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Benin to create heritage promotion agency to boost tourism

Xinhua, May 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

Benin's government has decided to set up a heritage promotion and tourism development agency in order to boost the tourism industry.

The Minister of State and Secretary General of the Presidency, Pascal Koupaki, disclosed the plan at a press conference at the end of a council of ministers.

He lamented the weak contribution of the tourism industry to the country's economy.

Benin has "a natural rich cultural, artistic, architectural and archaeological heritages favorable to the development of tourism and cultural industry," he said.

"The contribution of the sector to the Gross Domestic Product is no more than 2.7 percent against an average of 9 percent at the African level," he deplored.

He attributed the modest performance partly to a lack of relevant strategies to develop tourism, which led to a low "enhancement" of tourist sites and absence of promotion action at both national and international levels. Endit