Mastercard’s Travel Trends 2025 highlights Marrakech and Cape Town as emerging culinary and wellness hotspots, while Namibia and South Africa top global wellbeing rankings.
Africa emerging in global tourism
MEI's Travel Trends 2025 report uses real-time aggregated transaction data—covering payments, bookings and park expenses—to reveal three global tourism trends. First, travelers now prioritize wellness experiences, such as eco‑lodges, gastronomy and major sporting events . Second, currency fluctuations play a larger role, notably among Asian tourists. A 1 % depreciation of the yen, for instance, correlates with a 1.5 % rise in Chinese tourists to Japan . Third, tourism fraud spikes (+28 % in high season), disproportionately affecting travel agencies with a risk level quadruple the global average.
African entries in the Top Emerging Destinations list remain scant. Only Sharm El‑Sheikh in Egypt ranks among the top 15 global emerging destinations (ranked #15 with +0.06 % in booking share year-on-year) . This limited representation highlights both the continent’s potential and the need for better visibility and air connectivity to rival established tourist hubs.
Culinary excellence: Marrakech & Cape Town shine
According to MEI, Marrakech and Cape Town stand out for gastronomic diversity, measured by the “median nationalities per restaurant” metric. Marrakech had 50 nationalities per venue in 2024, and Cape Town had 46 . This indicates high international representation in local culinary scenes, with Moroccan tagine, b’stilla, and South African bobotie gaining global popularity.
Despite strong performance, African cities still lag behind global culinary leaders, with Istanbul (67) and Cannes (64) leading the rankings . The absence of other sub‑Saharan cities—such as Dakar, Lagos, or Addis Ababa—reveals unrealized potential in harnessing rich culinary traditions to strengthen tourism competitiveness.
Wellness travel: Namibia & South Africa at the top
Africa’s top positions in the Wellness Travel Index (WTI) confirm its leadership on this front. Namibia ranks first (WTI 47.7, +3.5 pts), with South Africa second (WTI 40.9, +2.4 pts) . They outperform long-standing wellness destinations like Thailand (WTI 31.2, −2 pts). Botswana (rank 5, WTI 19.6) and Kenya (rank 16, WTI 7.2) also show positive momentum.
Regarding national park spending, South Africa leads with 23.3 % of cross-border tourist expenditure, followed by Zambia at 15.5 % . MEI notes that South Africa’s high score is largely driven by visitation near Table Mountain in Cape Town.
However, WTI calculations exclude domestic travel, potentially undercounting wellness travel within the continent, particularly in mature economies like South Africa, while primarily reflecting international tourists.
Africa’s wellness offerings—ranging from eco‑lodges in Namibia to meditation retreats near Cape Town—cater to global travelers seeking immersive, nature‑based renewal.
Challenges and underrepresentation
Despite its strengths, Africa remains underrepresented on the global stage. Only Sharm El‑Sheikh appears in the top 15 emerging destinations . Factors like limited air connectivity, inconsistent digital marketing, visa complexity, and underdeveloped tourism infrastructure have limited visibility.
By contrast, destinations in Asia and Europe continue dominating rankings, favored by robust flights and aggressive branding. The current infrastructure and policy gaps make it difficult for African cities to rank higher globally.
Path forward: unlocking Africa’s tourism potential
Africa’s strengths—rich culinary traditions, strong wellness offerings, unique natural assets, and cultural authenticity—provide a strong foundation for future growth. MEI advocates three targets:
- Boost marketing and digital outreach to increase global presence
- Professionalize hospitality and diversify offerings beyond eco‑lodges
- Implement fraud-prevention protocols to build tourist trust
With concerted effort—in investment, connectivity, branding, and regulation—Africa can rise as a top destination for purpose-driven travel.
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