Barriers to sustainable tourism in Senegal

Abstract

This work is in line with the promotion of sustainable development initiated by the UNWTO in countries where tourism can be an essential vector of development and at the same time, in the development policy of the tourism sector in Senegal through the Emerging Senegal Plan (ESP). The tourism sub-sector generates nearly 75,000 jobs and is one of the largest providers of foreign exchange but its contribution to GDP remains modest. Tourism suffers from lack of connectivity to target markets, poorly diversified and insufficiently competitive supply, poor quality services, lack of trained and skilled manpower, and deficit of promotion of Senegal as a destination. It therefore includes, firstly, a survey of current barriers to sustainable development and, secondly, an analysis of hypotheses focusing on ways and means of financing sustainable development, access to greater social well-being and opportunities for sustainable economic growth, cultural heritage and biodiversity preservation, etc. Qualitative and quantitative surveys have made it possible, through their exploitation, to better identify practices that are conducive to a more productive and sustainable tourism implementation approach.