Source: World Wide Web
(Author: West Africa Research Center Team, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Author: Bruce Emmanuel (Assistant, West Africa Research Center, School of Public Administration, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China), Translator: Meng Yaqi (School of Public Administration) [West Africa Talk] 2021, No. 11, 2021, No. 36. Finishing: Tan Menghan, Contributed by: Zhao Shurong)
In the first few issues of West Africa, we learned about Togo's agricultural development, education system and other contents together, and today let's walk into Togo's tourism together.
introduction
In 2016, the global tourism industry once again maintained its growth trend, with the number of international tourists reaching 1.239 billion, an increase of 3.9% over 2015. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the number of global tourists is expected to reach 1.322 billion in 2017, an increase of 6.7%. In 2016, the number of visitors across Africa increased from 62.5 million in 2015 to 62.9 million (an increase of 0.64%). The number of international visitors to sub-Saharan Africa increased by 8.9 per cent. The destination with the strongest growth in international arrivals compared to 2015 was Sierra Leone (+126%), followed by Nigeria (+50.5%), Burundi (+42.7%), Eritrea (+24.6%), Togo (+23.8%) and Madagascar (+20%). (Africa Tourism Monitor, Vol. 1, 2018)
Togo is a country located in West Africa, with a capital called Lomé. Togo borders Ghana, Burkina Faso and Benin. Togo has a total area of 56,785 square kilometres (21,925 sq mi). Togo was originally a German protectorate, named "Togoland". The population is about 7.2 million, almost 51% indigenous to religion, 29% Christian and 20% Muslim (CIA, 2014). French is the official language, but local languages such as Ewe and Mina, Kotokoli, Kabye and Dagomba (Gbedema, 2015) are also spoken. Agriculture and services account for the predominant contribution to domestic GDP, at 45% and 34% respectively (Asian Development Bank, 2011). One of the largest industries in the world is tourism, and it is destined to grow as people's incomes increase. In the early 1980s, Togo became a small sun, sea and adventure destination. Tourism is a major contributor to its economic development and a source of foreign exchange for its country, and is able to provide the country with corresponding employment opportunities.
Tourism in Togo
Sunshine, beaches and culture are all characteristic of Togo's tourism. However, limited infrastructure hinders the accessibility of these attractions and limits their appeal to visitors from all walks of life. In 2019, Togo received a total of 876,000 visitors, ranking 141st in the world. By correlating the number of tourists with the population of Togo, 11% of togo's residents are tourists, ranking 149th in the world and third in West Africa.
(Image source: Gbedema (2015))
Togo generates about $269 million in revenue on tourism alone. This is equivalent to 4.9% of its GDP and about 5% of all international tourism revenues in West Africa (World Data Information, 2020). However, Togo's tourism industry cannot be compared to that of neighbouring countries such as Ghana and Benin, whose tourist routes often eclipse Togo's tourism industry. In addition, the waterfront in downtown Lomé is a particularly undervalued tourist asset, caused by a lack of lighting, facilities or tourism infrastructure. Current challenges for Togo's tourism industry include the lack of government leadership, ineffective positioning and marketing of the tourism industry, lack of quality tourist attractions and lack of dedicated authorities.
The contribution of tourism to economic development
From 2001 to 2011, the development of tourism in Togo has improved tremendously due to its significant contribution to the economy. According to the World Bank's World Development Indicators, the number of international visitors to Togo has grown steadily, from 57,000 in 2001 to 300,000 in 2011. At the same time, tourism revenue accounts for an increasing share of the country's exports. （R.Pelizzo 2015）
Togo's history, art, culture, traditions and landscapes attract more and more tourists. In addition, more than three quarters of tourists come to Togo for commercial or business-related purposes (R. Pelizzo，2015）。 In addition, the development of tourism in Togo has contributed to the creation of jobs and the expansion of the labour market, and its contribution to the economy is remarkable. In 2019, togolese tourism contributed 8.4% to GDP. Tourism's contribution to Togo's GDP rose from 2.1% in 2000 to 8.4% in 2019 and grew at an average annual rate of 8.14%, and Togo seeks to increase the contribution of tourism to GDP to at least 10% by 2022, when the sector will also create at least 10,000 decent jobs. Lomé focuses on promoting and developing waterfront, cultural, sports and ecotourism, especially blue tourism.
