Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 - the Southern/East African countries!

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released the biennial Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR) 2019. It benchmarks the Travel & Tourism (T&) competitiveness of 140 economies and measures the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the T&T sector, which in turn, contributes to the development and competitiveness of a country.
Spain tops the 2019 edition of the TTCR global rankings for the third consecutive year, followed by France (#2) and Germany (#3). Japan, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Canada and Switzerland complete the Top 10.
The island of Mauritius is the highest-ranked Sub-Saharan African country in the Index on position #54 (regional #1). South Africa (#61, #2), which topped the previous regional ranking and fell eight places on the Index since 2017, is ranked second. The largest T&T industry in Sub-Saharan Africa is followed by the Seychelles (#62, #3), Namibia (#81, #4) and Kenya (#82, #5).

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South Africa (global #61, regional #2):

• positive: 
• the largest T&T industry in Sub-Saharan Africa
  
• most significant advantage is its combination of natural (15th) and cultural resources (23rd)
• boasts a decent business environment (57th)
• beats regional benchmarks regarding human resources and labour (81st), 
• beats regional benchmarks regarding ICT readiness (75th)
• beats regional benchmarks regarding overall infrastructure (60th) 
• increased number of world heritage sites (16th to 13th)  
• upward revision for protected land (100th to 74th
  

• negative:
• one of the worst safety and security environments (132nd) in the world 
• plagued by high homicide rates (135th),  
• significant impact of crime on business (131st) 
• increasing fears of terrorism 
• poor health and hygiene conditions (113th) 
• scores low on the Environmental Sustainability pillar (124th)  
• significant deforestation (124th) 
• declining environmental enforcement and regulatory stringency (46th to 66th)
• declines in the attractiveness of its natural assets (6th to 32nd) 
• worsening business environment (30th to 54th) 
• impact of taxes on incentives to work and invest (48th to 78th) 
• Government prioritization of tourism  slipped from 40th to 75th  
• apparent reduction on marketing effectiveness (40th to 60th) 
• apparent reduction on overall country brand strategy (5th to 23rd)
•  declining quality of tourist service infrastructure (6th to 32nd) 
• lower level of primary education enrollment 
• broad drops in training and customer orientation metrics
  

• conclusion: 
• If the South Africa can maintain its lead on natural and cultural resources and infrastructure, and reverse recent losses in areas related to enabling environment — particularly indicators on safety — it will be able to remain one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s key tourism economies.

Southern & Eastern African countries in the Travel &Tourism Competitiveness Report and Index 2019*:

01. Mauritius (global #54)
02. South Africa (#61)
03. Seychelles (#62)
04. Namibia (#81)
05. Kenya (#82)
06. Cape Verde (#88)
07. Botswana (#92)
08. Tanzania (#95)
09. Senegal (#106)
10. Rwanda (#107)
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12. Uganda (#112)
13. Zambia (#113)
14. Zimbabwe (#114)
16. Eswatini (#118)
18. Ethiopia (#122)
20. Lesotho (#124)
21. Malawi (#125)
23. Mozambique (#127)
29. Angola (#134)

Namibia has the best roads in Africa!

According to the Global Competitiveness Report 2017/18 by the World Economic Forum (WEF), Namibia has the best roads in Africa and the 31st best roads in the world with a score of 5.2 out of 7.0 (1 = extremely poor - among the worst in the world; 7 = extremely good - among the best in the world). 

Rwanda also scored 5.0/7.0, but the WEF ranked the country on 32nd position hence as the country with the second best road quality in Africa. Eswatini/Swaziland (4.7/7.0) has the continents third best roads (global rank 39), followed by regional powerhouse South Africa (4.4/7.0; global rank: 50).

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The Global Competitiveness Report is a yearly report published by the World Economic Forum. The report ranks countries based on the Global Competitiveness Index, which integrates the macroeconomic and the micro/business aspects of competitiveness into a single index. The Global Competitiveness Index 2017-2018 presents a framework and a corresponding set of indicators in three principal categories (subindexes) and twelve policy domains (pillars) for 137 economies.

Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017 - the Southern/Eastern African countries

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released the biennial Travel &Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017. The report, which features the latest iteration of the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), measures "the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the travel and tourism sector, which in turn, contributes to the development and competitiveness of a country" [src.]. The 2017 TTCI benchmarks the T&T competitiveness of 136 economies. It comprises four subindexes, 14 pillars and 90 individual indicators.

Spain tops the 2017 edition of the TTCI global rankings for the second time, followed by France (#2) and Germany (#3). Japan (gaining five places compared to 2015), the United Kingdom, the USA (loosing two places), Australia, Italy, Canada (up one) and Switzerland (loosing four places) complete this year's top 10.

South Africa is the highest-ranked Sub-Sharan African country in the Index on position #53 (regional rank #1; loosing five places on global level), followed by Mauritius (#55 | #2), Kenya (#80 | #3) and Namibia (#82| #4).

The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017

The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index measures "the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the travel and tourism sector, which in turn, contributes to the development and competitiveness of a country".

South Africa (global #53 | regional #1)

positive:

• continues to rely on cultural resources (19th), strong natural resources (23rd), and a conducive business environment (21st), characterized by minimal red tape and modest administrative burden
• labour market remains inefficient (118th), but there has been some progress in this area: it ranked 135th two years ago
• improved price competitiveness (43rd) by reducing tickets charges, taxes and hotel prices

negative:

• tourism competitiveness has deteriorated on two elements — safety and security (120th) and environmental sustainability (117th)
• Fears of terrorism and an increased sense of insecurity related to crime make tourists less light-hearted about travelling in the country
• With 33 homicides per 100,000 people, South Africa has one of the worst homicide rates in the index, ranking 131st
• deforestation and loss of habitat have proceeded at a rapid rate since 2000. The global interest and demand for South Africa’s natural resources is increasing, but insufficient habitat preservation could prevent the country from benefitting from this growing source of tourist attraction
• reduced efforts made by the government to support the tourism sector (59th)

Although spending has remained unchanged, marketing campaigns have been perceived as effective (40th).
To foster its tourism sector, South Africa could also implement more open visa policies (71st) and service trade agreements (91st).

Namibia (#82 | #3)

Namibia loses 12 positions this year, resulting partially from statistical adjustments such as the inclusion of previously unavailable deforestation figures, which have significantly reduced the sustainability performance of the country.

positive:

• natural resources (40th), its business environment (38th), air transportation (58th) and price competitiveness (30th) sustain Namibia's competitiveness as the country slowly continues to increase international arrivals

negative:

• Namibia has lost a considerable portion of its forest since the early 2000s (127th) and its water resources have deteriorated
• re-assessment of car rental services (72nd) and the diffusion of ATMs have resulted in a lower performance of Namibia's tourism service infrastructure (73rd).

Namibia still needs to improve its health and hygiene (117th) and under-appreciated cultural resources (127th), and renew focus on its inadequately qualified human resources (106th), which remain the main bottlenecks toward a faster development of the T&T sector in the country.

Tanzania (#91 | #6)

positive:

• home to one of the most impressive concentration of natural resources (8th) and wildlife globally, with its rich variety of landscapes, ranging from Mt. Kilimanjaro to its coastline and Zanzibar
• price-competitive destination (34th) where the government plays an active role in promoting the T&T sector (45th)
• enormous untapped potential
• Cultural resources (86th) could be nurtured to better complement the natural and safari tourism offer.  progress in the country’s infrastructure, particularly air (106th, up 10 places) and ground transport (102nd, up 18 places)

negative:

• international arrivals have flattened since 2012, when the country welcomed 1 million international visitors
• remains largely underdeveloped
• tourism service infrastructure (103rd) and, specifically, the hotel reception capacity, remain low (119th). Tanzania's business environment (102nd) is still characterized by slow and costly processes to start a business or obtain construction permits
• Health and hygiene conditions (125th) are also improving very slowly
• the uptake of ICTs technologies is proceeding at a slower pace than in other countries (121st)
• particularly low increase in mobile broadband subscriptions.

