Côte d’Ivoire approaches African Development Bank for $5.8bn support to enhance tourism

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

Ivorian Minister of Tourism Siandou Fofana recently presented a strategy document intended at making Côte d’Ivoire Africa’s fifth largest tourism destination and sought its support to implement the plan. The document entitled “Sublime Côte d’Ivoire” has been presented at African Development Bank’s Vice President who is responsible for Private sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization, Pierre Guislain, at the headquarters in Abidjan.

“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,” Minister Siandou Fofana opined. “One of these is the ‘Abidjan Business City’, which will be a central point for holding conventions in Côte d’Ivoire. We do not currently have a conference centre and we do not have a hall with the capacity to accommodate 5,000 people. There is, therefore, a need to move quickly in that regard,” he added, adding that the strategy will rest on nine new flagship projects and would require a USD 5.8 billion investment.

“We will also have a ‘beautiful beach for all’, with a 550-km coastline that has yet to be exploited. In addition, we will build a 100-hectare leisure park to be a place of entertainment for the sub-region, and develop press trips and seven flagship tourist areas,” he cited.

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