The Private Sector Directorate of the ECOWAS Commission is organizing a three (3) – day technical meeting for Tourism Experts, 3rd – 5th April 2023. The experts are expected to amend and validate the new regulatory texts for tourist accommodation establishments within ECOWAS region.
The ECOWAS Commission, as part of the implementation of its Revised Treaty, developed a Regional Tourism Policy accompanied by an ECOTOUR 19-29 Action Plan, with the collaboration of the Member States. The analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the ECOWAS destination has thus highlighted the weakness of the regulatory system and the low level of tourism services as a major handicap for the development of this sector whose potential could serve as a driving force for our economies.
To this end, the ECOTOUR 19-29, was developed in its program n°5, which dictates the development of the regulatory framework, hotels classification criteria and control systems.
While sourcing inspiration from international standards applied to tourist accommodation infrastructures around the world, the ECOWAS Member States wish, in a harmonized and innovative way, to define a new regulation by:
To this end, the ECOTOUR 19-29, was developed in its program n°5, which dictates the development of the regulatory framework, hotels classification criteria and control systems
The updating of the regulations responds to the major issues facing the West African region, namely:
The drafting process was divided into 5 phases that started in 2019. Phases 1 & 2 have come to an end with the provision of a preliminary draft of texts, amended and validated at Expert level by the Member States, which was followed by phases 3 and 4, with a focus on the following points:
By adopting the regulations of tourist accommodation establishments in Lomé, ECOWAS destination will now have a harmonized, standardized, qualitative and competitive accommodation offer composed of:
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).