African Tourism 'Boosted By Obama & World Cup'

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The 2010 soccer World Cup and the "Obama effect" of a U.S. President of African heritage has generated a surge in interest in Africa as a tourist destination, tourism officials say.

"There has been a shift in the way people look at Africa," Taleb Rifai, the Secretary General of the U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) told a conference in Madrid. "Africa is now considered a very serious destination for travellers from the major generating markets."

Last week, the UNWTO said that Africa was the only continent registering an increase in tourist arrivals in 2009, bucking the global trend.

The soccer World Cup, due to be hosted in June in South Africa and in which 32 nations are taking part, is set to push up international visitor arrivals even further.

Kenya's tourism board has also said the "Obama effect" has resulted in an increase number of a Americans visiting Kenya - the birthplace of Barack Obama's father.

The 2010 soccer World Cup and the "Obama effect" of a U.S. President of African heritage has generated a surge in interest in Africa as a tourist destination, tourism officials say. (Market News Provided by RTTNews)