Never-ending political instabilities and poor infrastructure have been identified as major challenges impeding the growth of the tourism sector in Africa.

South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, made this observation when he officially opened Africa's Travel Indaba 2026 in Durban.

Ramaphosa underscored the importance of tourism in supporting Africa's economic recovery and regional integration.

Calling for a stronger and close-knit collaboration among African countries to promote intra-African travel, Ramaphosa urged governments to deal with political instabilities and poor infrastructure.

"Safety and stability also need to be enhanced. There must be a focus by our governments to enhance safety and stability. People must know that when they go to a particular spot for tourism, that is a safe corridor and that is a corridor where tourists will not feel unsafe. We need to enhance the political instability in our various countries, and the infrastructure gaps must also be attended to. Infrastructure is a great attractor."

Last year, participants in various SADC Tourism Alliance Think Tank Symposiums pointed out that outdated and restrictive policies regarding aviation are hampering the development of tourism within the region.