Africa’s Eden, with JLL and the World Travel & Tourism Council, has released a comprehensive new roadmap for four Southern African countries to sustainably grow their underdeveloped tourism sectors by focusing on aspects such as infrastructure development, policy renewal, enhanced data gathering and diversification of product offerings.
Derived from JLL’s Tourism Readiness Index – a framework that analyses more than 70 indicators to evaluate destination readiness to service future tourism demand – the roadmap covers Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Each country is ranked in terms of the pillars of scale, leisure tourism, business tourism, urban readiness, environmental readiness, safety and security, and policy and prioritisation.
Common areas in need of improvement across all four countries include:
- Diversification of tourism beyond traditional wildlife tourism hotspots to encompass natural, cultural and heritage attractions
- Addressing seasonality to develop year-round appeal
- Improving transportation infrastructure and enhancing air connectivity
- Developing comprehensive sustainability strategies
- Improving visa policies to increase accessibility
- Strengthening MICE offerings
The report recommends the development of a geographic distribution strategy for Botswana to reduce pressure on iconic destinations such as the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park and the Makgadikgadi Pans. Recommended focus areas include key sites in Gaborone and the Kasane-Kazungula Redevelopment Project in the far North West.
Namibia is urged to focus on expansion beyond traditional safari and adventure experiences by developing “distinctive products that showcase the country’s cultural heritage, rich history, cruise opportunities, film production capabilities and signature events”.
Opportunities identified in Zambia include strategic investment in mid-range and budget accommodation, development of Lusaka as a MICE hub and expansion of tourism facilities around Lake Tanganyika to include sports, health and wellness offerings.
Recommendations for Zimbabwe include the creation of integrated products that leverage the nation’s rich cultural assets and enhanced investment in storytelling, accommodation and high-quality tourism facilities in the country’s five UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Victoria Falls, Great Zimbabwe, Mana Pools, Khami Ruins and Matobo Hills).
The report highlights that UNESCO World Heritage Sites are underutilised assets across all countries.
Africa’s Eden CEO Jillian Blackbeard stressed the need for enhanced data-gathering capabilities from national tourism authorities.
“The process of developing the index revealed the challenges of fragmented or inaccessible data and it took longer than expected precisely because information was often unavailable or siloed. If we are to create a sustainable, competitive and inclusive tourism economy, we must ensure that data collection, sharing and transparency become priorities across our industry.”
Click here to view the full Africa’s Eden Tourism Readiness Index.
