Bases para fomentar el turismo urbano de la capital económica de Costa de Marfil: Abidjan

Abstract

In this research, we explore the possibilities to promote tourism in the economic capital of Côte d'Ivoire. It is based on the premise that Abidjan has territorial resources capable of making this territory a tourist destination of reference on the African continent, if they are exploited in a sustainable manner. This would improve people's living conditions and help achieve the sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda. We approach the territory through the analysis of the social, economic and environmental dimensions, as fundamental for tourism development. Likewise, we analyze the importance of tourism in the productive structure of the country and the district of Abidjan, as well as the offer that our study area has and the demand trend. The foregoing has made it possible to detect that Abidjan has a great variety and diversity of resources capable of attracting tourists, and distributed throughout its territory. However, a large part of this tourist heritage is not valued or is not sufficiently valued. This favors the fact that in our study area there are numerous resources, but very few tourist products. As a consequence, the destination does not have a prominent position in international markets. In terms of demand, it has been discovered that a large part of the international tourists who visit the area are citizens of the African continent. Outside of Africa, Europe, led by France, is the main source of tourists to Abidjan. The study also reveals that, although various actions are being carried out by local administrations with a view to tourism development, the sector faces various difficulties for which it is urgent to find concrete and realistic solutions to improve both the tourist image and the positioning of the Abidjan destination in the main national and international tourist issuing markets. Based on these results, certain lines of urgent action have been proposed to try to solve the problems detected. Specifically, this work innovates in the proposal of bases for a future strategic tourism plan for Abidjan; as well as in the proposal of tourist routes that connect both cultural and natural elements.