Tourism in East Africa after COVID-19
Michael Leonard Douglas
Shift From International To Local Tourism
East Africa is famed for its diverse and unique tourist attractions. Whether seeking beautiful scenery or incredible wildlife East Africa has it. In Kenya, where I’m based, tourism accounts for around 9% of its GDP with an overwhelming 10% of the population solely relying on tourism for their daily bread (Bah & Stanford, 2020). With the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions cut off most international tourism to the continent. Most countries are currently relying on domestic tourism. The GDP has plummeted. The tourism industry is experiencing serious job losses.
Tanzania’s Measures
In Tanzania, the government adopted a different strategy that would end up increasing their GDP. The country was among the first in the world to open its borders and economy. The country’s President, John Magufuli, resisted the push to lock down. On May 18th, 2020, Magufuli opened Tanzania to international flight. As a tourism hub and with other major East African tourist destinations under lock down, Tanzania capitalized on the opportunity and encouraged international visitors.
