Minister Siandou Fofana before seeing his department’s program budget unanimously adopted by the Senate on Friday, December 11, declined the objectives for 2021.
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In his framing statement vis-à-vis the parliamentary institution, he indicated that the Government’s ambition for the 2021/2023 deadline is ” Make the Tourism and Leisure sector more dynamic, and able to contribute up to 10% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP); while making operational, “Sublime Côte d’Ivoire”, the National Tourism Development Strategy ”.
Siandou Fofana explained the main axes of the activities of the department for which he is responsible for the coming year, with a practical impact that extends until 2023. This Program Budget will implement 5 programs that will have to be executed, from the general administration of the ministerial department to special accounts, through an offer of attractive tourist products, the promotion and relevant positioning of Leisure. All with well-defined performance indicators.
Resilience despite a 70% negative impact due to Covid 19
Thus, he explained to elected officials, the above-mentioned global objectives of the Ministry of Tourism and Recreation for the coming year, taking into account the induced effects of Covid 19 which have negatively impacted the entire ecosystem, around 70%, but have demonstrated, however, its resilience. The keys to bounce back, according to the minister, are focused on the reactivation of domestic tourism to enhance and promote, and which involves the implementation of a modern and efficient administration, a quality offer, trained and qualified staff , the compliance of Tourism and Leisure establishments. All in the light of “Sublime Côte d’Ivoire”. Which remains the matrix for the visibility and attractiveness of the Ivorian destination, nationally, regionally and internationally. Moreover, Siandou Fofana, in addition to the various interministerial funds that have been allocated to actors in the tourism industry, including the most recent and specific of FCFA 1.5 billion for the benefit of bars and nightclubs, indicated that the government is working to support the sector to relaunch its activities.
To the senators of the Commission of Economic and Financial Affairs, the Minister of Tourism and Recreation specified that the strategy “Sublime Côte d’Ivoire” envisaged direct investments of the order of 3200 billion FCfa, one part of which consists of territorial development outside Abidjan. With the Covid 19 pandemic, this necessitated an aggiornamento which, in 2021, will have to put several programs in motion to boost domestic and regional tourism, while relying on the performance of the Tourism and Leisure administration in end of structural and functional reforms to lead the response to the downside of Covid 19 effectively. All aiming for convincing results by 2023, the year in which Côte d’Ivoire will host the African Cup of Nations (Can 2023) of football.
Dircom Mintour & Loisirs
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