Government of African countries are showing more interest in tourism as a source of growth and diversification. Findings by Titlas market survey indicate that tourism in Africa can contribute effectively to the continent’s economic development. Land based tourism is a major economic activity in Africa, drawing millions of visitors to different sites across the continent every year, capable of generating millions of dollars for investors. Sites such as the pyramids of Egypt, the Great Rift Valley of Southern Africa, Mountains like Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and the site of the most ancient university of Tinbuktu in Mali are some of the major attractions. Tourism in Africa varies widely from viewing gorillas in the Great Lakes Region to lemurs in Madagascar, from trekking in Ethiopia to bird watching in Botswana, from looking at rock paintings in South Africa to visiting rainforest in Ghana.

Tourism is not only capable of generating revenue to support conservation and management of natural environments, but also generates many jobs through hotel accommodation from where hotel staff is paid, food and beverages, shopping, entertainment and transport, taxi operators, shopkeepers and suppliers of goods and services. This conference is convened therefore to open up African continent to foreign investors who might be interested in investing in this sector of Africa’s economy. From the turn out of twenty six African countries at African Business Forum, a conference of African Business Executives held in October 2008, at Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, this conference is expected to attract over thirty African countries as participants.