Banjul: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced its ambitious plan to attract 10 million intra-community tourists to the West African subregion each year by 2029. Mrs. Massandje Toure-Litse, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, revealed this at a high-level capacity-building workshop in The Gambia on Tuesday.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Commissioner stated that this initiative aligns with ECOWAS’ commitment to leveraging tourism as a catalyst for economic growth. Represented by Dr. Tony Elumelu, Director of Private Sector, Toure-Litse highlighted the policy’s aim to position West Africa as a competitive global tourism destination. This renewed focus on tourism is driven by ECOWAS President Dr. Omar Touray’s recognition of the sector’s vital role in stimulating economic growth in the subregion.
The Commissioner further explained that the objective is to provide ECOWAS citizens with a seamless and competitive tourism experience, aligning with the ECOWAS ECOTOR policy. The training session aimed to address capacity gaps within the tourism sector, enhancing efficiency. Toure-Litse emphasized that the policy and training would tackle issues of tourism standards and job creation, particularly for the subregion’s youth and women.
Key elements of the policy include hotel classification and staff mobility, adhering to the region’s Protocol on Free Movement through cooperation and standardization. ECOWAS is set on creating a more resilient, interconnected, and thriving tourism sector, contributing at least 12 percent to the GDP of member states. The regional ECOTOR policy is designed to foster an integrated tourism community, enhance interstate tourism products, and boost the competitiveness of the tourism private sector.
Sheikh Tejan Nyang, chairman of the subregional project on hotel standardization, praised ECOWAS for selecting The Gambia as the training location. He noted that the five-day training aimed at supporting tourism operators acknowledges the sector’s significance in The Gambia’s economy. Tourism serves as the highest foreign exchange earner, contributing approximately $85 million annually, accounting for about 20 percent of the country’s GDP, and supporting around 42,000 direct and 40,000 indirect jobs.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that about 60 individuals involved in the tourism sector are participating in the training program.