The Tyranny of Travel: Re-framing Tourism Planning in Post-Conflict Sub-Saharan Africa

Authoritarian governance significantly hampers tourism potential in Sub-Saharan Africa, stifling economic growth and development. This study reveals that countries with prolonged leadership or recent political instability face severe declines in tourist arrivals, revenue, and infrastructure investment—such as Burkina Faso's Ruins of Loropéni, which saw visitor numbers plummet from 150,000 in 2015 to 50,000 in 2023. The research identifies key barriers, including insecurity, restricted access, controlled narratives, and elite capture, while proposing mitigation strategies such as strengthening democratic institutions, regional sanctions, youth empowerment through digital platforms, conflict resolution, and community-based tourism models. Drawing on systematic literature reviews and case studies—including successful examples from Botswana and Namibia—the study argues that post-conflict recovery requires innovative resilience strategies and effective destination image management to unlock tourism's economic potential.

Immy, U. J., Archibong, B. P., Archibong, J. N., Bassey, I. O., & Udofia, U. O. (2026). The Tyranny of Travel: Re-framing Tourism Planning in Post-Conflict Sub-Saharan Africa. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.22078506