Many Americans still have limited exposure to Africa and the enormous diversity of places and experiences it has to offer.
American and European Travel Peak- Summer Vacation
Most American and European tourists take vacations in the summer months, which in the Northern Hemisphere includes June, July, and August. Uptick in travel happens these months because students have summer holidays in their school calendars and the weather is better for traveling. Summer for these northern continents also has fewer people celebrating religious holidays than the winter months, which usually draw travelers to family instead of international travel and vacations. Long 3-day weekends for Americans such as Memorial Day (end of May), July Fourth (July) and Labor Day (end of August/early September) give workers a chance to travel without using as many vacation days off work. On the other hand, most major Jewish and Christian holidays, such as Christmas, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Chanukah, occur in the fall and winter. Thus, when businesses are closed on these days, employees are typically spending their time off with family and traveling within the country to return to the same place each year.
Therefore, companies looking to reach American and European travelers for vacations abroad should focus on targeting those summer vacation months of June, July, and August.
A Pulse on American and European Vacationers in 2022
Americans are tired of being cooped up. Whether having grown weary of their small apartments or their entire country, American travel to Europe alone is forecast to be up 600% compared to last year , according to travel insurance company Allianz Partners, who analyzed more than 40,000 trip itineraries (NPR). “The data shows travel is surging — despite high plane-ticket prices — as many countries loosen their COVID-19 restrictions and reopen borders. Analysts say vacation-starved Americans are making up for lost time during the pandemic, and there's even a new term for it: revenge travel.” (NPR’s article defined “revenge travel,” a term making it’s way around the viral meme and TikTok realms, as a “huge increase in people wanting to make up for time and experiences lost to the pandemic.”)
While we are not yet able to look at the full year in review to see if that 600% forecast hols, we do have data from the first six months of 2022. Trip.com analysis of the data of January through June reveals “a huge surge in US travelers flying to Europe, with inbound visitor numbers up by nearly 250%,” which analysts believe is signaling “a return to near pre-pandemic travel levels.”
Why Europe? Bloomberg explains “The euro has suffered a swift and brutal slump this year, and now it’s crossed a major threshold for the first time in more than two decades: parity with the dollar.” Just this year, the US dollar increased by about 14% against the European euro and British pound. Americans not only feel Europe is accessible, in terms of infrastructure, travel times, and English-speakers in the hospitality industry, but now for the first time in 20 years Americans feel their dollar is strong and can go further for their vacation expenses once in-country. Yes, plane tickets have increased and travel overall is not cheap, but after two years of COVD related restrictions on travel, many Americans have more vacation money saved up and are ready to spend it.
And what about Europeans? They are mainly staying within the continent and traveling to spots less likely to be frequented by Americans. Dolev Azaria of Azaria Travel says “her agency is recommending they ‘take full advantage of places like Indonesia, and especially Bali, in its nascent opening season’ as a way to escape the current tourist hordes in the continent's most popular places.” According to Euro Assistance, Ipsos conducted a survey among 15,000 people across 15 European countries and “71% of Europeans intending to travel during the summer, which represents a +14pts increase compared to 2021.” Like Americans, Europeans are planning “higher travel budget[s] this year than they did in 2021, with average levels increasing around +20%,” however unlike Americans this number is still lower than pre-pandemic vacation spending. “Above all, a return to international travel is observed in all the countries: 48% (+13pts) of Europeans, 36% (+11pts) of Americans and 56% (+7pts) of Thais intend to travel abroad this summer. It is particularly the case in the countries where holidaymakers are more used to travel abroad: British (+24 pts abroad), Swiss (+7pts) and Belgians (+7pts) will leave home and head abroad.”
So how is this good news for African tourism? Trip.com’s analytics conducted a survey revealing “American travelers were prepared to dig deeper into their pockets to pay for overseas travel following extensive travel restrictions.” Additionally, the data shows “at the start of this year, the average booking value of trips was on the rise, with spending up nearly a quarter (23%) in February 2022 compared to the previous month.” American travelers are wanting to travel, no matter the costs and value.
