News

Côte d’Ivoire seeks $5.8bn from African Development Bank to boost tourism

Côte d’Ivoire has submitted a plan to become Africa’s fifth largest tourism destination to the African Development Bank.

"Sublime Côte d’Ivoire" envisages a $5.8bn programme of construction to develop the west African country’s capacity over the next five year.

Côte d’Ivoire is seeking $5.8bn to invest in nine projects, including:

  • The development of beaches along its 500km coast
  • The creation of a 6,000ha land reserve
  • A 100ha leisure park to host entertainment events
  • A convention space, to be called "Abidjan Business City"
  • An increasing the annual airport capacity to 3 million
  • The training and certification of 230,000 professionals
  • Plans to strengthen security and healthcare.

Siandou Fofana, Ivorian minister of tourism, said: "We have come to share this new vision for Côte d’Ivoire with the bank and to secure your help and financial support. We need your help to pool resources to carry this project out.

"All this will drive employment and our intention is to create 375,000 jobs. From 2025, we plan to welcome 4-to-5 million tourists, (there were 3 million in 2016 and 3.5 million in 2017), to make this sector the fourth economic pillar of the country and to make Côte d’Ivoire the fifth biggest tourism power on the continent and the joint leader in African business tourism."

Image: Rocky coves on the Côte d’Ivoire (Carabiner/Dreamstime)

Story for GCR? Get in touch via email: [email protected]

Latest articles in News