Aliou Sow, SAPCO Director General The Société d’aménagement et de promotion des côtes et zones touristiques (SAPCO Office for the development and promotion of the coastal and touristic areas) was started 45 years ago, in other words has 45 years of experience in the tourism trade. SAPCO’s Director General, Aliou Sow, talks about Senegal’s potential and its ambition to promote investments. What is SAPCO’s role in developing the tourism potential in Senegal? Senegal’s geographic location, its culture of democracy dating back to the early days, its political stability, natural potential, legendary hospitality called Teranga, and the sports and famous artists have opened worldwide horizons. Everything is there that makes a physically small country a major destination for tourist. As of 1975, the country’s leaders started thinking about creating Saly, a seaside resort on the Petite Côte. Sapco Senegal, supported by the World Bank, was put in charge of this ambitious project. Now Saly has 17 hotels, 35 hotel-like residences, more than 200 businesses, a financial center with the presence of more than 5 banks and credit institutions, and more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs, not counting the informal employment. In the tourism sector, Mbour is second only to Dakar. SAPCO is leading efforts to develop tourism and has six major tourism hubs throughout the country. What is preventing more foreign tourists from coming to Senegal? A study was conducted and a political strategy was defined. The main points of this strategy are
included in the Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE), on which the country’s economic and social policy is based. Senegal, hopefully, will receive three million tourists per year as of 2023, but to receive such a large number of guests will require preparation to receive the tourists, a diversified offer and high quality services. Travellers’ demands are not like they were in the 1980s and 1990s. Greater attention to environmental, social, political and cultural issues has changed the model. We feel comfortable about these criteria which should make Senegal even more attractive. If we manage to adapt our offer to the tourists’ requirements we can easily overcome any obstacles to dealing with a larger number of foreign tourists. The problem of infrastructure is almost solved thanks to the new Blaise Diagne International Airport, the renovation of regional airfields, and the connection to national highways. Are the Senegalese a good group to target? Do local people seem particularly anxious to travel inside the country? Our communication strategy must be considered at two levels: first, the acceptance of tourism as a lever of economic development especially at the local level, and second, as encouragement to the Senegalese to travel. We regularly talk with the people in the local communities. They are gradually understanding what is at stake and accept the tourism development projects. We are also seeing a real change in the reactions of a certain segment of the population, the younger people who have more purchasing power, want to get to know their country and now stay in hotels. These people could make tourism less seasonal than it is now. What flagship projects have been carried out by SAPCO in the tourism infrastructure sector? The tourism complex of Saly Portudal with its impact on the local economy and on the national economy was the first SAPCO-led
