting double-digit growth in spending (+19%).

This was followed by the United States with a +9% growth rate.

Prospects remain positive for the remaining quarter of 2016, according to the UNWTO Confidence Index.

"The members of the UNWTO Panel of Tourism Experts are confident about the September-December period, mostly in Africa, the Americas and Asia and the Pacific.”

Read Fin24's top stories trending on Twitter: Fin24’s top stories