Despite its immense potential, Tanzania still has important gaps to fill to fully leverage the T&T sector as a mean to increase its living conditions.

Southern & Eastern African countries in the Travel &Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017*:

1. South Africa (global #53)
2. Mauritius (#55)
3. Kenya (#80)
4. Namibia (#82)
5. Botswana (#85)
6. Tanzania (#91)
7. Rwanda (#97)
8. Uganda (#106)
9. Zambia (#108)
10. Zimbabwe (#114)
11. Ethiopia (#116)
12. Madagascar (#121)
13. Mozambique (#122)
14. Malawi (#123)
15. Lesotho (#128)
16. DR Congo (#133)
17. Burundi (#134)

*Angola, Seychelles and Swaziland are not covered this time due to insufficient data.

Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015 - the Southern/Eastern African countries

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released the biennial Travel &Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015. The report, which features the latest iteration of the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), measures "the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the Travel & Tourism (T&T) sector, which in turn, contributes to the development and competitiveness of a country." The TTCI benchmarks the T&T competitiveness of 141 economies. It comprises four subindexes, 14 pillars, and 90 individual indicators.
Based on the TTCI, the report reveals that Spain, France and Germany lead the world in terms of travel and tourism competitiveness. The United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Italy, Japan and Canada complete the this year's top 10.
South Africa is the highest-ranked Sub-Sharan African country in the Index on position #48 (regional rank #1), followed by the Seychelles (#54|#2), Mauritius (#56|#3), Namibia (#70|#4) and Kenya (#78|#5).

South Africa (global #48 | regional #1)

• positive: rich natural and cultural resources, positive business environment, relatively good infrastructure compared to neighboring countries, still reaping the benefits of the 2010 World Cup (several sport stadiums that can host significant entertainment events), several association meetings taking place in the country, abundant wildlife, severeal World Heritage Sites, ranked 24th in online searches for nature-related activities, attention to forestry, attention to participation in international treaties
• negative: further efforts should be taken to protect coastlines, further efforts should be taken to protect biodiversity, further efforts should be taken to protect land, development needed in terms of security, development needed in terms of health, development needed in terms of labour market, visa policy ("In addition, South Africa’s visa policy (where the country currently ranks 67th) is poised to become more stringent with the imposition of new immigration laws that also impact visitors, this could certainly harm South Africa’s T&T competitiveness going forward." [The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015, p.22])

Seychelles (#56 | #3)

• positive: safe environment, business-friendly environment, qualified human resources, a ground and tourist service infrastructure that can adequately transport and receive the almost 1 million tourists visiting the country annually
• negative: air transport infrastructure is somewhat less developed, balancing infrastructure development with conservation is becoming more challenging (a high share of species under threat and limited protected areas), greater attention to all aspects of environmental conservation could be beneficial

Kenya (#78 | #5)

• positive: natural resources, high number of online searches for natural tourism, home to many species, home to many UNESCO heritage sites, Kenya invests approx 7% of its budget in tourism, Kenya has carried out an effective marketing campaign, environmental sustainability is an area of strength
• negative: main areas of improvement are security, health and hygiene, ICT readiness

Botswana (#88 | #7)

• positive: natural resources, strong price competitiveness advantage, a relatively conducive business environment, better safety and security levels than many peers
• negative: ground transport and air and tourist service infrastructures need significant upgrades, rich cultural resources are not well leveraged, country branding is relatively poor

Southern & Eastern African countries in the Travel &Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015:

1. South Africa (global #48)
2. Seychelles (#54)
3. Mauritius (#56)
4. Namibia (#70)
5. Kenya (#78)
6. Botswana (#88)
7. Tanzania (#93)
8. Rwanda (#98)
9. Zambia (#107)
10. Swaziland (#108)
11. Uganda (#114)
12. Zimbabwe (#115)
13. Ethiopia (#118)
14. Madagascar (#121)
15. Malawi (#126)
16. Lesotho (#129)
17. Mozambique (#130)
18. Burundi (#135)
19. Angola (#139)

Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013 - the Southern/Eastern African countries

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released the biennial Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013. The report assesses 140 economies worldwide based on the extent to which they are putting in place the factors and policies to make it attractive to develop the travel and tourism sector. Based on the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), the report reveals that Switzerland, Germany and Austria lead the world in terms of travel and tourism competitiveness. Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Canada, Sweden and Singapore complete the this year's top 10.
The Seychelles is the highest-ranked Sub-Sharan African country in the ranking on position #38 (regional rank #1), followed by Mauritius on rank #58 (#2), South Africa on rank #64 (#3), Namibia on rank #91 (#4), Botswana on rank #94 (#7) and Kenya on rank #96 (#8).



South Africa (regional ranking #3 - overall ranking #64)

• positive: natural resources, cultural resources, creative industries, many international fairs and exhibitions, infrastructure (air, road, rail), policy rules and regulations
• negative: safety and security, level of health and hygiene (incl. impact on human resources, workforce), increase of fuel prices, increase of ticket taxes, increase of airport charges

Namibia (#5 - #91)

• positive: rich natural resources, focus on environmental sustainability, ground transport infrastructure
• negative:  to costly & time comsuming to start a business, health & hygiene, human resource base

Botswana (#7 - #94)

• positive: natural resources, price competitiveness, policy environment
• negative: Air Service Agreements not rewarded as open, much time is needed to start a business, transport infrastructure, information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, low hotel room concentration, limited presence of international car rental companies, low ATM density, health & hygiene (esp. health of workforce)

Kenya (#8 - #96)

• positive: natural resources, tourism recognised as priority, strong focus on environmental sustainability,
• negative: policy environment (esp. property rights), high costs to start a business, infrastructure, human resource base, security situation

Other rankings:

• Rwanda - regional #9 - overall #105
• Zambia - regional #11 - overall #108
• Tanzania - regional #12 - overall #109
• Uganda - regional #13 - overall #116
• Zimbabwe - regional #15 - overall #118
• Swaziland - regional #16 - overall #119
• Malawi - regional #19 - overall #124
• Mozambique - regional #20 - overall #125
• Madagascar - regional #26 - overall #131
• Lesotho - regional #27 - overall #135

Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2011 - the Southern/Eastern African countries

The World Economic Forum (WEF) released the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2011 at the Global Tourism Forum 2011 in Andorra. The report is based on the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), which aims to measure the many different regulatory and businessrelated issues that have been identified as levers for improving Travel & Tourism competitiveness in countries around the world.



According to the report Switzerland is the top-ranked country, followed by Germany and France. The USA are the first non-European country in the ranking on position six; the first Asian country is Singapore on rank ten. The island of Mauritius is the highest-ranked Sub-Sharan African country on rank 53, followed by South Africa on rank 66.
The Sub-Saharan regional ranking puts therefore Mauritius on rank one, South Africa on two and Namibia on three. Botswana became 5th in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report's regional ranking.

South Africa (Regional rank 2, Overall rank 66)

• positive: natural resources, cultural ressources, price competitiveness, infrastructure, policy rules & regulations
• negative: safety & security, health & hygiene (health indicators, such as life expectancy)

Namibia (3, 84)

• positive: natural resources, environmental sustainability, ground transport infrastructure
• negative: to costly & time comsuming to start a business, health & hygiene (not enough doctors, insufficient access to improved sanitation & drinking water)

Botswana (5, 91)

• positive: natural resources, price competitiveness, well protected property rights, few visa restrictions
• negative: the Air Service Agreements are not evaluated as open, much time is required to start a business, underdeveloped transport infrastructure, low hotel room concentration, limited presence of international car rental companies, relatively few ATMs, health & hygiene (low physician density, limited hospital beds), health of workforce.

Other rankings: Rwanda (Regional rank 7), Kenya (8), Tanzania (11), Zambia (12), Uganda (13), Swaziland (14), Zimbabwe (15), Malawi (17), Madagascar (20), Mozambique (21), Lesohto (26), Angola (29)

Pls see the pages 24-26 in the report for detailed info about the single countries!