Policymakers, business titans, and academics concurred Wednesday after the 2023 edition of the African Hospitality Investment Forum (AHIF) in Nairobi, Kenya, that the continent's tourist industry is on the road to recovery amid the relaxation of COVID-19 regulations.

On June 12–14, Kenya played host to the continent's largest conference of investors in the hospitality and travel industries, which drew an estimated 500 participants from more than 40 nations. The three-day event, which was held against a backdrop of looser COVID-19 travel restrictions worldwide, highlighted the new potential in Africa's quickly developing hotel industry.

Kenya's Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said in his remarks at the forum's inauguration on Monday that the continent's tourist sector is prepared for a rapid post- pandemic recovery thanks to favorable macroeconomic policies, product diversity, and targeted marketing. Following the COVID-19 pandemic dip, the continent's tourist industry is reinventing itself to boost arrivals, according to Mudavadi.

Leading investors in the sector, executives from global hotel chains, service providers, and specialists are among the attendees at the forum, which is also attended by the tourism ministries of Kenya and Zimbabwe.

The forum's organizer, Bench Events' Matthew Weihs, claimed it gave potential investors a platform to learn about undiscovered opportunities in Africa's hospitality sector.

Weihs claims that the continent's travel and tourist industries are poised for growth, supported by investors' faith in a continent that has not yet been subject to significant political or economic upheavals.

Weihs continued by saying that foreign travelers have been flocking to the continent in significant numbers due to the richness of its natural resources, which include wildlife, coastal beaches, and tropical grasslands, as well as the favorable climate and renowned hospitality of its local inhabitants.

According to Pat Thaker, the editorial and regional director for Middle East and Africa at The Economist Intelligence Unit, the hospitality sector in Africa is gradually returning to its pre- pandemic levels, helped by fiscal incentives from the government, a high number of domestic travelers, and investments in new high-end hotels.

According to Thaker, the continent of Africa will gain from the anticipated rise in Chinese visitors traveling abroad. He also said that the epidemic served as a reminder for the continent to strengthen the resilience of its domestic tourism sector.

She advised investors in the African tourism industry to exercise increased caution in light of the risks posed by geopolitical unrest, global inflation, climate shocks, and commodity market volatility.

Africa presently accounts for 5% of global tourism, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), although this percentage is predicted to grow rapidly.

The UNWTO reports that 134 million tourists are expected to visit Africa by 2035, making it the

million visitors returning in 2022 after a high of 69 million in 2019.

Industry executives reached an understanding during the summit regarding the significance of utilizing digital technology, dealing with supply chain difficulties, and diversifying product portfolios to satisfy the needs of young travelers.

Toggle Market, a creator and operator of cross-border multi-tenant supply chain infrastructure, and vice president of Africa Abraham Muthogo Kamau stated the continent's hotel sector stands to benefit from local sourcing and digitization to cut operational costs.

Kamau added that the smooth cross-border travel of business and leisure travelers will benefit the hospitality industry from the African Continental Free Trade Area.