/PRZOOM - Newswire/ - The Sub-Saharan tourism industry grew at 11.1% in 2006 against 2005 on account of strong government support and lack of other developed industries in the region.

Delhi, New Delhi, India, 05/17/2008 – According to a new report, “Opportunities in Sub-Saharan Tourism Industry”, by RNCOS, the Sub-Saharan African tourism industry experienced 11.1% growth, the second highest growth worldwide, in the international tourist arrivals during 2006 compared to 2005.

The report reveals that tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the Sub-Saharan African region and the main source of earning foreign currency. Besides this, it provides employment opportunities to a large number of people in many countries of the region.

However, Sub-Saharan tourism industry’s present contribution to the global tourism market is very low, says the RNCOS report. Evidently, 3.1% of the global international tourists arrived in the region in 2006. Though the figure seems very low, but it was a strong growth of 11.1% over 2005, making the region the top-most worldwide.

The RNCOS report identifies that boom in the tourism industry is a result of tourism aggressive promotion by the Sub-Saharan African governments due to lack of other developed industries. A perfect example is Zambia, where the government has scrapped the visa fees and is offering incentives to the hotel industry. Consequently, says the report, the Zambian tourism industry experienced an unprecedented increase of 29.9% growth in the international tourist arrivals in 2005 as compared to 2004. Also, it is estimated that tourist arrivals for 2006 jumped by 15.1% against 2005 in the country.

Following the same line, the South African government is also taking every necessary measure to promote its tourism industry, says the report. In view of FIFA World Cup 2010, the government is heavily investing to developing the country’s infrastructure and allotted Rand 3.8 Billion for public transportation system and is upgrading airports.

Apart from Zambia and South Africa, “Opportunities in Sub-Saharan Tourism Industry”, comprehensively discusses the status of tourism industry in other Sub-Saharan African countries like Mozambique, Senegal, Nigeria, and Kenya, including in-depth analysis of current and future trends.

The RNCOS research studies various segments of the tourism industry, like foreign and domestic tourism, spending by domestic and foreign tourists, transportation infrastructure, hospitality sector, role of tourism sector in economy, government support and major attractions in the region.

About RNCOS

RNCOS, incorporated in the year 2002, is an industry research firm. It has a team of industry experts who analyze data collected from credible sources. They provide industry insights and analysis that helps corporations to take timely and accurate business decision in today's globally competitive environment.

Agency / Source: RNCOS

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