African tourism: Côte d’Ivoire focuses on green tourism [4/5]

2024-08-21 22:05:37

Ivory Coast hopes to make tourism its third largest economic pillar by the end of 2025, with more than 350,000 tourists arriving last year, 5% of whom are now interested in green tourism. Among the attractions is Banco National Park, a forest of more than 30 square kilometers in the heart of Ivory Coast’s economic capital.

From our correspondent in Abidjan:

« Here we have a cheese maker. This is the chimpanzee’s talking tom voice », explains Somme Romaric. Romaric has been working as a forest guide in Banco National Park for about fifteen years, sharing his love for vegetation and animals with an ever-increasing number of visitors. Today, the park has more visitors than in previous years. He observed. On weekends, we can accommodate 500 to 800 people. On weekdays, we can reach 20 or 30 people. ».

Foreign and Ivorian tourists

Michelle is from northwest France. First visit to Cote d’Ivoire In the company of his son, daughter-in-law and grandson. ” We are from Brittany. We don’t have wild native forests like here. He stressed that he was attracted by the beauty of the Banko Forest. We saw lots of butterflies. Tree stumps that we don’t have at home, cheese makers, etc. We heard monkeys. Unfortunately, we didn’t see them yet! »

Besides expatriates, many Abhijanis also come in search of the green lungs of the economic capital.” I feel very relaxed. Judge Monique and her colleagues are here to relax. I like vegetation. It’s green and it’s natural. The air is fresh and we saw animals on the way. ».

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The “Noble Ivory Coast” Project

Companies are developing green tours and offering their customers the opportunity to get to know these atypical places in the country. This is the case of Parcours Côte d’Ivoire, which was built less than a year ago. For these tours you have to pay between 30,000 and 50,000 CFA francs, explains Ange-Trésor Kouman, marketing director. “ Still in Abidjan, there are Dahlia Part Nature Reserve, He listedIn China, there are also garden There are many national nature reserves, such as Tay National Parkthis Bandama Conservation Area… ».

The green destination is part of the “Noble Côte d’Ivoire” initiative launched by the Ivorian authorities. The project, worth 3.2 trillion CFA francs, aims to make the country the fifth tourist destination in Africa by next year.

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