📷 Recording of GMI Podcast Episode 12 — a roundtable discussion with Kenya, Rwanda, and Ghana tourism leaders.
In Episode 12 of the GIGS Media International Podcast, we brought three of Africa's sharpest tourism minds into one conversation. The result was one of the most honest, challenging, and ultimately optimistic discussions we have had about where African tourism is heading — and what it is going to take to get there.
Our guests: James Waweru, Head of International Markets at the Kenya Tourism Board; Dr. Claudine Uwera, Director of Tourism Promotion at Rwanda Development Board; and Akosua Acheampong, CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority.
The State of African Tourism in 2025
The numbers are finally moving in the right direction. International arrivals to sub-Saharan Africa grew by 12% in 2024, outpacing the global average. Rwanda received over 1.5 million international visitors for the first time. Kenya's safari circuit continues to be oversubscribed. Ghana's "Beyond the Return" programme — the spiritual successor to "Year of Return" — has generated extraordinary interest from the African diaspora in North America and Europe.
But the headline numbers mask deeper challenges. Most of Africa's tourism revenue is still captured by foreign-owned operators. Hotel infrastructure outside of major cities remains inadequate. Visa complexity — particularly intra-African travel — continues to suppress movement within the continent.
Key Discussion Points
On the diaspora market: All three guests agreed that African diaspora tourism — Africans in the West visiting or reconnecting with the continent — is the single most underserved and highest-potential segment of the market. "These are people who already have an emotional connection to Africa," said Acheampong. "They do not need to be convinced that Africa is worth visiting. They need to be shown that their specific version of Africa — their ancestral home, their culture, their food — is waiting for them."
On infrastructure: Waweru was candid: "The experience inside many of our airports is still not consistent with the marketing promise. We cannot sell luxury safari experiences and then have our visitors land in a terminal that feels twenty years old. The entire journey has to be considered."
On visa reform: The panel was unanimous on the urgency of the African Continental Free Trade Area visa protocols. Uwera pointed to Rwanda's open-door visa policy as evidence that freer movement stimulates economic activity without compromising security. "We have visa-free access for all African passports. Our visitor numbers are growing. These two things are not a coincidence."
What Comes Next
All three guests expressed cautious optimism about the next five years. The convergence of improved aviation infrastructure (new airports in Abuja, Accra, and Kigali are all in progress or recently completed), growing middle-class travel appetite within Africa itself, and the global rehabilitation of Africa's image is creating conditions for a genuine tourism boom.
"The continent has always had the product," said Dr. Uwera in the episode's most quoted moment. "The question was always whether we could build the infrastructure, tell the story, and create the conditions for the world to experience it. We are finally doing all three simultaneously."
Listen to the Full Episode
Episode 12 is available on the GIGS Media YouTube channel, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms. The episode runs 58 minutes and is accompanied by a full transcript on our website for those who prefer to read.