Government investment in tourism
The Government of Togo and the Ministry of Tourism want to develop the sector to attract more investors, and the Ministry of Tourism wants to make Togo a regional hub for tourism. Togo, for example, grew by 46 percent in international tourist arrivals in 2017, ranking second only to Egypt. Compared to 2017, the number of arrivals and visitors increased by 26% to 712,000 tourists. In addition, hotel revenue was 48 billion XOF (3 billion XOF more than in 2017). At the same time, the number of tourists, hotels and rooms in Togo has increased. Tourism has a good future, creating wealth, business opportunities and jobs. For every additional 1,000 tourists visiting Togo, nearly 10 jobs are created, which makes a significant contribution to reducing unemployment (R. Pelizzo 2015）。 Regarding the revenue generated by each tourist, Lomé expects to reach nearly $700 by 2022, compared with $520 expected by the government in 2015. The Government of Togolese and the Ministry of Tourism of Togo want to diversify the provision of relevant value-added services, which should be achieved through systematic construction, investment facilitation and the consolidation of the legal and organizational framework of the industry.
Ecotourism: A key form of tourism in tourism
Despite the country's inadequate infrastructure and lack of high-quality accommodation, Togo is a treasure trove of biodiversity and is rich in biodiversity in its protected natural habitat. Natural wonders attract visitors from all over the world, and wildlife, diverse landscapes, stunning beaches and a pleasant climate are all perfect for travel. Today, a large number of tourists to Togo seek to experience the country's natural beauty first-hand, enjoy extreme sports and seek new adventures. In addition, the Togo Tourism and Development Foundation helps local communities develop new strategies to attract more visitors, providing opportunities for interaction with nature, adventure sports and exploration.
Tourism in Togo during the pandemic
Tourism is one of the industries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic and the outlook remains uncertain. Real GDP grew by 5% in 2018 and 5.5% in 2019, respectively, but only by 0.4% in 2020, due to the decline in foreign direct investment, portfolio investment and remittances, as well as slowing global trade. Despite prudent monetary policy, inflation more than doubled, from 0.7% in 2019 to 1.6% in 2020, largely due to supply disruptions. The budget deficit grew sharply, from 0.8% of GDP to 4.7% of GDP as the government tried to fight the pandemic, tax revenues fell, health spending increased, and the deficit grew slightly, from 2.2% of GDP in 2019 to 3.2% in 2020. The deficit did not rise further due to a slowdown in imports (African Development Bank, 2021).
The crisis has already had a major impact on tourism, threatening both direct and indirect employment. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) considers the economic contribution of Africa's air transport industry to be $55.8 billion, which could support 6.2 million jobs, or 2.6% of the continent's GDP. COVID-19 restrictions on international travel have affected African airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines, EgyptAir, Kenya Airways and South African Airways, which are large employers with links with other domestic businesses (PROPARCO, 2016). In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to partial unemployment of airline employees. Africa's tourism industry could lose at least $50 billion in revenue and 2 million direct and indirect jobs as a result of the pandemic (AUC, 2020). The overall impact of COVID-19 on the economies of major tourist countries will be well above the average for African economies. Tourism contributes more than 10% of GDP (in descending order of GDP percentages) to the following countries: Seychelles, Cape Verde, Mauritius, Gambia, Tunisia, Madagascar, Lesotho, Rwanda, Botswana, Egypt, Tanzania, Namibia, Comoros and Senegal. Economic growth in these countries is expected to decline to an average of -3.3% in 2020, while countries such as the Seychelles, Cape Verde, Mauritius and the Gambia will have a greater impact and are expected to decline to -7% at least in 2020 (AUC, 2020).
The Government of Togo has implemented measures such as a state lockdown and closure of borders, including a suspension of tourism, a two-week quarantine as a tourist, and social distancing. When imposing travel restrictions, adhere to the principle of risk-based. At the same time, based on interventions, testing and contact tracing of viruses and non-drugs, more and more destinations are being observed and protected. International visitors at the destination are required to provide a negative nucleic acid test certificate and provide contact details for tracking. The Ministry of Tourism and the Government of Togo have invested in and planned to use digital solutions and ICTs to promote tourism and improve the performance of the sector (Ayi Renaud Dossavi, 2020).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the priorities of the tourism policy set by the Government of Togo include the following: restoring tourist confidence; supporting the survival of tourism enterprises; promoting domestic tourism and supporting the safe return of international tourism; providing travellers and businesses with identified information; improving sectoral capacity to solve problems and narrowing sectoral support gaps; strengthening inter-state cooperation; and building a more resilient and sustainable tourism industry.
