How Trump Could Inadvertently Boost African Tourism

As China and Europe cool on American Travel

Here is Story to Watch.

Trump’s Policies Good For African Tourism?

Two stories published last week may indicate that Trump’s policies may indirectly benefit African tourism.

The first story is from the Financial Times, which highlights that the number of European tourists heading to the United States has fallen sharply due to “political and economic tension and fears of a hostile border.”

The chart below from the Financial Times article points this out clearly.

The second story is that the Chinese government issued a travel advisory against its citizens travelling to the United States, citing the recent "deterioration of China-U.S. economic and trade relations and the domestic security situation in the U.S.".

How could this benefit Africa?

When it comes to tourism, Europeans and Chinese are the biggest spenders in the world, aside from the United States. Based on data from UN Tourism, China leads the way by some distance, with $250 billion spent by Chinese tourists.

In the past, the US has also been the largest beneficiary of tourism in the world, receiving $215 billion in 2024 in international receipts, which represents the total money received by a country from international visitors for goods and services.

Total Expenditure by Tourists by Country: UN Tourism Data.

If fewer tourists from China and Europe are planning to travel to the United States due to their unease with the Trump administration, does that not create an opportunity for tourism in Africa?

According to the most recent UN data, Tourism contributes 3.2% of the GDP in Africa, behind the Middle East and Europe. This is actually on the low side, especially when you look at the dollar figures.

UN Tourism data, 2024.

In 2023, tourism brought in $664 billion to Europe, $138 billion to the Middle East, and only $38 billion to Africa. In fact, the United Arab Emirates, with $51.9 billion, brought in more than Africa as a whole (this excludes countries like Egypt, which are counted as part of the Middle East’s numbers).

This clearly indicates that Tourism in Africa is a massively untapped opportunity, especially when you consider the unique value proposition that Africa offers in terms of natural wonders, wildlife, and unique food.

Where’s the Money? What’s the Move? Target European and Chinese tourists — now.

Europeans typically plan their vacations several months in advance, with peak travel generally occurring during the summer months, from June to August.

This means if you run a business in the tourism space, you should ramp up your marketing targeting European travelers right now. It may also be good to highlight that the Euro has strengthened against most African currencies, and so travel to Africa will be much cheaper.

For Chinese tourists, over and above marketing, one way to attract more visitors is to learn from luxury brands.

If you visit high-end luxury stores in travel hubs, you will likely find a salesperson who can speak Mandarin. Catering to language needs can significantly increase the prospect of attracting tourists.

Is this not worth the investment for the tourism industry, especially considering that the Chinese are the biggest spenders on tourism globally?

Perhaps adding a Mandarin translation to your hotel or even Airbnb listing could be a small gesture that goes a long way.

The Trump administration is likely to be much more inward-looking, which means the rest of the world will have to rearrange and reposition. This also applies to tourism value flows.

For Africa, this is certainly an opportunity to gain market share in an industry in which the continent should have a competitive advantage. Africa has a unique value proposition, such as wildlife and natural wonders like the Victoria Falls. Now is the time to make the most of that.

Let’s see what happens. What do you think? If you know someone in the hospitality industry, share this post with them.

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