Mali, earth of reception and tradition

Mali has always been one of the best choices of the west of Africa for international tourists, not only for cultural tourism, but also as regards eco-tourism. We have four sites that are part of the World Heritage List of the UNESCO : the Old Towns of Djenné, Timbuktu, The Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons) and the Tomb of Askia in Gao.

Whether it be in quality or in quantity, the substructures of accommodation, catering and entertainment multiplied since the organization of the Africa Cup of Nations of 2002. Moreover, communications multiplied, both on the levels of telephony and transports. We benefited from the construction of new airports such as Kayes and Sikasso, added to the great modernization of the already existing airports such as Bamako, Tombouctou, Mopti and Gao. This improvement of our welcoming and putting up tourists attracted an even greater number of foreigners.

Statistics of those last years show it well enough: Tourism is in full growth : There were 94 300 tourists in 2001 and 252 000 in 2007, which means the number of visitors almost tripled in only six years.
Nevertheless, this very desire to improve our capacities did not make us forget the protection of our cultural and ecological heritage, all the more so as all those aspects entail a stable growth of tourist activity.

Mali has always emphasized the promotion of a tourism of quality, that-is-to-say a tourism of discovery, of sojourn, because it offers mostly cultural and eco-tourist goods. Those goods are fragile; they are part of the heritage of the people living from it. That is precisely why Malian tourism will never be mass tourism.

As I already pinpointed, and in respect of the CSCRP (Malian strategy for growth and diminishing of poverty) and of the PDES (Economic and social development program), our policy as regards tourism aims at a stable development of an activity that may help increasing the income of our country and diminishing the poverty of the people.

On another level, the development of high-class hostelry, with the putting into place of substructures of business, of leisure in our capital will turn the area of Bamako into one of the most attractive pole of tourism of business, of international meetings and festivals of the west of Africa.

The tourists coming for business are likely to turn into tourists of discovery thanks to a wide range of initiatives aiming at the development of a tourist and cultural area around Bamako and inside the country.

It is well-known that our people are very welcoming. They've always shown themselves keen enough to make the sojourn of tourists as pleasant as possible. Out of tradition, they know how to listen to their hosts and to benefit from what they judge useful. Our people are sensible to anything that can help them improving their standards of living because they don't want of a static way of life, being separated from the evolution of the world. They intend to get involved in a positive way alongside the planet, but without spoiling their soul.

Malian women have always been part of the art craft industry, along with the "utilitarian" craft industry.
Moreover, in the textile industry, they make cardings, they spin, and they even weave. Dyeing is their specialty, so much that they are said to be the most skilled dyers of the west of Africa. The famous Malian "bogolans", "batiks" or craft work wax are know all over the world.

They also work in basketry and do fine leather crafts, notably in the north of the country. Jewellery, hair-dressing and traditional make up are some of their best skills as well, from which they benefit for the great happiness of photographers. The craft industry goes alongside tourism in the wide spreading of our local goods.

It is true that Europe, with for example France, Spain, Italy or Germany, is the major sender of tourists towards Mali, and, obviously, most of our efforts of promotion are aimed at this area.
However, as we intend to diversify our tourist offer, we are also looking towards countries and new areas that could as well be the origin of tourists going to Mali. This strategy of diversification can be seen through our participations to exhibitions of tourism in northern Europe (Scandinavia), in Eastern Europe (Russia), in Asia (China) and in the American continent (USA, Canada).

We are aware that the cultural legacy of a country is made up of the sum of its material and immaterial goods made throughout the different generations. That is why tourism in Mali is mostly about adherence, culture, and many are the tourists from all continents that are curious and eager to discover a new life style, a warm welcome, and a unique exchange.