2023-06-18 22:01:26
In Senegal, economic actors deplore the consequences of the current political crisis on the country’s activities. The tourism sector is particularly concerned regarding this. As the summer school holidays approach, RFI’s special envoy to Senegal went to Saly, a seaside town on the small coast, 85 kilometers south of Dakar.
From our special correspondent in Saly,
Saly is renowned for its fine sandy beaches and colorful fishing canoes. At the restaurant La cigale et la fourmi, we eat grilled fish and shellfish while looking at the sea.
But its owner, Massamba Gnieng, fears he won’t have the heart to sing all summer. “ With the events, there are quite a few people who have canceled their flights. Fortunately the Germans came during the low season, but if not in high season, it was going to ruin everything. When there’s no peace, we can’t work and it’s always like that. He fears that if the situation lasts, it will deter tourists from coming. “ The risk is that we no longer see tourists“, he insists.
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“We didn’t need that…”
It is especially in December that Saly fills up, but the summer period is always a busy time. This year, however, the outlook is darkening.
Laurent Pichon runs the Auberge Le Baobab. “For the hostel, we have a lot of cancellations. It’s 50, 60% less. And we don’t have a reservation.“Usually at this time of year, reservations abound. “For July and August in principle yes, we are almost full. And there we have nothing. After Covid-19, following all that, we didn’t need that.»
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Laurent Pichon does not know if things can be reversed by the summer. Like everyone else, he is hanging on to future announcements – whatever they may be – from President Macky Sall. “We wait, it’s complicated, but we can’t do anything else.»
“We cannot say that we are optimistic…”
The number of tourists who will fill the hotels depends on the crowds in the restaurants, and the participation in the surrounding excursions. The activities of all Saly workers also depend on it.
Djibril Cissé and Marceline Mireille sell coffee and fruit respectively on the roadside. “Many activities are slowed down and people feel it. Even we who do the little things, we feel it“, says Djibril Cissé.
Asked whether he is optimistic or pessimistic with the coming summer, the seller is adamant: “We cannot say that we are optimistic, because with the situation of the country, we cannot know. If the young politicians manage to ease the tension, maybe everything will start up once more, but if fewer tourists come this summer, it will have an impact in all households.“As for Marceline Mireille, she does not hide her concern: “We are worried regarding that, because there will be no client, it will be very difficult for us. We live with that. Paying for housing, my daughter’s school…»
In a press release released on June 13, the Senegalese Ministry of Tourism tries to reassure: “the safety of Senegalese in general, foreigners and tourists in particular, is at the heart of the security system», «Senegal remains a safe tourist destination. »
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