African countries and institutions are sharing tourism data more transparently, with Cape Verde standing out, and are committing to digital transformation despite persistent challenges, according to a report by Nova SBE WiTH Africa, released on Wednesday, 7 January 2026.
“The findings point to clear dynamism at a continental scale,” notes the document, entitled African Tourism Data Ecosystem 2025.
“Compared to 2023, more African governments and institutions are engaging with open tourism data, signalling a growing commitment to transparency and digital transformation,” the report from the Nova School of Business and Economics, University of Lisbon, adds.
The report states that the data analysis was conducted between late May and mid-June 2025, examining information published by both governmental and non-governmental institutional sources, “providing a comprehensive view of the tourism data landscape.”
Overall, several countries have improved the updating of their data. Greater access to available tourism information also enhances its usefulness for policymakers, researchers, and businesses, the study notes.
Countries that performed best in the previous edition of the study in 2023 — Cape Verde, Kenya, Mauritius, and Tanzania — maintained their positions, “confirming the value of sustained investment in data systems,” the report states.
“Togo joins the group of top performers in 2025, demonstrating how targeted efforts can quickly improve data visibility,” it adds.
In contrast, Guinea-Bissau and Liberia face significant limitations, often due to infrastructural constraints or the lack of specific tourism data sets, the study highlights.
Tourism is central to Africa’s economy and acts as a development catalyst. The continent’s travel and tourism sector recovered strongly in the post-pandemic period, contributing an estimated $168 billion (around €154 billion) to GDP and supporting 18 million jobs by the end of 2024, the research indicates.
“With a growing middle class, rich cultural and natural heritage, and a young population, Africa’s tourism potential is vast. However, challenges such as infrastructure gaps, limited data availability, and regulatory fragmentation continue to hinder growth,” the report warns.
Digital transformation is accelerating across the continent.
“Internet access is increasing rapidly, enabling new data-driven solutions for governance, business, and development. In this context, open data and freely accessible information have become strategic tools for planning and transparency,” the report states.
By making public data available, governments can support evidence-based policymaking, improve service delivery, and engage communities in participatory decision-making processes.
“By early 2025, over 74% of African countries had adopted data protection legislation, often accompanied by open data policies to balance access with privacy,” the study recalls.
However, despite these advances, international platforms, such as the World Bank, continue to ensure consistent, comparable, and up-to-date regional data, the research emphasises.
WiTH Africa is a data ecosystem platform launched by Nova SBE through the Westmont Institute for Tourism and Hospitality and the Data, Operations and Technology Knowledge Center in March 2022.
Source: Lusa
