Benin is looking forward to deepening cooperation in tourism growth strategy with China, a top tourism official of Benin told Xinhua in an interview.
"Benin has entered into a joint venture with a Chinese company to build all the memorial heritage property of Benin, which includes the museums of Abomey, Portonovo and the entire historic city of Ouidah," said Jose Pliya, managing director of National Agency for the Promotion of Heritage and the Development of Tourism.
"This is a great partnership with the Chinese investors which will contribute to the growth of our tourism industry," Pliya said.
Benin has great potential for tourism development, but few have been explored, said Pliya on the sidelines of a tourism conference held in Kigali, capital of Rwanda.
Tourist attractions in Benin range from wildlife, religion of Voodoo to grand palaces and temples. Abomey, the capital of the Dahomey Empire declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the top tourist attractions in Benin, with ruins of royal palaces and temples being its main attractions.
The four-day 41st Annual World Tourism Conference kicked off on Monday with a focus on promoting tourism as an engine for economic growth and job creation across Africa.
The West African country's tourism industry contributes to 2.6 percent of GDP and accounts for 5.6 percent of all jobs. Tourism is the country's largest source of foreign exchange earnings behind cotton, according to the agency.
Pliya said the government of Benin targets to expand tourism from 2.6 percent to 10 percent of GDP in ten years.
According to him, the government of Benin decided to focus more on tourism to promote the steady development of society and economy and to create job opportunities for the youth.
"Renewal of the current and historic city, including a faithful recreation of the old town and redevelopment of the forts, promotion of heritage and culture, including the construction of a memorial path and the redesign and improvement of the historical tour, and as well as the development of seaside tourism along the Atlantic Ocean is key towards unlocking our tourism potential," he said.
The official said Africa should adopt policies which strengthen inter-social linkages, boost international tourism and promote peace and conducive environment for investments to better harness the potential of the tourism sector and to contribute to inclusive growth, structural transformation.
