By Sofia Ali,Standard Business

Copyright standardmedia

Tourists watch the wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara National Reserve. [File, Standard]
Even though the tourism industry has made major strides in recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, the sector is still struggling with digital transformation.
This was revealed during the two-day Africa TravelTech Summit and Expo 2025 in Nairobi. The event aimed to chart a path for tech-driven growth in the continent’s recovering tourism industry.
Sherif Riad, the Global Commercial Director at Tourmind says there is a massive opportunity in the African tourism market, but many players still lack the information and support needed to adopt technology. “We need targeted awareness efforts so operators can fully harness the benefits of digital transformation,” he said.
Purple Elephant Ventures CEO Ben Peterson, emphasised that while travel technology has massive potential, the tools currently available are often not built for the African context.
“Tourism technology can help bring more visitors into the region and also streamline how tourism organisations operate,” he said. “But most of the tools in the market were built for other regions and don’t always fit our local realities.”
He noted that although over $12 billion has been invested in African startups across various sectors over the past five years, very little of that capital has gone into travel innovation. This lack of investment signals an untapped opportunity for innovation. Moreover, he noted that many tourism operators across Africa struggle with low digital literacy, making it essential for tech companies to provide user-friendly solutions along with hands-on support.