Lomé Hosts Inaugural Tourism Week to Promote Local Sites and Culture

Culture

Tuesday, 30 September 2025 06:55

Lomé Hosts Inaugural Tourism Week to Promote Local Sites and Culture

(Togo First) - • Togo launched its first National Tourism Week (Sept. 29–Oct. 3, 2025) to promote domestic tourism and cultural heritage.
• The country recorded CFA49.9 billion in tourism revenues from WAEMU travelers in 2023, according to the BCEAO.
• Authorities plan cultural circuits, discounted tours, hotel promotions, and nationwide consultations with industry players.

Togo launched its first National Tourism Week (SNT) on Sept. 29 in Lomé, running through Oct. 3, 2025. The initiative aims to stimulate domestic tourism and showcase the country’s cultural and natural wealth.

Norbert Bara, representing the Minister of Tourism, officially opened the event. He said the program reflects the government’s commitment to reposition tourism at the center of national priorities.

“Tourism is a strategic lever for growth, a tool for job creation, a vector of social cohesion, and a means of international influence,” Bara said.

The SNT will serve as a platform to rethink domestic tourism practices. Authorities plan exchanges with operators and stakeholders across all regions to design concrete measures that encourage more Togolese citizens to visit national sites.

The program includes cultural and gastronomic circuits, guided tours at reduced prices, hotel promotions, craft and local product exhibitions, cultural performances, and practical workshops. Media and social media campaigns will run in parallel to encourage citizens to rediscover the country and support the local economy.

Tourism has gained importance in Togo’s economy since the Covid-19 crisis. The country earned CFA49.9 billion ($80 million) in tourism revenues from other West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) member states in 2023, according to the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO).

This performance positions Togo among the main beneficiaries of regional mobility in West Africa.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

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