Africa is a small but expanding region of the global tourism economy. This article has two objectives. The first is to provide a profile of tourism in Africa and indicate the continent's position in the global tourism economy. The second is to offer an overview of African tourism research and more specifically to highlight core issues in recent scholarship and debate about tourism development across the continent. The article argues that, at a time when many African governments and international organisations are acknowledging the developmental significance of tourism, a foundation of research is being consolidated to inform the development of new policy and initiatives for tourism in Africa.