Tourism brand strategy for Africa
Africa is the fifth largest tourist destination among all continents. Every year 64.2 million people come to see it. It is surpassed by the Middle East, North America, Asia and Europe.
As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, countries have closed their borders, and Africa has suffered from this more than from the virus itself. To help people in these difficult times, the UN World Tourism Organization has launched a competition to create a tourism brand for the African continent.
A brand strategy that combats major stereotypes about Africa was created in Art. Lebedev Studio.
Why don’t people travel to Africa? Why, with all its variety, does it still place fifth? Stereotypes are a huge barrier for travelers and new discoveries. People have a number of preconceptions and think they know everything about the continent. But they don’t.
The nature
in Africa
is monotonous
AFRICA IS A CONTINENT THAT HAS EVERYTHING
It’s not just the endless savanna from The Lion King. It’s also an incredible animal and plant world: there area deserts, jungles, islands, Victoria Falls, Lake Tanganyika and coral reefs. The fauna here is extremely diverse, from beautiful butterflies to tigers and elephants.
Africa
is technologically
backward
AFRICA IS A CONTINENT WHERE TECHNOLOGY MEETS TRADITION
Thanks to the development of science, African countries place well in world medical tourism ratings. Local nomads have long been using solar panels and drones. And traditional safaris are now moving into virtual reality.
Africa’s
history
is scarce
AFRICA PRESERVES ANCIENT HISTORY AND CREATES A NEW ONE
Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and other countries of the continent have ancient roots: they were the birthplaces of great civilizations. In addition, the history of younger countries is being written before our eyes. Right now industry is developing there and integration is growing.
Africa is dangerous
and has no
tourism infrastructure
AFRICA OFFERS A GREAT SELECTION OF ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS AND SAFE ENTERTAINMENT
Accommodation booking websites are full of positive reviews and tourists happily share information about welcoming hosts. The coastal countries have wonderful beaches and exciting routes to explore. Travelers can enjoy the Milky Way in the night sky, surfing, rock climbing, diving and many other activities.
Africa
is a mono-racial
continent
AFRICA IS MULTINATIONAL AND VIBRANT
It is populated by the Arabs, descendants of European colonizers, native mid-continent peoples and many others. All of them have been mixing for centuries resulting in unique nations. They have different food, different culture and different mentality.
The We Don’t Know Africa brand strategy outperformed almost two hundred other submissions and made it into the list of top ten finalists.
Africa will be furiously popular!
For most people, Africa is terra incognita, a blank spot on the map. In reality though, it is remarkably diverse.
The darkness of ignorance and prejudice is shown as a blind black spot in which windows are cut through to reveal the true Africa, bright and interesting. Each bit of information that emerges from the black shows Africa from an unexpected angle.
The logo is designed to promote tourism not only on the continent as a whole, but also in each individual country.
The super dense display typeface makes any branded medium instantly recognizable.
At the core of the identity is a simple and effective tool: the contrast of monochromatic expectations and vivid reality. This technique allows to create media for any area in Africa. No need to invent anything new. Just let Africa be beautiful the way it is.
Africa is 20.4% of Earth’s surface area. One fifth of our planet, undiscovered by many people. Little by little, we will get to know it over the many happy years.
