Art in Tanzania internship by Dilyara Shantayeva
While the COVID situation worldwide begins to ease, travel agencies are starting to promote the most popular destinations worldwide, including Africa. This article will discuss the most popular destinations for Italian tourists in Africa and the main observed trends.
Concerning Italy, the country still maintains its state of emergency, and entry from abroad remains heavily restricted. Complete information is available on the Italian Foreign Ministry website. Entry from most of Europe is allowed in principle. Still, persons arriving from these countries must provide a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 48 hours upon entry, undergo a five-day quarantine, and present another negative test after five days. This regulation runs until mid-May. Then a national “green vaccination passport” will be introduced to travel freely within the country. Italy is gradually easing the restrictions within the country where a traffic light system is in place.
The traffic light system mentioned above is a set of maps published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control to give European travellers a better overview of the COVID-19 infection and possible restrictions. Before going anywhere outside your home country, you must remember to submit a negative PCR COVID test to ensure that you are not a carrier of the disease above. Fortunately, some tour operators offer packages with pre-planned PCR testing so travellers can get back safely to their countries.
The most visited country in Africa is Morocco. This Northern African nation saw a whopping 12.3 million visitors in 2019, making it the most visited country on the entire continent. Some of the highlights of Morocco include Marrakesh, one of the world’s most chaotic and charismatic cities. Then, there is Fes, a historic city with so much culture you could spend a week here and not scratch the surface. If you’re taking a tour of the country, consider also stopping by Essaouira. This beautiful beach town has a European feel to it, with all the rugged charm of Northern Africa.
In 2019, an impressive 11.3 million visitors visited Egypt, making it the second most visited country in Africa. Of course, the main draw cards in Egypt are the Egyptian pyramids, the pharaoh’s tombs, and the Luxor temple, which dates back thousands of years. Egypt is popular not only for European tourists but also for tourists from the CIS countries due to comparatively low prices and good transport connectivity.
One of the destinations in Africa that has the potential to grow as a vast honeymoon market not only for Italian couples but for newlyweds around the world is South Africa. Even though there is not much research in this area, the paper by Andrea Giampiccoli from the Durban University of Technology “The Italian tourism market and South Africa: an initial investigation on the potential honeymoon market” starts a discussion about the opportunity arising. According to the researcher, the demand of the Italian young couples is met by the supply offered by the destinations of South Africa, establishing a popular honeymoon route. The abundance of beach resorts and spa hotels and the availability of the so-called “honeymoon packages” make South Africa so popular. Couples can enjoy leisure and relaxation in South African destinations and many captivating activities that are fascinating to African nature. Adventurous couples can choose from a traditional safari within a private game reserve, white-water rafting through the bush or turtle spotting at a beachfront lodge. Places like Franschhoek in Cape Town, Queenstown in Eastern Cape, The Garden route in Western Cape and Elephant Coast in Kwazulu Natal seem to be the most visited destinations by Italians.
The next prominent destination is Northern Sudan. It is an independent country since July 2011, it has a stable political situation and it is safe to travel, particularly between Khartoum and the Egyptian border. After the separation from the South, Northern Sudan is still a vast and diverse country. The astonishing landscape of the three deserts, associated with the beauty of the Nile Cataracts, the hidden Nubian villages and the welcoming people make this place an innovative, unexpected destination. Some companies provide tours for the Italian people, tailor-made safaris, escorted tours, etc. Travellers can choose preferred locations and the duration of the holiday, and the organizers claim that every individual’s demands will be met.
Tunisia is also quite popular because the flow of tourists comes not only from the international airport but also from the cruise ships that dock in the nearby port. The Holland America Line cruise company has several cruise ships that visit Tunis in an orderly manner. The tourists are able to get acquainted with the hospitality of the region and visit the ancient Carthage ruins.
Tanzania is also a very popular destination among Italian tourists. Famous attractions such as Serengeti National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, and the Ngorongoro crater attract adventurous travellers, while wild and fascinating beaches attract connoisseurs of leisure and relaxation.
The next promising tourist attraction for Italians is Zimbabwe.There are many reasons to visit Zimbabwe, but most of them start with safari and end with the Victoria Falls. This landlocked country in Southern Africa is still one of the most popular choices for safari goers in search of the Big Five. The game viewing in Zimbabwe is second to none, but the Victoria Falls are unlike any other. As one of the world’s largest waterfalls, they extend some 1,708 metres in length.
This article has outlined several of the most popular destinations for Italian tourism in the African continent, as well as the latest changes due to the current pandemic. Each country has its own regulations regarding COVID, but most of them should soon be available for vaccinated tourists or for a person with a PCR test.
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