Tourism is a catalyst for economic growth in Africa. This was a key theme during the United Nations World Cities Day celebrated today around the world.

The sector is especially important now when governments are seeking out ways to drive diversification as part of their growth strategies. African cities need to find efficient ways to develop into smart cities capable to not only attract visitors, but also to offer unique experiences and overcoming growing infrastructure demands. The Mastercard Global Destinations Cities Index (GDCI) provides insight into the motivations and travel spend of visitors - a prime driver for development in the sector.

The Index ranks 132 global destination cities in terms of visitor spend, and provides insight on the fastest growing destination cities, and a deeper understanding of why people travel and how they spend around the world. There were thirteen African cities ranked in the Index, indicating a great opportunity for tourism authorities to work together to better position the continents full and diverse offering. Cities ranked included: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Lagos, Casablanca, Cairo, Durban, Accra, Dakar, Entebbe, Tunis, Nairobi, Maputo and Beira.

To learn more about the top locations on the Mastercard Global Destinations Cities Index 2017, please visit: http://news.mstr.cd/gdci2017.