Save the world on holiday

Given the recent widespread media coverage and charity campaigns, few people can now be in any doubt that Africa is currently struggling to cope with its debts and needs some form of assistance.

The good news for Britons who want to do their bit but who don't necessarily want to pay an extortionate amount of money to see middle-aged pop stars lecture them on the subject is that tourism has been confirmed as one of the principal drivers behind the economic growth being experienced by many African nations.

According to recent statistics released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), over the course of 2007, the travel and tourism economy within sub-Saharan Africa is expected to account for 8.1 per cent of the total GDP for the region, with tourism predicted to grow by 4.2 per cent this year and by an annual rate of 4.5 per cent over the next decade.

Indeed, such is the importance of this trend to the continent, that the WTTC has appointed a specialist advisor to coordinate the efforts of the nation's governments and the private sector.

"The decision to designate a specialist to this region, whose role will be to oversee and assist the goals of the Council in Africa, comes at a time when the importance of travel and tourism is truly being recognised by African governments as a gateway to economic progress at national and local levels," WTTC president Jean-Claude Baurngarten said.

Fuelling the rise of the sector is the region's acceptance of the importance of tourist money, which has led to significant investment in the general travel infrastructure, including transport links and hotels.

While previously, South Africa or Kenya were the almost-automatic choices for visitors seeking to view the African wildlife up-close on safari, less-established counties are now looking to expand their share in the market, with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad and Namibia having recently entered the top ten list for the fastest growing tourist economies in the world.

Central to the economic development of the region is the increasing trend for employing a local workforce to first construct and then operate the tourist infrastructure with the sector now accounting for 5.9 per cent of total employment in the region.

Tourists keen to help out the local economy whilst also having a dream holiday should therefore research their destination beforehand, to ascertain whether the profits of a hotel or tour operator are put back into the local community - as is increasingly the case - or whether they simply end up back in the UK.

Once on holiday, a common-sense approach to economics can make a huge difference.

Again, tourists should consider where there money will eventually end up, whether it be in a bar, restaurant or market.

Charities have long condemned unnecessary bartering within the Third World and, while visitors should not be ripped-off, they should always endeavour to pay a fair price for goods or services: what may seem like a fun game to save a few pence to a British tourist may be a much more serious matter for a Namibian street vendor.

Given the simple economics, once the flights have been accounted for, Africa remains an affordable and unforgettable holiday destination for British travellers.

In addition, a holiday within the continent will allow tourists to make a positive contribution to the overall economic well-being of millions of people, something that cannot be said for the average package holiday to Spain.