One negative factor affecting European travel currently is Russia’s presence in Ukraine and American fear of the conflict possibly spreading or making any European travel risky, in terms of safety and plans staying reliable. The Vacationer conducted a study called ‘Russia-Ukraine Conflict Travel Survey’ and found “Nearly 40% of Americans said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made them reconsider 2022 travel plans…According to the latest census, the 39.5% that say the invasion made them reconsider 2022 travel plans represent 102 million American adults.”
Pair that data with the fact that travel experts are not recommending Americans book trips to Europe, since overcrowding of airports, tourist destinations, hotels, and restaurants are causing more headaches for travelers than they’re worth (CBS News), and you’ve got the perfect recipe for offering an alternative vacation destination: Africa.
The Vacationer’s ‘Russia-Ukraine Conflict Travel Survey’ also identified what Americans are willing to endure for fulfilling their 2022 and near future vacation dreams. Nearly 65% of American adults said there was at least one inconvenience they would allow in order to reach their travel destination in 2022.” This equates to roughly 167 million people. “The most common inconveniences people would endure were paying more money at 26.46% and taking longer to travel at 26.19%.” Especially for younger adults, aged 18-29, traveling on a longer flight or spending more money are reasonable road bumps to satiating their wanderlust. Africa and African travel companies can capitalize on this willingness to travel farther.
MMGY Travel Intelligence likewise conducted its own study on how the war now being fought in Eastern Europe is impacting U.S. traveler sentiment and behavior, surveying hundreds who had planned to visit the continent. It found that Americans are now twice as likely to alter their vacation plans to Europe because of the Ukrainian conflict than due to COVID-19.
Source: MMGY Travel Intelligence
To back up Traveler.com’s survey, 47 percent of people surveyed by MMGY Travel Intelligence said they’re going to “wait and see” how the Ukrainian situation plays out before they make plans to travel to Europe” anytime soon. “33 percent said that it would either likely or definitely cause them to cancel or reschedule their European trips planned for 2022” (Travel Pulse). With direct marketing efforts, those travelers searching for alternative destinations could be targeted and shown an entirely different continent and option, far from the Russia and Ukrainian conflict.
American Express’s survey Travel: 2022 Global Travel Trends Report supports these conclusions too, with results revealing traveler’s desires for new experiences, taking the international jump, and prioritizing vacation and family time over much else. Financially speaking, “86% of respondents expect to spend more or the same on travel in 2022 compared to a typical year before the pandemic,” and “65% of respondents agree they would rather take their dream vacation than purchase a new car.”
When asked where travelers who were taking a “once in a lifetime trip” this year (which 55% of respondents said they plan to do in 2022) planned to go, only 3% said Africa. Of those planning dream trips to Africa, 19% said they most desired to visit Egypt, 16% said South Africa, 14% said Kenya, 9% said Morocco, and 7% said Tanzania. By comparison of desired continents, the next closest to the African continent was South America, which 6% of travelers selected. The others increased in the following way: 11% of travelers chose Oceania, 14% Asia, 15% North America, and 35% Europe.
Source: American Express
How Can We Increase American and European Travel to African Countries?
Considering all of the consumer desires (dream destinations, monumental trips, a willingness to spend more and travel farther, etc.), the time is prime for African markets to target American and European tourists looking for their post-pandemic getaway, their cultural immersion, or their trip of a lifetime.
For example, the American Express survey continues to dive deeper into what it is exactly that travelers are looking for on these dream vacations:
81% of respondents agree they want to travel to destinations where they can immerse themselves into the local culture
81% of respondents agree they want the money they spend while traveling to go back to the local community
62% of respondents agree they want to be more thoughtful about where and how they travel
78% of respondents want to have a positive impact on the community they are visiting
70% of respondents state they are interested in cultural immersion and taking a tour on future trips
Many African tour companies already market directly to these desires, bundling an entire week or two experience for tourists where they take the stress and planning out of the travelers’ hands and lead them on safari expeditions, local cultural tours, and planned philanthropic outings.
