Development of a National Sustainable Tourism Strategy in Burkina Faso

One of the key recommendations that emerged from Burkina Faso’s 2018 National Policy Dialogue was the need to develop a national strategy and action plan that promotes sustainable tourism. In that context, Burkina Faso’s Ministry of the Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change, in collaboration with other ministries, committed to transforming the tourism sector so that it better integrates the three components of sustainable development – the environment, economy, and community. 

In 2019, UNEP, which implements the SWITCH Africa Green programme, signed a legal agreement with Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change to undertake the preliminary and foundational work of creating a sustainable tourism strategy, which included assessing and documenting the best practices of sustainable tourism so they can be replicated. A draft national strategy (2020-2025) and draft action plan (2020-2022) to promote sustainable tourism have been approved.