Standing in the middle: Dr Tony Elumelu, ECOWAS Director, Private Sector, speaking at the event in Abuja.
By Mark Longyen
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has solicited the collaborative efforts of stakeholders in the tourism sector with a view to bolster the sector for economic growth.
ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mrs Massandje Toure-Litse, made this known at a four-day workshop in Abuja aimed at strengthening subregional cooperation and networking opportunities to boost tourism in West Africa.
The event also aims to improve capacity building and the operationalization of the intraregional tourism within the region.
Toure-Litse, who was represented by the ECOWAS Director of Private Sector, Dr Tony Elumelu, emphasised that the workshop also aimed to foster a harmonized regulatory framework to propel tourism to new heights.
According to her, it will also build a sustainable foundation for growth and unparalleled regional collaboration.
The commissioner noted that by integrating tourism into the African Continental Free Trade Authority (AfCFTA’s) trade-in services agenda, ECOWAS envisioned a future where West Africa would proudly stand as a premier tourism destination.
She further said that this would go a long way to promote regional integration, foster innovation and drive economic resilience across the bloc’s member states.
Toure-Litse said the meeting sought to achieve the aforementioned outcomes, improve compliance with tourism regulations and policies, enhanced regional tourism cooperation and capacity building to implement the ECOTOUR 19-29.
She also noted that the event was a landmark effort toward elevating the tourism sector and build the capacity of tourism officials and regulators.
The commissioner added that this would enable them to identify and work with the visions and strategies that promote ECOWAS intra-regional tourism, as well as the holistic understanding of policies, standards and instruments that shape tourism.
