United Nations tourism body promotes a unified Brand Africa concept

As part of this process to promote positive storytelling and shift the narrative around the continent as a safe and desirable tourism destination, the AMC was a guest at UN Tourism’s think-tank held in Zambia in July 2024, and again at a follow-up brainstorming session held at UN Tourism’s headquarters in Madrid, Spain in 2025. 

The latter attracted representatives of 20-plus African countries, with the African Marketing Confederation – through its President, Helen McIntee – being a special guest, along with technology conglomerate Meta (formerly known as Facebook Inc.). 

Elcia Grandcourt, Regional Director for Africa at UN Tourism, emphasised to attendees that the growing number of international tourists travelling to Africa is proof of the expanded visibility and attractiveness that the continent has been able to achieve. 

Figures from the World Tourism Barometer showed that African tourism has fully recovered from Covid, she said. During 2024, the continent even exceeded pre-pandemic levels by registering 12% more arrivals than in 2023, and 7% more arrivals than pre-pandemic levels. 

“This demonstrates the resilience of Africa’s tourism and the flexibility of the sector to adapt to an evolving international context which is still exposed to ongoing geopolitical and economic challenges,” Grandcourt stated. 

Interconnection with African nation brands 

In her presentation, Sandra Carvão, Director of the Market Intelligence, Policies and Competitiveness Department at UN Tourism, noted the importance of changing and reshaping global perceptions in positioning Africa as a premier tourism destination. 

There is a strong interconnection between Brand Africa and the various national brands, she explained. 

“The way people perceive Africa as a whole directly influences their views on individual countries, and vice versa. A strong national brand contributes to enhancing Africa’s overall image, just as a well-positioned continental brand can elevate individual destinations. 

“To achieve this, we must work on two levels: national and continental. Strengthening Africa’s global brand will reinforce individual country identities, while solid national brands will collectively shape and consolidate Africa’s positioning on the world tourism map.” 

Carvão listed the common challenges identified by delegates attending last year’s Brand Africa Think Tank in Livingstone, Zambia: 

• Narrative Ownership: Africa’s story is often shaped by external voices rather than by those within the continent. 

• Media Influence: National media play a crucial role in shaping narratives that international media outlets, which may not have a direct presence on the ground in African countries, echo and amplify. 

• Brand Creation and Management: How can destinations take control of their own storytelling, ensuring Africa is at the forefront of global tourism discourse? There remains immense untapped potential and countless unexplored stories about Africa. 

• Structural and Policy Barriers: Issues such as connectivity, investment in infrastructure, visa policies, and workforce development constitute pressing issues to be tackled for Africa’s tourism development and growth. 

You can read more about the Brand Africa tourism initiative in the new issue (Issue 1 2025) of Strategic Marketing for Africa, the magazine of the African Marketing Confederation (AMC). Read or download the Digital Edition here.  

A Print Edition will be available shortly.