I have attended many tourism conferences and fora across Africa where the agenda is familiar – and often necessary.
Discussions typically revolve around technology adoption, access to finance, investment promotion, air connectivity, destination marketing and brand visibility.
These remain critical pillars of a competitive tourism industry.
Yet the conference I attended in Nairobi, Kenya, this past week was fundamentally different.
It was not about fixing tourism after the fact.
It was about preparing for tourism before the shock came.
That distinction matters, particularly at this moment in global tourism’s recovery and reset.
According to the UN Tourism World Tourism Barometer, 2025 marked a return to pre-pandemic growth patterns, with international tourism expanding by around four per cent globally.
This recovery came despite persistent inflationary pressures and geopolitical uncertainty, driven by resilient demand from major source markets, improved air connectivity and expanded visa facilitation.
Against this backdrop, Africa recorded the strongest regional performance worldwide.
The continent welcomed an estimated 81 million international tourists in 2025 – an eight per cent year-on-year increase, with North Africa surging by 11 per cent.
These results outpaced Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, reinforcing Africa’s position as the world’s fastest-growing tourism region.
Globally, tourism export revenues reached a record USD 2.2 trillion, with international tourism receipts estimated at USD 1.9 trillion, up five per cent from 2024.
The implication is clear. Africa is visible. Africa is growing.
The real question now is whether Africa is ready.
The Global Tourism Resilience discussions in Nairobi focused almost exclusively on sustainability through resilience – the deliberate, structured and strategic integration of resilience into tourism policy, planning and practice.
The essence was simple but powerful: tourism must be future-ready, proactive rather than reactive, and designed to absorb inevitable shocks without collapsing.
This shift in thinking is long overdue
Tourism is one of the most sensitive sectors of the global economy. It responds quickly to opportunity, but it also reacts violently to disruption.
Pandemics, climate events, geopolitical tensions, cyber threats, misinformation, disinformation, fake news, currency instability and labour disputes do not announce themselves politely.
They arrive suddenly, disrupt confidence and, if destinations are unprepared, wipe out years of progress in weeks.
What Nairobi reinforced is that resilience is no longer a theoretical concept or a nice add-on to sustainability.
It is the foundation upon which modern tourism must be built.
At the heart of the conversations – and captured in the conference declaration and communiqué – was the idea that resilience readiness addresses five critical outcomes that ultimately determine whether tourism truly serves national and continental development.
Continuity of jobs
Tourism is a major employer across Africa, particularly for youth, women and informal sector workers.
When shocks hit, tourism jobs are often the first to disappear.
Resilience-driven planning helps destinations protect livelihoods by diversifying tourism products, strengthening domestic and regional tourism, and building safety nets for small operators.
Employment continuity is not charity – it is economic stability.
Sustained economic expansion
Tourism contributes significantly to GDP in many African economies.
A resilient tourism sector cushions economies against external shocks by spreading risk across products, markets and seasons.
Countries that plan for disruption recover faster and continue to grow, while others are still counting losses.
Protection of foreign exchange earnings
Tourism remains one of Africa’s most reliable sources of foreign exchange.
When arrivals collapse, currencies come under pressure, imports become expensive and inflation follows.
Resilience strategies – including diversified source markets, crisis communication frameworks and rapid recovery mechanisms – help stabilise inflows even during turbulent periods.
Africa’s ability to capture a greater share of the USD 1.9 trillion in global tourism receipts will depend on how well destinations convert growth into structured, protected value.
Investment confidence
Investors are increasingly risk-aware.
They look for destinations that understand crisis management, climate adaptation and digital security.
Mainstreaming resilience sends a strong signal that tourism assets – hotels, attractions, transport systems and data infrastructure – are protected and future-proofed.
This, in turn, attracts smarter, longer-term capital.
Destination reputation
In the digital age, perception can shift overnight.
A single incident, amplified by misinformation, can undo months of destination marketing.
Resilience today includes reputational defence – data protection, cybersecurity, crisis communication and narrative control.
Trust is currency, and resilient destinations protect it deliberately.
What makes the Nairobi conference particularly significant is not only its focus but also its legitimacy and global relevance.
Tourism resilience has moved from advocacy to institutional recognition.
Its principles have been embraced at the highest multilateral levels, including endorsement by the United Nations and the adoption of Global
Tourism Resilience Day every February 17.
That alone should tell African policymakers and industry leaders that this agenda is not peripheral – it is central to the future of tourism.
Equally important is the African context.
Africa is disproportionately affected by climate shocks, infrastructure gaps and external economic pressures, yet it remains one of the most resilient continents by instinct and experience.
What Nairobi demonstrated is that instinct must now be matched with systems, research, policy coherence and cross-border collaboration.
Panel discussions throughout the final day reinforced this message.
Experts explored climate adaptation, digital resilience, crisis financing, data-driven decision-making and the role of public-private partnerships.
The common thread was unmistakable – resilience is not built in isolation.
It is a network, a shared responsibility and a continuous process.
For me, the true value of this conference lies in its outcomes.
Declarations and communiqués can sometimes gather dust.
This one should not. It provides a practical framework for governments, tourism boards, investors and operators to embed resilience into national tourism strategies, destination management plans and business models.
As Africa pushes for growth in arrivals, receipts and investments, we must resist the temptation to chase numbers without building shock absorbers.
Growth without resilience is fragile.
Growth with resilience is sustainable.
If tourism is to remain a reliable engine of jobs, income and national pride, resilience must be mainstreamed – not discussed occasionally, but designed intentionally into how we plan, promote and protect the sector.
Nairobi was different because it reminded us of one uncomfortable truth: the next shock is not a question of if, but when.
The only real choice before us is whether we will be ready.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh