Browsing: Africa tourism

• Saudi Arabia’s Neom futuristic city estimated to costs in excess of $8.8 trillion.
• Neom features a floating industrial complex, global trade hub, tourist resorts.
• The city, which is powered by 100% renewable energy, is plagued by delays and cost overruns.

Neom, an ambitious fusion of architecture and ecology, is a futuristic city under construction in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk Province. Touted as an unprecedented mega-investment, it serves as a case study for policymakers in Africa, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of large-scale urban development.

According to a recent statement from Neom’s management, the project is set for completion by 2039. The name “Neom” blends the Ancient Greek prefix neo- (meaning “new”) with Mostaqbal, the Arabic word for “future.”

With an estimated cost exceeding $8.8 trillion—over 25 times Saudi Arabia’s annual budget—the new city is among the world’s most ambitious urban projects. Launched in 2017, it spans 26,500 km² and features …

• Rwanda signs investment pact with US comedian Steve Harvey joining a list of countries in Africa tapping Hollywood stars to promote tourism.
• New deal will establish an academic institution in Kigali.
• Steve Harvey to invest in education, health and film in Rwanda.

Tourism in Rwanda is growing and to help speed up the process, the country has signed a deal with a renowned famous American entertainer, Steve Harvey. The move is part of strategies being deployed by African couintries to uniquely market their tourism offering to the world. Kigali’s move follows similar steps taken by Tanzania, which signed a pact with Hollywood star Idris Elba to launch a film studio in Zanzibar, an archipelago in the East African nation.

In Rwanda, the deal was signed at the end of 2024 between the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and BILT LLC, an American company owned by Steve Harvey. In a media …

• Africa’s hospitality sector has matured in ways that not only meet but anticipate the desires of modern travellers.
• By embracing responsible tourism, fostering local community interactions, and providing avenues for health and wellness, Africa is redefining what it means to travel meaningfully.
• Africa’s lower cost of living is making it an attractive destination for digital nomads.

Africa’s hospitality sector has long offered unique experiences and the 2025 travel trends show a continent aligning in unique way to tap changing preferences of holidaymakers from different source markets across the world.

By February this year, an estimated 150,000 European tourists had visited South Africa. The succeeding months look promising as this year’s United Nations Tourism Report says there is increasing interest in East and West Africa holiday destinations by holidaymakers from Europe.

At the moment, tourists from Britain and German are the trailblazers with their changing values and preferences setting the tone …