The whitepaper identifies opportunities in dark-sky tourism, nature therapy, rural tourism, and women-only expeditions
As WTM Africa 2025 gets underway in Cape Town on Wednesday, African Travel & Tourism Association (ATTA), the largest travel trade association in Africa, has released a whitepaper to highlight growth opportunities in niche areas.
In a press statement ATTA says that the report Africa’s Untapped Tourism Niches: A Blueprint for Growth,” puts the spotlight on areas that promise to reshape the landscape of African tourism.
In the statement, ATTA says that the whitepaper is a comprehensive analysis that explores six emerging niche tourism sectors poised to revolutionise travel across the continent.
ATTA says that the whitepaper identifies substantial growth opportunities in dark-sky tourism, nature therapy, roots tourism, rural tourism, multi-sensory safaris and women-only expeditions.
Kgomotso Ramothea
“While the focus is on diversifying our tourism products, niche tourism is also about fundamentally reimagining what African tourism can be,” says Kgomotso Ramothea, CEO, ATTA.
“Our research shows that while traditional safaris remain our backbone, these emerging niches offer unprecedented opportunities to extend tourism benefits to previously overlooked communities while meeting evolving traveller demands for authenticity and purpose,” Ramothea adds.
ATTA adds that these findings challenge long-held assumptions about African tourism development, highlighting how lesser-known destinations can leapfrog established markets through strategic investment in niche experiences.
“What is particularly striking is how these niches align perfectly with post-pandemic travel trends,” says Ramothea.
“From the healing power of nature therapy in our vast wilderness areas to the profound emotional journeys of roots tourism, Africa is uniquely positioned to deliver exactly what today’s conscious travellers crave, meaningful connection, personal transformation, and authentic engagement with both nature and culture,” she adds.
Additionally, the research reveals that early investment in these specialised sectors could yield significant economic returns. For instance, Ghana’s roots tourism initiative Year of Return generated an estimated INR 3.3 billion in 2019, while the global agritourism market, which Africa is well-positioned to capture, is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 11.9 pc over the next five years.
“The window for early adoption won’t remain open indefinitely,” says Ramothea.
“Destinations and operators that move decisively now to develop thoughtful, community-centred niche experiences will establish market leadership that will be difficult to challenge later,” she adds.
The statement adds that this initiative follows ATTA’s launch of a comprehensive resource series in February 2025, designed to help members capitalise on emerging niche tourism markets across Africa and the series includes weekly LinkedIn thought leadership articles, detailed market guides, and the newly released whitepaper.
“As ‘The Voice of African Tourism,’ we are calling on the industry to move beyond simply selling what we have always sold. This whitepaper is a rallying cry for African tourism to claim its rightful place at the forefront of global travel innovation. The destinations that embrace these niches today will be the tourism leaders of tomorrow,” says Ramothea.
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