The tourism and leisure sector in Africa offers enormous opportunities to drive economic growth, job creation and prosperity across the continent. New technologies, digital innovations and artificial intelligence are paving the way for a new era of digital transformation that can unlock the full potential of a country's tourism industry.
The Ministry of Tourism and Leisure of Côte d’Ivoire welcomedDIGITOOURISM Forumon July 31 in Abidjan, which brought together leaders from the public, private and technological sectors, to explore concrete actions and new collaborations to build modern, connected, sustainable and sovereign Ivorian tourism. Cybastion was a sponsor of the forum and participated in a series of strategy sessions.
The DIGITOOURISME Forum unveiled theeTourism platform, a global online platform designed to enhance the travel experience for tourists and streamline processes for government and tourism businesses. This online platform – a public-private partnership between Cybastion and the ministry – will leverage innovative digital tools to position the country as a leading global destination, improve governance within Ivory Coast’s tourism and leisure sector and generate new sources of revenue.
The eTourism platform is expected to launch later this year. This partnership will be executed over a period of 10 years.
During the Forum, a strategic agreement with key stakeholders was signed to accelerate digital innovation in the Ivorian tourism and leisure sector. Signatories included the Ivorian Ministry of Tourism and Leisure; sectoral associations representing tourism and leisure
businesses, including national federations and professional bodies; and technology and institutional partners supporting digital innovation and technology adoption.
The pact aims to strengthen a shared commitment to improve performance, innovation, inclusion and sustainability within the country’s tourism and leisure sector.Yves de Lamotte Yoboué,Project Director for Cybastion's Digital Solutions Business Unit, signed the strategic pact on behalf of Cybastion.Dr Yaya Sylla,CEO of Sah Analytics andSébastien Ellepo, CEO of NGSER were other signatory technology partners.
The strategic pact describes the main commitments of:
- The Ministry of Tourism and Leisurestrengthen digital infrastructure, implement a favorable and secure regulatory framework; integrate artificial intelligence ( AI ) and digital technologies into public policies; facilitate access to data and digital tools for public and private actors; and coordinate stakeholders around a common roadmap.
- Technology partnersagree to provide tailored expertise, training, mentoring and digital solutions including AI, Big Data, Internet of Things (IOT), booking platforms and chat assistants. The partners will also work to improve the interoperability of digital platforms, encourage the growth of startups in tourism innovation, and engage in strategic discussions on the responsible and inclusive use of technology.
- Sector associations representing tourism businessesagreed to inform their members, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), of the importance of digitalization. The associations will promote collective projects aimed at strengthening the digitalization of businesses, improving service and management standards through digital solutions and supporting innovation and technology adoption within the sector.
To monitor progress and ensure accountability, a multi-stakeholder monitoring committee will be created. This committee will regularly evaluate the progress of digital transformation efforts, recalibrate as necessary, and report on progress.
RELATED LINKS:
Information sheet on the eTourism platform EN | EN
Ivorian tour operators explore how eTourism platform will boost tourism industry
Cybastion and the Ivorian ministry sign a $23 million PPP for the digitalization of tourism
