The growth of high-end tourism in Africa is generating wealth, but much of the benefits are not reaching the people who live in the areas where it is taking place. A recent academic study by the University of Manchester, published in African Studies Review, warns that this model reinforces inequalities by favouring foreign chains over the local economy.
Researchers point out that luxury hotels, safari lodges and exclusive resorts function as isolated bubbles. Visitors consume within these spaces, reducing opportunities to spend in local markets, restaurants or small businesses. The result is limited circulation of money in neighbouring communities.
Another problem identified is the concentration of ownership. Many of the establishments are controlled by international groups that reinvest little in the territory. Moreover, the employment generated is often precarious or very restricted for local workers, fuelling the perception that luxury tourism favours the few and marginalises the many.
In regions such as Kenya and Tanzania, there have been conflicts linked to the expansion of hotel complexes in protected or traditional areas. Communities such as the Maasai have reported forced displacement and loss of access to land, which has led to social clashes and questions about the environmental impact of the tourism model.
Development specialists argue that the key is to steer tourism towards more inclusive formulas. Community projects, cooperatively managed circuits and local training would allow the activity to translate into stable employment and shared benefits. Without a change of course, they warn, Africa runs the risk of consolidating an elite tourism that contributes little to the real development of its societies.
Source: tourismandsocietytt.com; tradingview.com