Center Introduction:
Established in April 2017, the West Africa Research Center of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China is a special research center jointly established by the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, the University of Ghana, the University of Coastal Cape Ghana, the Institute of Administration and Management of Ghana, the University of Education of Winniba, and the Development University of Ghana. The center relies on the School of Public Administration, with Professor Zhao Shurong as the director of the center.
The establishment of the West Africa Research Center is an important measure for the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China to practice the "National Philosophy and Social Sciences Going Global Strategy", and it is also a useful exploration for the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China to build an international interdisciplinary research system and build a new high-end "think tank". Based on the advantages of discipline and international exchanges in the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, the center will focus on the practical problems and needs of the development of West African countries, build a high-level international academic exchange platform based on the cultivation of international student talents, release research topics, carry out joint research, and provide high-level think tank services for China and West African countries.
Objectives and tasks of the Centre:
The West Africa Research Center will unite the member units of the five universities in Ghana, the West African Alumni Association of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ghana to focus on building a "1+1+1" new model of China-Africa cooperation that integrates the talent training base for international students, the academic exchange platform and the West African research think tank, namely:
1. Build a talent training base. The center will help expand the source of West African students coming to China, and enrich the multi-level international student training system of undergraduate, doctoral and master's degrees of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; Carry out overseas cadre training, teacher training, customized ICT and engineering training, student summer practice projects in West Africa, etc., and strive to build a diversified and characteristic overseas talent training base integrating academic education, on-the-job training and practical training practice.
2. Build an academic and cultural exchange platform. By regularly holding international academic conferences such as the "West Africa Forum", the China-Africa Friendship and Academic And Cultural Exchange Month, and promoting the overseas landing exhibition project of the 3D platform for cultural resources and the China-West Africa international industry-university-research cooperation project, the center will be committed to building a China-Africa exchange and cooperation platform that integrates academic, humanities, science and technology, etc., to improve the influence of China's universities and enterprises in Africa and enhance the soft power of culture.
[if !supportLists] 3. Establishment of a Think Tank for West African Studies. The Center will combine the disciplinary advantages and research characteristics of its member units, strengthen cooperation with West African think tank organizations such as the "Imani Policy Education Center" (Global Think Tank Ranking 113) and the "Institute of Statistics, Social and Economics" (Global Think Tank Ranking 164) in Ghana, strengthen joint research, publish and undertake research topics, provide policy advice for the Chinese government and West African countries, and develop into a West African think tank research center with certain influence.
In 2021, the Center for West Africa Studies of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China was successfully selected as the National and Regional Research Filing Center of the Ministry of Education.
Center URL: http://cwas.uestc.edu.cn/indexZh.html
WeChat public number: gh_bfde9ecc926a (public account name: West Africa Research Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China)
About us
Center for West African Studies
The Center for West African Studies of University of Electronic Science andTechnology of China is established through the platform of Ministry ofEducation of People’s Republic of China and resources of our partnership andalumni in West Africa.
The establishment of Center for West African Studies is in line withChinese National Philosophy and Social Sciences “Going Global” Strategy withthe need to improve the image of UESTC in West African countries; toenhance China’s influence in West Africa; to strengthen China-Africa collaborationsand to serve as a bridge for researchers and practitioners from China, WestAfrica and beyond to identify and meet the needs of West African development.
Our mission and goals:
1. Serve as a training base for international students at UESTC which willpromote cooperation and exchanges between West African universities and UESTCin aspects such as talents training, laboratory building and studentinternship, training and exchanges.
2. Build a high-level international platform of academic & cultureexchanges, promote research work to enhance understanding in African affairsand Chinese culture in West Africa by encouraging cultural exchanges with WestAfrican universities and institutes.
3. Foster collaborative research efforts to carry out high qualitypolicy-relevant and development-oriented research and disseminate the resultsto help policy makers in West Africa, aiming to become a top rating Think Tankthat will support West African development socially and economically.
In 2021, the Center for West African Studies of UESTC was accredited byMinistry of Education of China.
Website address: http://cwas.uestc.edu.cn/indexEn.html
Wechat official account No.: gh_bfde9ecc926a (Account Name: Center for West Africa Studies, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China)