PurposeThis paper discusses the outcomes of an exploratory study into the innovations, adaptations, and best practices that the tourism and hospitality sector in Africa should implement in dealing with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-induced disruptions.Design/methodology/approachThis paper was based on data collected through qualitative approaches by reviewing published academic articles and unpublished documents, including websites, media reports and global public health entities such as the World Health Organization (WHO). Because of the lack of reliable data in some cases, this study is inductive in nature.FindingsThe main finding of this research suggests that Africa which is seemingly the least affected in infection and casualty rates has conversely borne the brunt of the negative responses from the global community in travel restrictions and mobility curtailment. Overwhelming trends suggest the domestic tourism market does not have the spending capacity of international visitors who arrive with foreign currency, inevitably main-stream in the form of USD, EURO and GBP, with their spending power estimated at between 1:18 and 1:22. The fragmented, cascaded and sometimes disorganised approach in dealing with policy adoptions and implementation in managing developments around the pandemic further inhibits a compelling approach to continent-wide tourism and hospitality revival.Originality/valueThis paper highlights trends, innovations, and adaptations to COVID-19-related revival strategies for Africa and contributes to academic debates on the topic which, in the Global South context is currently under-researched.

Despite being endangered, the mountain gorilla (gorilla beringei beringei) is inextricably linked to tourism. With only 1069 primates globally, expanded conservation initiatives need to be extended to allow for continuous and sustainable benefits from gorilla tourism. This unique tourism niche has positively changed the economies of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where they are endemic. Vast opportunities emanate from the management and conservation of the great apes (e.g. poverty alleviation, economic growth, etc.). The study examined the management of mountain gorilla tourism and its socio-economic contribution to selected stakeholders in Butogota, a rural community next to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP). To achieve this, structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with six stakeholder groups. In order to gather samples for the study, convenience sampling and snowball sampling were used. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and analysed with the help of the constant comparative method. Key findings show that mountain gorilla tourism activities benefit people in a number of ways, including job creation, entrepreneurial opportunities and expanded local infrastructure. The study highlights key imperatives for the effective management of mountain gorilla tourism, including developing infrastructure, investment in training, empowerment of locals, controlled access, and more conservation and dealing with the persistent corruption problem.

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One of the fundamental ways of enhancing destination development and sustainability is through the satisfaction of the tourists, as it provides ripple effects for the destination. The purpose of this paper was to assess the value of integrating views of the tourists in the development of a resort destination - Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. The study followed a quantitative research design in testing seven critical elements of the tourism product drawn from literature which include accommodation, activities and tours, accessibility, attractions, facilities, image and price from the tourist visiting Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Data from 377 respondents were collected using systematic sampling and analysed using IBM23 Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The results of this study underscore the importance of integrating the views of tourists as a fundamental element in the growth and development of a sustainable tourist destination. The tourists’ evaluation of the seven elements of the tourism product further revealed the price of the offering as deeming too high, while attractions, image, accommodation and activities and tours were the outstanding elements of the resort destination’s tourism product. A mixed reaction (mainly neutral), were noted on the accessibility and the facilities of the resort destination tourism product.