The second Market Buzz session on Day Two of Essence of Africa 2025 looked at Africa and Middle East markets, showing good opportunities for tourism growth both within the continent and from Middle Eastern visitors.

The session was led by Kojo Bentum-Williams, with speakers Sadiq Dindar (Tingana Global Travel), Tes Proos (Crystal Events & Incentives), Ifeoma Maureen Aneke (Allure Travels and Tours Limited), and Amos Wekesa (Great Lakes Collection) sharing practical advice on developing these markets.

Middle East Travellers Stay Longer and Spend More

Sadiq Dindar explained how this region has become a strong source market for African destinations.

“Fifteen years ago, every conversation started with safety concerns. Today, it’s not even mentioned,” Dindar said. He noted that connectivity has improved dramatically, with “over 3,000 seats daily into South Africa alone from the Middle East.”

Middle Eastern travellers offer good value for African operators. They typically stay 15-20 days and “can spend anything between $1,000 to $1,500 a day,” Dindar explained. Importantly, “they might get up to day one or day two to ensure that they get the transfer and the hotels and all of that booked but they will book on the go in the country when they arrive.”

The market has two main parts: local nationals and expatriates. “There’s a huge expat market that lives and works within the Middle East and it’s something that often we tend to forget,” Dindar said.

Travel patterns show strong family focus. Dindar described “intergenerational travel that happens so you’ve got the older family sort of the grandfather taking up to three generations at a time on a trip.” Other growing segments include solo women travellers and honeymoon travel.

For halal tourism, Dindar explained: “It’s not about the mosque and the prayer facilities, it’s about just making sure that the segment of that traveller is included in everything that the guest experience is about.”

Corporate Travel Now Wants Real Experiences

Tes Proos explained how business travel has changed since COVID, with Africa becoming more popular for corporate events.

“The perception of incentives pre-COVID – glitz, glamour, lots of spend, lots of champagne, lots of fast cars – all these good things, that has changed a great deal,” Proos said. “People are now looking at more immersive experiences, possibly smaller groups.”

Africa’s reputation has improved in the corporate travel sector. “Africa hardly featured under the top ten [destinations for incentives], that has changed and I believe the success stories of countries like Rwanda has had a lot to do with that,” Proos noted.

Modern corporate groups want different experiences. They’re “engaging more in the local communities, understanding the local cultures, wanting to deep dive into understanding what makes a destination tick,” Proos explained.

Nigerian Market Strong Despite Travel Challenges

Ifeoma Maureen Aneke gave insights into Nigeria’s travel market, which is one of Kenya’s top six source countries despite facing various challenges.

Nigerian travellers must go through checks before leaving the country. Aneke described the process: “Before you start your travel from Nigeria, first of all you need to go through a queue to be cleared whether you as a traveller living in Nigeria as a Nigerian you are qualified to travel outside. You need to show your ticket, you need to show your onward ticket.”

Despite these challenges, “Nigerians travel extensively and spend significantly,” Aneke confirmed. Nigerian travellers “expect quality infrastructure and service standards” and “are willing to pay for excellent experiences.”

African Travel Held Back by High Flight Costs

Amos Wekesa spoke about travel within Africa, highlighting both opportunities and problems.

“Flight costs within Africa are ridiculous,” Wekesa said directly. “We’re sitting with massive potential but can’t unlock it because of these barriers.”

He pointed out that most African countries don’t market to each other. “Most Africans don’t know what neighbouring countries offer because there’s no marketing,” while South Africa “spends over $10 million marketing South Africa to Africa.”

African travellers want authentic experiences. Travel patterns have changed globally, and Wekesa explained that “people want to have more immersive experiential experiences and cultural experiences, authentic experiences. Just give them that and you will be good.”

For infrastructure, Wekesa said: “Africa must not lose its personality while improving infrastructure.”

Visa Changes Make Immediate Difference

The speakers gave several examples of how visa policies directly affect tourism:

South Africa: When South Africa made visas difficult, “it was making our life very hard,” but since removing visa requirements in August 2025, “things are better.”

Kenya’s improvements: Dropping arrival taxes and simplifying entry has made the destination “so much easier to sell,” according to Proos.

Rwanda continues to lead with progressive visa policies that support its growing reputation for business events.

As Bentum-Williams summarised: “We’re discussing markets ready to spend significant money in Africa. The question is whether we’re ready to remove barriers and capture these opportunities.”

The Africa and Middle East Market Buzz session was the second market discussion on Day Two of Essence of Africa 2025, continuing through 9th October at Diamonds Malindi, Kenya.