The African Travel & Tourism Association (ATTA) has launched a powerful new report, “Rooted in Africa,” arguing that the biggest trends currently driving the global tourism industry, Wellness, Sustainability, Slow Travel, and Authenticity, were pioneered in Africa. The report calls for a shift in perception, urging the industry to reposition these practices not as borrowed concepts, but as genuine African heritage.
“What much of the world now calls ‘innovative‘ is simply how Africa has always travelled, hosted, and connected,” said Kgomotso Ramothea of ATTA.
Wellness Rooted in Nature
The modern focus on wellness is simply a repackaging of ancient African traditions. Long before it became a global industry, African communities practiced integrated approaches to physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing connected deeply to nature and community rhythms.
Operators like Singita emphasize “Wholeness” over standard spa treatments. This philosophy aligns guest experiences with natural cycles, encouraging them to eat when hungry and rise with the sun, rather than following rigid schedules. The goal is to position this traditional knowledge as sophisticated heritage, not as an exotic curiosity.
Sustainability: The Community Model
The report highlights a crucial difference between global and African sustainability models. While international standards often focus on compliance and technical solutions like carbon offsets, African traditions prioritize a balanced relationship between communities and the environment.
Natalie Lyall-Grant of Jacada Travel notes that in the African context, “tourism is conservation”. Tourism providers often invest directly in education, health, and livelihoods, recognizing that environmental protection cannot happen without community prosperity.
Vincent Kouwenhoven of Green Safaris critiques the high cost of international certification, stating that the money is better spent on demonstrable, tangible impact, such as planting thousands of trees.
Slow Travel: An Ancient Art Form
The global trend of “slow travel,” a rejection of rushed, checklist tourism, is deemed an “ancient art form in Africa“. The word “safari” itself means “to go on a journey,” emphasizing the process over a quick destination checklist.
The African landscape naturally encourages a slower pace. Activities like walking safaris and floating in a mokoro (traditional canoe) force silence and observation, tuning guests into the environment. Natasha Dixon of African Bush Camps states that limited Wi-Fi is reframed as a “gift” that encourages guests to disconnect digitally and connect with nature and each other.
Authenticity Built on Trust
Africa’s tourism has always prioritized genuine connection over staged interactions, reflecting deep-rooted hospitality traditions.
James Haigh of Lemala Camps & Lodges states they avoid “staged performances“. Instead, they empower guides, who come from diverse tribal backgrounds, to share their own personal stories, cultural knowledge, and the traditional uses of plants. This provides guests with a rich, layered understanding that goes beyond the “official” version of things.
This kind of exchange requires preparation, with guests asked to approach the experiences with “open hearts and open minds” and real respect.
Leading the Future
The report concludes that these strengths must be confidently communicated to change not only how the world views Africa, but how Africa views itself.
“The opportunity now is not to adapt to outside models, but to tell our story with clarity, confidence, and pride,” the report states.
