RACINE SY AND COPITOUR IN CAPE VERDE: Tourism professionals from the ECOWAS region for inter-state tours

The Employers' Confederation of the Tourism and Hotel Industry of West Africa (COPITOUR/ ECOWAS) was the star guest at the international tourism and crafts exhibition (EXPOTOUR) of the Republic of Cape Verde, which was held in the enchanting setting of Sal Island.

Mamadou Racine SY, President of COPITOUR, was at the head of a large delegation of hotel professionals from Ivory Coast, Liberia, Togo, Gambia, etc., at the invitation of the President of the Cape Verde Chamber of Tourism and Hotels, headed by former Minister Jorge Spencer Lima.

The President of the Republic of Senegal, the current Chairman of ECOWAS, His Excellency Bassirou Diomaye Faye, will soon receive the COPITOUR. The same applies to the President of the ECOWAS Commission, General Birame Diop, based in Abuja. Furthermore, an international tourism fair for ECOWAS member states will be held as soon as possible to boost this cross-sectoral industry, a major source of employment, prestige, and foreign exchange for African countries.

Considered one of the top destinations in West Africa, Cape Verde pulled out all the stops with the participation of its Secretary of State for Tourism, José Pimenta Lima, and the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Antonio Duarte. These two high-ranking officials reaffirmed their commitment to facilitating COPITOUR's work.

COPITOUR/ is marking its territory and is increasingly establishing itself as the natural interlocutor for the 15 ECOWAS states in general and for the newly appointed President of the Commission in particular.

On a mission to Sal Island at the invitation of its Vice-President Spencer Lima, the umbrella organization for West African tourism and hospitality immediately praised the quality of the welcome and the hospitality of the Cape Verdeans.

For President Racine Sy, "ECOWAS countries, committed to promoting tourism, remain complementary. We are not competitors among ourselves, but rather with each other and other destinations. In truth, everything that happens in one ECOWAS country has a ripple effect on the others, especially since we share the same people and the same history." The idea is to work more effectively in synergy to organize successful COPITOUR trade shows around the world by moving beyond individualistic thinking and pooling ideas and efforts.

In a spirited speech, he also quoted former President Léopold Sédar Senghor, who spoke of biological mixing, intercultural dialogue, and the civilization of the universal. He then suggested that Cape Verde is the most complete example of such values.

Furthermore, Mr. Sy commended the commitment, humility, and professionalism of Spencer Lima, head of the Cape Verde Chamber of Tourism. Important announcement: President Diomaye Faye, the current Chairman of ECOWAS, is determined to raise awareness among his counterparts so that the Conference of Heads of State takes into account the concerns of the tourism and hospitality sector.

China and the BRICS in COPITOUR's sights

For his part, Moustapha Kane, Secretary General of the Federation of Employers' Organizations in the Senegalese Tourism Industry (FOPITS), announced the upcoming COPITOUR international trade fair, which will be held in one of the countries within the region. He also highlighted Cape Verde's impressive results in the tourism sector, driven by significant private and government investments, particularly in the promotion of leisure tourism.

COPITOUR also plans to expand its range of source markets. In addition to the European Union, China and the emerging BRICS countries will also be targeted for longer stays in West Africa. Diversifying tourism products (ecotourism, culture, crafts, religious tourism) is also a key objective.

Host of the COPITOUR delegation, Spencer Lima, himself Vice-President of the organization, expressed his honor at the visit of President Racine Sy and his delegation. The head of the local tourism chamber highlighted the undeniable progress in tourism in the Cape Verde archipelago, a country that has chosen to boost this sector, which now represents 25% (a quarter) of its GDP, thanks to significant investments. As a result, tourism generates over €15 million (10 billion CFA francs) in tax revenue for the central government alone.

Cape Verde is very popular with source markets, with nearly 2.5 million visitors and 700,000 tourists coming to the mythical island of Sal alone.

Besides Senegal, Gambia (President Kéba Ndiaye/ Cheikh Tidiane Niang), Ivory Coast (Alain Kouassi and his delegation), Liberia (Mrs. Mai Urey) and Togo (President Karoubé) attended this major event which took place in Cape Verde.