The Director General of the Burkinabè National Tourism Office (ONTB), Marguerite Doannio, on Tuesday invited her fellow citizens to practice domestic tourism to save a sector affected by the security crisis.

‘We strongly encourage Burkinabè people to discover and explore the wonders of their country,’ declared the Director General of the Burkinabè National Tourism Office, Marguerite Doannio, in an interview with the AIB, on the occasion of the day world tourism, celebrated every September 27 since 1980.

She explained that the promotion of internal tourism is the alternative found to maintain this vibrant sector, during this period of security crisis that Burkina Faso is going through.

‘The alternative that we found, while waiting for the return of incoming tourists, is to encourage the Burkinabés themselves to practice tourism to keep this sector alive,’ suggested Marguerite Doannio.

She stressed that internal tourism has a real economic impact thanks to the creation of numerous jobs.

According to Ms.
Doannio, it also offers a unique opportunity to create ‘unforgettable’ memories, to strengthen Burkinabè cultural identity and to contribute to the development of local communities.

‘Burkina Faso is a country rich in cultural diversity, with beautiful landscapes and historical treasures,’ continued Ms. Doannio.

At the same time, she reassured foreign tourists and invited them to reconnect with the destination Burkina Faso.

‘Come visit Burkina Faso because we always have sites and tourist attractions that we can visit’ says Benjamine Doanio.

‘During this year, we organized major events such as the Ouagadougou Pan-African Cinema and Television Festival (Fespaco), the Ouagadougou International Crafts Fair (SIAO) and the National Culture Week (SNC). ).

Which quite simply means that Burkina Faso is still a popular destination,’ recalled Marguerite Doannio.

As a reminder, since the start of the security crisis in 2015, the number of foreign tourists has fallen in Burkina Faso.

‘Many tourism workers have lost
their jobs due to the closure of businesses or the reduction of activity, all of which affects the national economy,’ lamented Ms. Doannio.

To compensate for the drop in foreign tourists, the Burkinabè National Tourism Office launched this year the first edition of the domestic tourism promotion season in Bobo-Dioulasso which took place from July 14 to 16, 2023.

In Burkina Faso, World Tourism Day will be celebrated this year, around the theme: ‘tourism for green investments’.

Marguerite Doannio maintained that the ONTB works to promote ecotourism, anything that fits with the theme of this day.

Source: Burkina Information Agency