Lots of economic benefits could come from sports tourism in Africa

Abstract

Over the last two decades, there has been growing focus on sports tourism globally, involving travel for purposes of watching sports events, active participation in sports or simply to gaze at sports facilities infrastructure. According to Geoffrey Manyara, a tourism expert with UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), sports tourists spend more at destinations that than their non-sporting counterparts. For example, about 900,000 tourists are estimated to attend English Premier league football games every year. Recognising that sports tourism could be a viable sector that countries should consider, ECA in collaboration with Rwanda Convention Bureau and Kigali Golf Club organized a meeting to discuss how sport, Golf in particular, could be the next tourism frontier for Rwanda. The meeting observed how sports tourism offers several economic benefits to local communities, the region and the whole the country hosting the sports event. Sports tourism is one of them” said Daya Bragante, Head of Cluster on SubRegional Initiatives at ECA in Eastern Africa. Rwanda has started to put in place measures that promote sports activities, which could attract tourists. The Kigali Car free Day, held twice a month, is set encourage the citizens and foreigners to exercise and engage in mass sports. The country organizes also other international sports events such as Kigali International Peace Marathon and Cycling competition known as “Tour du Rwanda”.