Spain Wants to Mentor Africa on Sustainable Tourism

25.08.2023 - 13:50 / skift.com / Selene Brophy

African countries want to up their sustainability tourism game and are considering the example set by the City of Málaga in Spain.

This small European city, with a population of about 570,000 people and an airlift capacity of some 16 million passengers to its Málaga International Airport, believes it is best placed to school Africa on sustainable practices as part of its host bid for Expo 2027. But who benefits the most?

Málaga’s bid to create “sustainable cities” through skills-sharing pilots with several African countries would roll out between now and 2027, if its bid is successful. The project hinges on its 30-year effort to transform itself from one of the “ugliest, dirtiest, and worst cities in the world” to the cultural and heritage tourism hub it is today, according to Málaga’s head of tourism, Jonathan Gomez Punzon.

Home to some 650-plus global tech companies, Punzon said the city had demonstrated advanced sustainable tech initiatives, which he outlined as part of its proposed Expo 2027 bid project, and discussed during a ministerial roundtable at World Travel Market Africa held in Cape Town this week.

Interesting use of travel tech and AI by tourism in Malaga – highlighting its push to host Expo 2027 focused on "the urban era: towards the sustainable city" #WTMAfrica pic.twitter.com/qyIZfR5Ike

Expo, held every five years, was established in 1931, and themes focus on “fundamental challenges that face humanity,” according to its parent body Bureau International des Expositions (BIE). It also selects host candidates from its 168 member countries.

Each member country pays a membership fee that varies but could be as much as $33,000. The U.S. was participating as an exhibitor until 2017, but not paying as an active member, excluding it from submitting any host bids. However, since rejoining, Minnesota has qualified as a possible host for the upcoming Expo. Minnesota’s Expo 2027 bid is “Healthy People, Healthy Planet – Wellness and Well Being for All.”

Malaga and Minnesota are two of five candidates for Expo 2027. The others include Phuket, Thailand; Belgrade, Serbia; and San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina — with the final host city announced in June 2023.

The event, held in two formats of either a World Expo or a Specialized Expo, could draw some 70 million visitors over its duration of up to six months. It has yet to be held on the African continent, although Expo Dubai 2020 was the first Expo held in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia region.

Expo Dubai was delayed to 2021 due to the Covid pandemic, but saw attendance in excess of 24 million visitors. The full investment cost and return for hosting an Expo, considering noting there are registration fees for hosts and exhibitors too, is