Pointe Denis is a tourist site close to Libreville, between forest, savannah, ocean and rivers but above all elephants, buffaloes, turtles and many other animal species that inhabit the forests and the Congo Basin. RFI went to meet tourists and employees in the sector.
With our special correspondent at Pointe Denis, Yves Laurent Goma
8 hours at the landing stage of Michel Marine. Many tourists rush to board the pleasure boats. Direction Pointe Denis, a magnificent tourist site located just 15 minutes from the capital, in the Pongara National Park. Among the tourists, Madame Grondin and her two children, who came from France.
” It had been four years since I had set foot in Gabon. Because of the corona, you had to get vaccinated, there was so much hassle “, she says. Her daughters have only one desire: to see turtles and dolphins.
Nora has worked for four years in a hotel in Pointe Denis. “ Business has picked up, there are crowds. It’s nice for employment, for Gabon… “, she rejoices.
At his side, Patrick Ogandaga, tourist guide at Turtle Bay. ” In Pongara Park, there are elephants, buffaloes, chimpanzees, antelopes and so on. »
The return of tourists also suits these peasants whose villages are part of the circuits. ” When they [les touristes, NDLR] arrive, they pass through all the villages and that also makes the villagers live. »
In addition to tourists, Gabonese also take real pleasure in returning to their villages. For the past two years, you needed a pass and a PCR test to go from one province to another.
■ The profession’s point of view
Christian Mbina, Director General of the Gabon Tourism Agency, discusses the indicators of the upturn in tourism in the country.
Airlines have resumed service to Libreville at a steady pace; many of the hotels are full every weekend, full every week, in Libreville and the surrounding area. The fishing sites are full. We are aiming for 100,000 tourists in 2025 and 500,000 by 2030. That’s ambitious […]