(3 minutes read)
· The tourism sector in Senegal is facing a heavy decline in tourist arrivals amid Covid-19
· Tour operators, car rental companies, people who provide services to tourists are also affected by the heavy drop in tourist flow
· The growth in 2020 of Niger has slowed sharply to an estimated 1.3%, affecting mostly tourism and transport
The tourism sector in Senegal is facing a heavy decline in tourist arrivals amid Covid-19. Only a few hotels could survive the onslaught of the pandemic and are still keeping their operations intact and providing continuous employment to the people. The rest are languishing without any respite in sight. Some hotels are employing staff on a rotating basis. Yet, not many are lucky enough the keep their jobs intact. A lot have been retrenched and if the situation remains grim, several others also will be forced to retrench their skeletal staff.
Drop in tourist arrivals has had a chain effect. Tour operators, car rental companies, people who provide services to tourists are also affected by the heavy drop in tourist flow.
Since the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), the economy of Senegal has drastically changed. The growth in 2020 has slowed sharply to an estimated 1.3%, affecting mostly tourism and transport.
The region once a tourist’s dream destination, has been paying a very high price for the country’s instability. Western countries treat Niger as a “red zone” following the abduction of workers from the Areva mining firm in Arlit in 2010. The country is investing in tourism with a multi layered approach combining security and economy. Yet, it is still faced with the urgency of finding new solutions to its challenges.
