Last week I was in Bagamoyo, a bubbling coastal town in Tanzania where culture meets creativity. I stayed at the IDC compound, run by the famous Ally Bedford, an unrepentant global champion of sustainable development. Ally’s passion is infectious. She blends capacity development with hospitality and tourism, showing how a sector often dismissed as “soft” can, in fact, be a hard driver of skills, jobs and dignity. Her model demonstrates that when tourism and hospitality are rooted in community and sustainability, it becomes a platform for exchange, not extraction.
Bagamoyo itself is a reminder of Africa’s layered histories. Once a hub of trade and cultural encounter, it now pulses with artistic energy, coastal vibrancy and entrepreneurial spirit. The IDC compound embodies this spirit, hosting workshops, theatre performances taken to communities and training sessions alongside its hospitality services. It is not just a place to stay. It is a place to learn, connect and imagine futures where hospitality is inseparable from capacity development.
Ally and I share a common history. We are both graduates of Nigeria’s premier University of Ibadan. She from Theatre Arts in the 80s, and I from the Social Sciences in the 90s. Our paths later converged in the international development sector, united by a commitment to improving the living standards of people across Africa.
Across the continent, similar stories are unfolding. In Turkana, northern Kenya, the Cradle Group of Hotels which is run by the indefatigable champion of the Turkana people, Dr Wanjiku Ndungu has become a beacon of eco‑tourism and environmental stewardship. The model is so compelling that it recently earned commendation from the Financial Times and the World Bank at the Sustainability Awards on Tourism in London. By anchoring operations in local culture and environmental care, the Cradle Group is not only attracting visitors but also creating livelihoods that respect the fragile ecosystem of the region. It is proof that hospitality can be more than a service. It can be a safeguard for heritage, a catalyst for conservation and a bridge for intra‑African travellers seeking authentic experiences.
Tourism as trade
Africa’s hospitality and tourism sectors are often treated as pleasant add‑ons rather than serious economic engines. Yet the numbers tell a different story. Before the pandemic, travel and tourism contributed about seven percent (7%) of Africa’s GDP and supported over 24 million jobs. Tourism accounted for roughly eight percent (8%) of Africa’s total exports, making it one of the continent’s top service export categories. Domestic and intra‑African tourism are now among the fastest‑growing segments, with regional travel recovering more quickly than long‑haul arrivals.
Behind these headline figures is the real story. Jobs. Travel and tourism are among the most employment intensive sectors globally. In Africa, they support a sizeable share of youth and women’s employment, making them central to addressing the continent’s employment challenge.
When we talk about “trade”, we often default to containers, commodities and customs codes. But trade in services, including tourism, hospitality, transport, culture and conferencing, is one of the fastest growing components of the global economy. Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSA) now help countries track progress toward SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth.
Reimagined, hospitality and tourism become powerful engines of intra-African trade. They:
- Generate dignified employment across skill levels.
- Stimulate local value chains, linking farmers, fishers and craftspeople to markets.
- Foster cultural connectivity, allowing Africans to experience each other’s histories and creativity.
- Build regional resilience, as eco‑tourism and community based models reduce dependency on volatile global markets.
Intra‑African tourism is rising. Africans are increasingly travelling within the continent for leisure, business and cultural exploration. This shift keeps resources circulating within African economies, strengthens regional integration and deepens mutual understanding.
Hospitality as capacity development
Ally Bedford’s IDC compound illustrates how hospitality can double as a training ground. Young people in Bagamoyo are not just serving guests, they are also learning vocational skills, project management, event organisation and sustainable business practices. This dual role of hospitality as both service and school is transformative. It equips communities with transferable skills that extend beyond tourism, feeding into broader economic participation.
Similarly, Dr Wanjiku Ndungu’s Cradle Hotel in Turkana invests in eco‑tourism models that train local communities in conservation, guiding and hospitality management. What she has built is more than a hotel. It is a living classroom in one of Africa’s most ecologically fragile regions. By embedding education into their operations, the Cradle team ensures that tourism is not extractive but regenerative, a model where every guest experience supports skills development, environmental stewardship and cultural preservation.
Together, Bagamoyo and Turkana demonstrate a powerful truth. When hospitality is rooted in local culture, sustainability and community ownership, it becomes a force multiplier. It strengthens local economies, protects ecosystems and builds the skills and confidence that allow communities to participate fully in Africa’s emerging intra‑continental economy.
Cultural connectivity and identity
Tourism is also about identity. When Africans travel within Africa, they encounter narratives that challenge stereotypes and expand horizons. A Nigerian visiting Tanzania, a Kenyan exploring Senegal or a South African experiencing Ethiopia, these journeys build cultural bridges. They allow Africans to see themselves reflected in diverse traditions, cuisines and landscapes, reinforcing a shared continental identity.
Bagamoyo’s art scene, Turkana’s eco‑lodges and countless other initiatives across Africa are weaving a tapestry of cultural connectivity. Hospitality becomes the loom on which these threads are woven.
Policy and investment imperatives
For hospitality and tourism to fulfil their potential as engines of intra‑African trade, several imperatives stand out. Here are 5 worth considering.
- Policy alignment: Harmonise visa regimes, transport infrastructure, low‑cost airlines and tourism policies to make intra‑African travel seamless.
- Investment in sustainability: Eco‑tourism and community based models require upfront investment in conservation, training and infrastructure.
- Promotion of intra‑African travel: Marketing campaigns should target African travellers, not just international tourists.
- Integration with AfCFTA: Tourism must be recognised as a tradable service within AfCFTA, facilitating cross‑border flows of services, skills and capital.
- Professionalise the sector through skills development and standards: Build a continent‑wide pipeline of trained hospitality professionals, strengthen accreditation systems and promote mutual recognition of skills across borders to raise quality, mobility and competitiveness.
The bigger picture
Hospitality and tourism are not peripheral. They are central to Africa’s journey of agency, connectivity and prosperity. They embody the principle that trade is not only about goods crossing borders. It is also about people crossing boundaries, sharing stories and building futures together.
Bagamoyo and Turkana remind us that intra‑African trade is as much about cultural exchange as it is about commerce. Hotels, lodges and compounds are not just places of rest; they are places of possibility, classrooms, marketplaces and cultural stages.
As we continue this series, the next focus turns to the marine and blue economy, exploring how Africa’s waters can power prosperity, resilience and cultural exchange. Until then. Think about an African country you would like to visit and start planning towards making it a reality.
Dr. Wale Osofisan, PhD, is a seasoned governance strategist and policy analyst with over 23 years of experience advancing African-led, evidence-based solutions to political transitions, humanitarian crises and development challenges.
