African outbound travel spending projected to surge 61% by 2030, reaching $30.4bn
The findings come from Africa in Motion: The Next Great Traveller, a study produced by Skift and commissioned by Millat Group. Launched at World Travel Market London on 4 November, the research examines outbound travel demand in Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
Outbound spending from these markets is projected to rise by approximately 61% over the five years to 2030, reaching $30.4bn. However, the study identifies inadequate air connectivity, high travel costs and a shortage of accommodation suited to middle-income travellers as barriers to growth.
Hamza Farooqui, founder and CEO of Millat Group, said the industry needed to look beyond attracting international visitors to Africa and pay greater attention to African travellers.
“For decades, the conversation has been about bringing tourists to Africa. That's important, but it's only half the story. Africans are travelling, spending money and supporting tourism industries around the world. Yet we still haven't built a travel and hospitality system that properly serves them.
"We have to stop treating the African traveller as an afterthought. This is a serious market, and it deserves serious investment.”
Nigeria leads African outbound travel spending
One of the study's notable findings concerns Nigeria, which ranks seventh of eight markets examined for outbound departures but leads in outbound travel spending at $7.7bn.
This is approximately 41% more than South Africa's outbound spending, despite Nigeria generating around one-fifth as many trips.
“Rank African markets by trip counts and you'll back the wrong ones," said Michelle Gounden, Director, Insights, Skift. "Nigeria sends a fraction of South Africa's travellers abroad and outspends them by 41%. In this corridor the money follows family, faith and business, and anyone chasing headcounts will miss it."
The research also points to interest in African destinations among international travellers. Across 14 international source markets surveyed, potential visitors showed greater interest in visiting African destinations than their existing familiarity with the continent might suggest.
India and the United Arab Emirates recorded the strongest forward travel intentions, at 32% and 29% respectively, compared with 16% in the United States.
Air connectivity and hotel supply constrain growth
Intra-African travel accounts for approximately 40% of international arrivals on the continent, yet only around 19% of intra-African routes are served by direct flights.
The cost of flying is another constraint. Passengers departing African airports pay the world's highest average taxes and charges, at $68 per international departure, compared with $32 in Europe. In West Africa, the average is $109.50.
The study also highlights the financial pressure on the continent's aviation sector. African airlines generated 90 US cents in profit per passenger in 2024, compared with $15.20 for Middle Eastern carriers.
Accommodation supply presents a further challenge, particularly for middle-income travellers. Africa's hotel development pipeline comprises 123,846 rooms, but remains heavily weighted towards luxury properties. Only 14 of the 168 hotel brands with signed deals on the continent operate in the economy or midscale segments.
Farooqui said investment was needed in the infrastructure and businesses that would make travel more accessible to African consumers.
“We cannot keep talking about Africa's tourism potential while making it difficult and expensive for Africans to travel across their own continent.
"We need better connections between our cities, more accessible capital and accommodation that reflects how people actually travel. And we need to develop African businesses and operating expertise, not simply rely on international brands to deliver that growth.”
Middle East hubs connect African travellers to global markets
The Middle East plays an important role in connecting African travellers to international destinations, particularly Europe and Asia.
The study identifies the region as both a significant destination market and an aviation hub. Around 28% of South Africa's connecting passenger traffic to Europe travels through Gulf hubs, underlining the importance of these connections to long-haul travel.
Farooqui said the continent needed to develop the connections, financing and businesses required to participate more fully in the global travel economy.
“Africa doesn't need another conversation about its potential. We know the opportunity exists. What we need now is to connect the markets, finance the infrastructure and build businesses that allow Africans to participate fully in the global travel economy.”
The Africa in Motion: The Next Great Traveller report draws on consumer research involving more than 14,000 travellers across 14 source markets, proprietary travel modelling, aviation analysis, interviews and secondary research conducted between December 2025 and July 2026.
Read the full report here.