Travel and Tourism - Congo-Brazzaville

Euromonitor International's Travel And Tourism in Congo-Brazzaville report offers a comprehensive guide to the market at a national level. It looks at travel accommodation, transportation, car rental, tourist attractions and retail travel. It identifies the leading companies and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market, including background information on tourism inflows, disposable income, annual leave and holiday taking habits.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Publication date: Apr-10

National stability is promising
After years of instability and civil war, Congo-Brazzaville appears to be developing into a relatively secure country, with good potential for development. The main cities of Brazzaville and Pointe Noire are now considered safe to travel to, but there is still sporadic rebel activity in the rural areas. Despite some oil reserves, the country remains poor and in need of investment, but recent political stability indicates the readiness of the population for progress and change. Tourism cannot yet claim to be a mainstream priority for the government; nevertheless, it has recognised the potential that exists and is taking some small steps to boost the tourism contribution to economic growth and development, which the country desperately needs. The historic French influence remains, as France is the main source of non-African visitors.

Focus on eco-tourism
In common with many of its close neighbours, Congo-Brazzaville has enormous potential for eco-tourism. It has a number of national parks which have an amazing variety of animal and plant life, and the World Conservation Society and the WWF have been instrumental in the effective running of these parks. Some of the animal attractions include gorillas, elephants, hippopotamus, leopards and sea turtles, and the parks are home to many rare birds. The eco-tourism industry is still in its infancy, however, but remains a government focus and priority, with help and assistance from the Leadership for Conservation in Africa (LCA).

Beach resorts offer diversity
Congo-Brazzaville has a coastline of 160km on the Atlantic Ocean. There is a small but thriving beach resort scene, which caters mainly to expatriates employed in the oil industry in Pointe Noire. Facilities include sea kayaking, water skiing and surfing and golf is available at an eco-friendly 18-hole course in Diosso. The beaches of the nearby Côte Sauvage are considered amongst the best in the region and there is real potential to offer beach holidays in combination with an eco-tourism adventure.

Transport infrastructure still needs huge investment
The transportation infrastructure remains poor and in dire need of investment. The civil war years badly damaged both road and rail links, and air transportation maintains important links between Brazzaville and the economic port Pointe Noire. The 1,120km of waterways remain vital for transporting goods and people throughout the country. However, recent news of investment by Korean and French consortiums promise improvements to rail, road and port facilities, which will boost travel throughout the country.

Challenge of presidential elections in summer 2009
Whilst Congo-Brazzaville has progressed to reasonable political stability over the last five years (especially when compared to its volatile neighbour, the Democratic Republic of Congo), presidential elections are scheduled for summer 2009 and this will be a crucial test for the country. The presidential elections of 2002 were condemned by international observers as being flawed, as the main political rivals of the current president Mr Sassou-Nguesso, were excluded. However, the one-time coup leader appears to have re-invented himself as a peacemaker and is now regarded as a stabilising force within the region and was elected leader of the African Union in 2006. The elections are expected to be peaceful. However, as recent events in Kenya and Zimbabwe showed, presidential elections can prove catastrophic to a country’s stability.