Gabon has launched a new initiative, ‘Discover Gabon, The Last Eden’ to attract more tourists into the country as part of its eco-tourism development programme under the Green Gabon strategy, a press release has said.
About 88 per cent of the country is covered by rich equatorial rainforest and it has the largest population of forest elephants in the world, with an estimated 95,000 of the critically endangered species, as well as being home to as many as 30,000 gorillas and chimpanzees.
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The release said the new initiative is to build on “Gabon’s global reputation for sustainability, biodiversity and conservation, which has seen it being internationally awarded for the leading role it has taken in combating climate change globally.”
It said the country is visited every year by the “Southern Hemisphere’s largest population of humpback whales, who nurse their young ones there before migrating South, and the world’s largest populations of leatherback and olive-ridley turtles also come to Gabon to nest.”
In addition, Gabon is home to over 10,000 plant species, which is more than the total diversity of all countries in West Africa, with 15 per cent of the plants in the country unique to Gabon.
Launching the initiative, President Ali Bongo-Ondimba said, “the tourism sector is an important part of the development of the economy. But like any ambition, the achievement of the objectives of a sector as diverse as tourism requires planning and a programme of action.”
The minister of tourism, John Norbert Diramba, said, “the development of a strong and distinctive brand image has become the number one marketing challenge for destinations. In an increasingly competitive world, regions are seeking to assert their identity and characteristics more clearly to ensure better visibility and a positive perception of their image, both among those living abroad and among their own population. ‘Discover Gabon, the Last Eden’ is now the brand of our country – and it will become the identity that is associated with our country throughout the world.”
Christian Mbina, director general of the country’s tourism authority AGATOUR, said: “The objective is to create Gabonese branding to position the country as a tourist product, improving its visibility and attractiveness on the international market. Gabon is rich in colourful and diverse souls, cultural heritage, and unique natural attractions. This new brand will create a country identity to build the image of Gabon as an attractive and exceptional destination.”
Gabon is the most carbon positive nation on the planet. The carbon account submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has documented its exceptionally high performance in removing just over 100 million tons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere per annum than it emits. This is roughly equivalent to absorbing and offsetting 25 per cent of the annual emissions of the United Kingdom.
To protect its biodiversity, Gabon has also established a network of 13 national parks.
In total 22 per cent of Gabon’s land falls within protected areas, while another 60 per cent is managed in sustainable forestry concessions. Since 2018 the country has also declared 26 per cent of Gabon’s marine waters as marine protected area
