Ouagadougou—The South-Central region has gained the spotlight as the guest of honor at the special edition of the Ouagadougou International Tourism and Hospitality Exhibition, also known as SITHO-VITHRO. The event aims to showcase the tourism capabilities of the region, which is rich in both natural and cultural assets.
According to Burkina Informational Agency, the regional director of culture, arts, and tourism of the Center-South region, the exhibition serves as a vital platform for promoting tourism’s contributions to the country’s development. “Tourism is a sector that strongly contributes to the development of our country in terms of promoting our natural and cultural heritage, economic benefits, job creation, infrastructure development, and visibility,” he stated.
Geographically, the South-Central region is bounded to the north by the Central region, to the east by the East Central and Central Plateau regions, to the west by the West Central region, and to the south by Ghana. Comprising three provinces—Zoundwéogo, Nahouri, and Bazèga—the region has 16 rural communes, 3 urban communes, and 19 departments. Covering an area of 11,327 km², it had a population of 788,341 as of the 2019 general population and housing census conducted by the national institute of statistics and demography (INSD).
Yaméogo emphasized that the South-Central region offers more than 20 distinct tourist attractions. These include the Pic du Nahouri, which has an altitude of 447 meters, and the Wedbila demonstration farm. Other attractions are the Oualem elephant camp and the Nazinga game ranch, which spans 97,000 hectares for big game hunting and an additional 20,000 hectares for photo safaris.
The region is also home to unique cultural features such as traditional habitats adorned with murals from the Kassena and Nakana peoples, the royal palace of Tiébélé built for defense during wartime, and the Nanyimi mosque, constructed in 1850. Furthermore, the region offers a variety of traditional dances and songs, like djendjéré and warba dances, as well as djénéga and djongo.
Modern hotel infrastructures, including Le Zanali hotel, are also present in the region’s capital, Manga, and its two other provinces, offering quality services to visitors.
Yaméogo believes that SITHO-VITHRO serves as a significant lever for the sustainable development of the country, given its focus on such a resource-rich area.