11. Tourism Marketing During and Post COVID-19 in Africa

Tourism marketing has been problematic during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Destination marketing has been difficult during and after COVID-19. There was a need to adapt and adopt new marketing strategies. This study aims to explore the marketing strategies, tactics, and policies, formulated and adopted to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in Africa and post COVID-19 to recuperate. A qualitative method was utilised to analyse relevant documents. The study findings are that tourism enterprises and authorities shifted their marketing goals, strategies, policies, and communication to adapt to the changing COVID-19 pandemic. The study also found that the target market also changed from international to domestic tourists while social media utilisation took centre. The study implies that destination marketing is heavily affected by unforeseen tragedies such as COVID-19 and continuous marketing improvement and innovations are encouraged. Tourism performance can be enhanced by responsive marketing communication strategies that ensure a positive reputation and brand image projection even in distressful environments. Positive word of mouth guarantees the reception of more tourists and business growth and achieving a sustainable competitive advantage.