New ATTA report reveals how today's global tourism trends originated in Africa
ATTA releases 'Rooted in Africa' at Indaba 2025, reframing wellness, sustainability and slow travel as traditions born on the continent.
DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – The African Travel & Tourism Association (ATTA) haslaunched a new report at this year's Africa Travel Indaba that challenges how global tourism trends are understood, and where they started.
Titled 'Rooted in Africa', the publication shows how today's most talked-about concepts – wellness travel, sustainability, slow travel and authenticity – are not recent innovations but longstanding practices across African communities.
'What the world now celebrates as innovation is how Africa has always travelled,' says Kgomotso Ramothea, CEO, ATTA Memberships. 'We don't need to reinvent ourselves to stay relevant. We need only recognise the value of what we already have and tell that story with clarity and pride.'
The report includes contributions from leading voices across the continent including Singita, Green Safaris, Jacada Travel, Natural Selection, Lemala Camps & Lodges and African Bush Camps. It highlights locally grounded approaches such as:
Wholeness-based wellness models rooted in ancestral wisdom
Community-led conservation that predates ESG frameworks
Slow safari journeys shaped by patience and presence
Cultural exchange based on lived experience rather than performance
'When we recognise that Africa hasn't been behind but ahead all along, we change not just how the world sees us, but how we see ourselves,' continues Ramothea. 'That's where true transformation begins.'
ATTA (The African Travel and Tourism Association) is the leading pan-African trade association promoting tourism to Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. Known as the 'Voice of African Tourism,' ATTA® serves over 900 member businesses, including accommodation providers, tour operators, and travel specialists. It provides accurate industry news, hosts networking events and trade shows, and delivers valuable member training and resources.
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