On the 19 April 2018, the European Council of Tourism and Trade nominated Djibouti the “World Capital of Culture and Tourism” and named President Ismail Omar Guelleh an honoris causa member of the Global Academy of Tourism.
The President of Djibouti received the award from the President of the European Council of Tourism and Trade, Professor Dr Anton Caragea, and the Director of the European Academy of Tourism, Mircea Constantinescu. Upon receiving the award, the President stated: “This award is proof that Djibouti has chosen the right path by making tourism a pillar of development.”
“Djibouti has opted for niche tourism, tourism which unites individuals, cultures and civilisations. It is a tourism which plays an important role in cultural dialogue and in peaceful coexistence. It is a tourism which balances our development objectives with a requisite protection of our social, cultural and environmental heritage.”
A key sector enhanced by landscapes with unique geological treasures
This award indeed does confirm the wealth of potential which lies in the Djiboutian tourism sector. Only recently, Djibouti was listed as one of the ten best tourist destinations of 2018 by Lonely Planet, the renowned travel guide. The country, perhaps an unexpected tourist destination, has unique landscapes full of geological treasures.
This award indeed does confirm the wealth of potential which lies in the Djiboutian tourism sector. Only recently, Djibouti was listed as one of the ten best tourist destinations of 2018 by Lonely Planet, the renowned travel guide. The country, perhaps an unexpected tourist destination, has unique landscapes full of geological treasures.
Vision Djibouti 2035, the long term strategic vision for the country, holds tourism as one of the key sectors for economic diversification. The plan has set the country a target of multiplying the number of tourists by 10 within the next 10 years by playing to its strengths:
- A rare array of geological treasures: salt lakes, extinct volcanoes, rift valleys, limestone chimneys spewing steam, basaltic plateaus and majestic canyons.
- Lake Assal which, at an altitude of 153 metres below sea level, is the lowest point in Africa.
- Outdoor activities such as hiking, kite surfing and, of course, diving to see whale sharks in the Gulf of Tadjourah.
