This New Study Pulls Back the Curtain on Luxury Travel in Africa
Last Updated on: 20th August 2025, 04:40 pm
A new study from the University of Manchester has dropped a reality check: while Africa’s luxury tourism market is booming, much of the “high-value, low-impact” promise might just be marketing talk.
Researchers found that many all-inclusive resorts and eco-lodges largely isolate guests, reduce opportunities for local hiring, and funnel profits out of host communities through overseas vendors and agencies.
That means the showcase savannah stays can actually deepen inequality rather than empower it.
In East Africa, especially in Kenya and Tanzania, tensions are brewing.
In Kenya’s Maasai Mara, legal action is underway to stop a planned Ritz-Carlton safari lodge. Meanwhile, in Tanzania, locals have protested forced evictions tied to tourism developments.
Unique insights
We’ve all swooned over lodge brochures featuring private plunge pools and panoramic views.
But this study throws a spotlight on the critical human cost of crafting an insulated luxury bubble. For readers of luxury family and wellness travel—or anyone truly committed to responsible tourism—this is more than academic.
It’s a call to look beyond the plush and picturesque, to dig into who profits, who works, and who’s being pushed aside.
Our Take
I’m personally unsettled—and honestly, a little angry—reading this study. I love discovering beautiful, well-run resorts, but it stings when I realize the glitz may come at the expense of local lives.
When I plan travel—whether for wellness or family—I want everyone to win: the guest, the staff, and the wider community.
I’m lucky to have visited and worked with lodges that practice transparency, hire 90% locals, use local produce, and reinvest in education or conservation. That model gives me hope.
And going forward? I’m doubling down on seeking–and spotlighting–experiences that give back more than they take.
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