“The number of tourists visiting African countries grew by almost 8 percent last year — the fastest growth in the world, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization. This surge isn’t being driven only by visitors from Europe or Asia. It’s being driven in large part, experts say, by a growing African middle class that is exploring the continent for the first time…

Historically, the odds have been stacked against leisure travel here.

Most Africans still need visas to visit other African countries. Flights, too, are a challenge. Prices for flights within Africa are some of the highest in the world, and there are few direct ones. (I once had to travel via Doha, Qatar, on my way from Gambia to Namibia.)

But both issues have been improving in recent years.

Demand for air travel within Africa has been growing, and the more demand, the more airlines can put in place better routes. New airlines have sprung up across Africa; a journey from Accra, Ghana, to Johannesburg that once had to go through London or Dubai can now connect through, say, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, said Omoniyi Kolade, the chief executive of SeerBit, a company that handles cross-border transactions in Africa.

And many countries, including Benin, Gambia, Kenya, Ghana and others, have scrapped visas for African passport holders in recent years. That shift, one travel influencer told me, has been a game changer.”

From New York Times.

“Uzbekistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) exceeded €133bn in 2025, placing the country among the world’s 60 largest economies, according to estimates from the International Monetary Fund, cited by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in his year-end address. Nine years ago, Uzbekistan’s economy was valued at around €56bn, showing steady expansion over the past decade.

Economic growth has been accompanied by higher household incomes. According to President, GDP per capita reached €3,220 in 2025, compared with €1,750 in 2017.

President Mirziyoyev said that in 2025, about five million people gained a stable income, while at the same time, 1.5 million people moved above the poverty line.

Rising incomes have increased consumer spending. Five years ago, residents purchased around 210,000 apartments and 600,000 cars per year. In 2025, these figures rose to 270,000 homes and one million vehicles, reflecting stronger demand in the housing and automotive markets.”

From Euronews.

“A generation ago, Poland rationed sugar and flour while its citizens were paid one-tenth what West Germans earned. Today, the economy of the country has edged past Switzerland to become the world’s 20th largest with more than $1 trillion in annual output.

It’s a historic leap from the post-Communist ruins of 1989-90 to European growth champion, which economists say has lessons on how to bring prosperity to ordinary people.”

From Associated Press.

“China has achieved both economic growth and improved air quality during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

With GDP expanding by 30 percent, China saw its national average density of PM2.5 particulate matter fall by 20 percent over the past five years, said Li Tianwei, head of the ministry’s department of atmospheric environment, at a news conference on Friday.

During this period, the number of cities meeting national air quality standards increased from 206 to 246, a 20 percent rise, he revealed.”

From China Daily.