JOHANNESBURG - The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) on Monday said African countries have potential to grow tourism if they improve the visa regime and integrate technology into the sector.

The sector is growing and have a potential to be the major contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP) in the continent if well managed, the WTTC Research Director Rochelle Turner told Xinhua in an interview.

According to studies, travel and tourism's contribution to GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa is forecast to rise by 4.4 percent per year to 2028.

"We encourage the continent to diversify national economies, improve regional integration and ultimately, to grow travel and tourism, by continuing to liberalize visa regimes, improve connectivity and embrace technological change," said Turner.

"While visitors from countries requiring visas represent less than 10 percent of all visitors to South Africa, there is an opportunity to consider improving travel facilitation to support further sector growth in the country," she said.

Turner pointed out that one in five jobs around the world were created by travel and tourism in 2017. She said the sector is the best partner for governments to generate employment and provide livelihoods, particularly for women and youth.

Turner said freeing the airspace will improve the sector and benefit South Africa immensely and also other countries.