Our guest on this episode of the Mwende Bwino Podcast is Rhoda Nuhu, a marketer and hotelier from Nigeria and based in the United Arab Emirates. Rhoda is interested in the development of tourism on the African Continent. Read her article ‘A Case For Promoting Africa Tourism to Africans’.
Rhoda highlights South Africa as a country that has done a great job of promoting tourism to Africans. Kenya and Rwanda are also mentioned.
Here are African countries that Travel magazines want you to visit in 2019.
1.NAMIBIA
Namibia has been featured in 2019 must visit lists for CN Traveller, Travel and Leisure and Architecture Digest.
Namibia has upscale lodges in the desert. Places to visit include Swakopmund (German town).
Airlines that travel to Namibia: Air Namibia national carrier, KLM, South African, Qatar,
2.EGYPT
Egypt has been featured on CN Traveler, National Geographic, Travel and Leisure and Fodors list mostly due to the new Grand Egyptian Museum which was set to open in March but has been pushed back.
The Nile river and the pyramids are places of interest. According to Fodors, with over 5000 years of history, Egypt is on top of many a bucket list and 2019 should be good for travellers with the tourist economy gradually recovering.
3.KENYA
Nairobi has been listed on T+ L and Forbes due to the launch of a direct travel route between Nairobi and New York City.
4.RWANDA
Rwanda made lists for T+ L, Vogue UK, Forbes, Fodors and Afar Magazine. There are now increased flights from the UK to Rwanda. Vogue UK, highlights that visiting Rwanda gives people a chance to see some of the world’s 880 remaining mountain gorillas in their natural habitat
Kigali is worth a visit for the arts scene and genocide memorial.
The Akagera National Park is home to 18 black rhinos, reintroduced in 2017, which means you can now see the Big Five without leaving the country. (AFAR Mag)
5.SENEGAL
Featured in Lonely Planet, Nat Geo, Fodors, NY Times List. Dakar is high on lists because of its arts and fashion scene. Dakar Fashion Week is in June and each year the Saint Louis Jazz Festival is a key event for those who love music.
Places to see include, The Pink Lake (Lake Retba), Goree Island, Museum of Black Civilizations
6.MOROCCO
Appears in Fodors and Lonely Planet.
“There’s plenty of incredible hiking along the way as well as opportunities to meet and mingle with Berber communities still living in the craggy ridges of the Ammeln Valley”- Fodors
7.ETHIOPIA
Featured on Forbes 10 coolest places to go, Luxury Escape etc.
You are given a visa on arrival
In the past two years, new lodges (such as Limalimo Lodge and Lale’s Camp) have opened and flight connections are being added to previously out-of-reach locations like the Omo Valley.
8.African Countries featured on one list
Zambia (Architectural Digest), Mozambique (Nat Geo), Zimbabwe (Lonely Planet), Nigeria (Lagos/ Fodors) , Botswana (Lonely Planet), Zanzibar (Fodors), Uganda (Fodors), Gambia, Sao Tome + Principe, Madagascar, Seychelles, Tunisia, Morocco
Country We are Surprised that didn’t get a lot of recognition
GHANA
Surprisingly, Ghana was only listed by the Washington Post in their ‘whats hot in 2019’ article, but with the country declaring 2019 as ‘the year of the return”, expect to see lots of people from the west heading to Ghana to celebrate.
Key events in Ghana include Afrochella, Chale Wote Festival and Busua Beach Festival (Asa Baako festival).
By Mwende Bwino
Source: thebestofafrica.org
