Lack of tourism statistics remains one of the biggest challenges hindering the growth and recognition of Africa’s tourism, despite its vast cultural assets.

This was the view of the President of the Africa International Tourism and Economic Council (AITEC), Dine Bouraima, during an interview with The Guardian on the sidelines of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Nigeria Tour Operators (NATOP), held in Lagos at the weekend.

Speaking at the forthcoming second edition of the Africa Tourism Dialogue scheduled for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Bouaima said the absence of credible tourism data has made it difficult for governments, investors and development partners to fully appreciate the tourism industry’s contribution to Africa’s economy.

According to him, while tourism had the potential to become one of the continent’s biggest sources of employment, foreign exchange earnings and economic diversification, poor data collection and weak statistical systems had continued to limit its growth.

He said: “The challenge of tourism in Africa is that we do not have statistics. This is our big challenge. If you do not get statistics, nobody sees the opportunities.

“Sometimes, even when you have statistics, they are not comprehensive. They may only represent one part of the sector. AITEC is coming to bridge the gap.”

The AITEC President argued that without accurate figures on tourist arrivals, spending patterns, employment generation and the sector’s contribution to national economies, policymakers would continue to ignore tourism in favour of other industries.

Bouraima identified expensive air travel and restrictive visa regimes as major obstacles that prevent Africans from exploring the continent and limit tourism growth.

He also called for more investment in capacity building for tourism operators, media professionals and other stakeholders to improve service delivery and global competitiveness.

He said the Africa Tourism Dialogue was conceived to provide a continental platform where governments, tourism professionals, private-sector players, and international stakeholders could confront the challenges that limit the industry.

The second edition of the dialogue, billed for November 12 to 14, 2026, at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, he said, would focus on critical issues affecting tourism development, including air connectivity, visa restrictions, infrastructure, policy implementation and the relationship between tourism and economic growth.