Africa’s tourism story is much bigger than safari and beach. Ahead of her session today, Africa Tourism Association CEO Naledi K. Khabo explains where she sees the strongest opportunities to turn that diversity into demand.

For Naledi K. Khabo, CEO of the Africa Tourism Association (ATA), growing travel to and within Africa starts with changing the way the continent is presented to travelers and the trade.

“For too long, Africa has been marketed as a single destination rather than a collection of distinct countries, each with its own story and diverse products,” she says. ATA works across the public and private sectors to build awareness, generate traveler interest and connect destinations with the agents, operators and businesses that sell them.

A central part of that work is broadening the entry points into Africa. Khabo identifies meetings and events, sports, the creative industries, investment and diaspora engagement as priority areas, while contemporary culture remains particularly underrepresented internationally.

“Africa’s food, music, fashion, and art are shaping global trends, yet contemporary culture and diaspora travel remain the two most underrepresented experiences in the market,” she says.

From Afrobeats and amapiano to internationally recognized chefs and designers, travelers are already engaging with African culture, often without connecting it to the destinations that produce it. “Contemporary Africa, with its nightlife, gastronomy, luxury hospitality, and creative scenes, is largely missing from how the continent is sold,” Khabo explains. “That is a gap in packaging, not in product.”

Diaspora travel offers another major opportunity. Khabo points to strong interest among African American and Caribbean travelers, who often stay longer, spend more and seek meaningful connections with the places they visit.

Travel advisors have an important role to play, but destinations need to make the product easier to sell. “Advisors need to understand a destination well enough to recommend it with confidence,” she says, highlighting training, webinars, familiarization trips and regular contact as essential.

Responsiveness matters too. Advisors working with a waiting client are more likely to choose destinations that provide accurate information, clear contacts and quick answers.

Khabo hopes today’s session, which provides a region-by-region guide to the continent’s top travel destinations and activities, gives attendees a practical starting point. “I want advisor attendees to match clients’ interests to specific destinations and experiences and to view Africa as more than a safari or beach destination.”

Turning Fans into Travelers

Sports tourism represents one of Africa’s biggest immediate opportunities, according to Khabo, with major events bringing new audiences to destinations across the continent. But attracting fans is only the first step. “A sporting event brings a traveler to a destination, but how long they stay and how much they spend depends on what is offered around the event,” she says.

By packaging matches with other experiences, destinations can turn a ticket into a broader itinerary and give visitors reasons to stay longer, spend more and return.

Selling Africa: Africa’s New Experiences Unlocked
Tuesday, October 27
12:30 PM – 1:00 PM
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