However, independent travel is on the rise as well, as internet-savvy young people read endless streams of worldwide travel bloggers’ posts, TikToks, and Instagram posts. More independent travelers are looking to piece together their own more authentic or unique experiences, and this is a niche where African markets can really thrive: they can begin offering smaller experiences of 1 or 2 days or services such as coordinating rental cars or other transportation. In-country travel agencies can expand their options to cater to travelers’ broad interests, write suggested itineraries for different types of travelers, and break down their offerings into parts rather than whole packages. Some travelers may want a half day tour of the market while others may want to piece together a day with a local guide and a cooking experience with a local family.
Another aspect to increasing African tourism is to highlight the diversity and particulars of each region and country. Too often Africa is grouped together as if it were one entity. Countries and regions hoping to draw more tourists should focus on what makes their area unique. While some African countries have developed tourism infrastructure to support more heavily visited places, such as the pyramids of Egypt and Tanzanian safaris, many travelers are looking to get away from high traffic areas. The fact that your country or region’s transportation only runs a few times a day may actually be a draw. True, it can always seem like more flexibility and options when you travel is preferred, and travelers often evaluate a place’s “accessibility” by how often and reliable transportation is, but if travel agencies map out suggested itineraries with reliable transportation planned for the travelers, then that is no longer an issue.
Marketing and Trends
Quartz Africa points out another niche in the market currently being missed by many African nations’ tourism boards and agencies. “Their marketing strategies and accompanying brochures and videos still overlook a growing and lucrative segment: young black travelers from around the world.” A trend referred to as the black travel moment “has seen thousands of African Americans in particular go in search of experiences around the world. As the numbers of increasingly affluent African Americans has grown, more of them have been interested in connecting with contemporary urban Africa, not just safaris. Niche African American travel companies have existed for decades, but a new generation of Instagram-savvy startups is offering experiences curated to black culture, disrupting the tourism industry.”
Quartz articles explore why so much of the tourism industry across Africa is focused on full-package safaris and single big ticket site trips. Considering the highest percentage of travelers to Africa are white baby boomers, with visitors from China quickly gaining, “African governments are creating new partnerships in China and India specifically aimed at making travel easier” for those populations. Many Americans still have limited exposure to Africa and the enormous diversity of places and experiences it has to offer. Without funding from the tourism industry to showcase other options, travelers will continue being drawn for the same reasons and to what they are shown. “Part of the problem is marketing, and who has the budget to spend, explains Cherae Robinson, founder and CEO of Tastemakers Africa. More established tour operators have the money to buy an exhibition stall at global travel shows like the New York Times Travel Show and these are the operators who have historically marketed to white Europeans and Americans” (Quartz Africa).
“Through sounds like Afrobeats and the growing popularity of African textiles in modern fashion, there is a new, more intimate curiosity to discover an Africa beyond the traditional imagery of lions and game reserves” for all tourists. Yet there is especially the potential to tap into a budding market of young African Americans and black Europeans wishing to visit the African continent.
One company is focusing on the Black diaspora community: The Travel Africa Movement ™ (TAM). TAM is a “boutique travel company and community connecting the African diaspora to the African continent.” They advertise that “It’s never been easier or cheaper to travel to Africa and we’re here to show you how. Join us to celebrate the diverse and beautiful cultures, people, cuisines, landscapes, and activities in the 54 countries and island nations of Africa. We offer several group trips per year centered around culture, fun, history, food, people, and community service.”
African Tourism for Africans
Another sector of opportunity in African tourism is marketing Africa to Africans. Quartz Africa reported a survey that found “only 63% of young Africans have ever traveled to another African country, despite wanting to see more of the continent.” Much of the difficulty for travel amongst African nations for Africans lies in “restrictive visa regimes and the high cost of flights between countries,” both of which make it easier for Africans to travel overseas rather than vacation in-country. Advocating for more momentum in movements such as the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, the Single African Air Transport Market, and the African passport would all decrease these barriers for intracontinental African tourism.
Journalist and editor Ciku Kimeria urges Africans, despite these barriers, “to learn more about the rest of the continent than ever before through outlets such as film, literature, and social media, where #jollofwars play out on Twitter, and influencers post stunning African landscapes on Instagram. Increasingly, Africans can finally star in their own travelogues instead of being subjects in them.”
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