Project title:  DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM COMPLEX IN BAZOULÉ 

Country:   BURKINA FASO

Region: AFRICA

Current status:       Ongoing       Concluded

Duration (est.)/dates: July 2009 – December 2010

Partner entities:  Association Tourisme et Développement (ADTB); Government of Burkina Faso – Ministry of Tourism, National Tourism Office; Government of France – Department of Belfort; ARTOUDE Association

Source(s) of Funding: ST-EP Foundation

Executing Agency: Association Tourisme et Développement (ADTB)

Main project objective: to increase the income generated from tourism in Bazoulé and to create opportunities for the youth by developing a tourism complex and diversifying the offer.

The town of Bazoulé is located 30 km away from Ouagadougou in the province of Kadiogo (Tanghin-Dassouri) and its local economy is based on subsistence agriculture and stockbreeding. In 1999, the Association Tourisme et Développement (ADTB) was created with the aim to developing alternative livelihoods for the community. The sacred pond of crocodiles is the main tourism attraction in Bazoulé, which received over 2,500 visitors per year before the project started. However, their length of stay was limited, because no accommodation facilities were available in Bazoulé.

Activities:

Activities were divided in various components.

1. Construction and equipment of the complex: for the construction of the complex TANGA ZOUGOU, local people were employed and local materials were used. The complex is operational since February 2010 and has a capacity of 30 beds and a restaurant.
2. Capacity building for the complex staff: training sessions for the members of the ADTB and the complex staff were organized on the following topics: hospitality and reception, cooking and restaurant, hygiene, accommodation, guiding techniques, business management, marketing and accountability.
3. Development of income generating activities: training for artisans and farmers was organized with a view to developing a sustainable value chain. In total, 118 people – out of which 67 were women – participated in 3 training courses. A showroom for the local products (honey, handicrafts, fruits etc.) of the women association ASFUD was set up. Arrangements are ongoing with the Savings Bank to establish selection criteria and to train the Local Committee that will oversee the distribution of small credits.
4. Product development: access to the crocodile pond has been renovated and a plan to refurbish the museum “Palais Royal” has been developed by the Department of Belfort. Different excursions have been developed by various project partners with a focus on sharing local traditions with the visitors.
5. Promotion: brochures were developed, printed and distributed to hotels and travel agents in Ouagadougou and during SITHO fair and FESPACO festival.

Main project outputs/deliverables:

1. The complex is successfully managed by ADTB: The president of ADTB is young and motivated. He is helped by a team of 22 committed community members. Some artisans and additional community members also collaborate with the complex on a temporary basis. Clear prices have been fixed for the 16 accommodation (FCFA 1,500 – 3,000) and the meals (FCFA 1,200), which are prepared with local produce, and a reservations planning is in place.
2. The offer is diversified: In addition to the accommodation and the restaurant, the complex is offering excursions of different duration (2 hours to full day) through which the visitors can get to know the village and its traditional culture, visit the sacred crocodile pond or see the turtles, go to the market and/or encounter the artisans. It is possible to rent a bike to go on the excursions. A satisfaction questionnaire is handed to visitors and shows that although there is still room for improvement, the quality is steadily getting better.
3. The number of visitors is increasing: In 2010, 174 visitors spent a night in Bazoulé and an average of 218 meals per month was sold. The number of visitors to the site increased to 7,300 (the baseline was 2,500 visitors before the project). Bazoulé has been included in a circuit promoted by MOWGLI Tour Operator.

Remarks: The project has been successful in developing the tourism complex, diversifying the offer and attracting more visitors to Bazoulé. The complex has generated benefits for the community during the first year of operation. The occupancy rate is still modest (5%) and about half of the planned direct jobs were created. Therefore, further promotional activities are required to increase the number of visitors, ensure sustainability and maximize the return on investment.