INDIAN TOURISTS REDISCOVER DESTINATION AFRICA

After a sluggish start in the post-pandemic era, the Indian outbound travel market is finally rediscovering its way to Africa as Indian travel trade and travellers alike rekindle their affair with Africa. An unprecedented number of African tourism stakeholders, notably destinations, hotels and travel firms, are also aggressively wooing the Indian market.

- Varsha Singh

In February, after years of discussions and efforts to boost the number of Indian and Chinese tourist arrivals, South Africa finally launched its Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS), which makes obtaining a tourist visa to the country extremely easy and entirely online.

In February again, the north African country of Tunisia participated in India’s leading artisanal fair held each year at Surajkund near Delhi. And, in February, at SATTE, a leading travel trade show, African tourism stakeholders, ranging from tourism boards and hotels to Destination Management Companies were present in strength.

Besides this, there have been roadshows in various parts of India by a number of African stakeholders ranging from tourism boards and airlines to hoteliers.

Africa as a whole seems to have woken up to the potential of the Indian outbound travel market and is now aggressively seeking to enhance its profile as a destination for the Indian travel trade and the travellers alike.

However, it is hardly a one-sided affair as even Indian travel sector is increasingly drawn towards Africa.

Irshad Dadan is Director of One Above, perhaps the largest Destination Management Company specialising in Africa. Dadan himself is an ace Africa hand as he is extremely familiar with the tourism landscape of Africa and how it can best appeal to the Indian travellers. He is totally gungho on the prospects for tourism from India to Africa in 2025.