Dakar 2026: In Saly, culture and tourism at the heart of the sporting festival
On the sidelines of the Olympic activities of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) “Dakar 2026”, the commune of Saly (department of Mbour) vibrates to the rhythm of culture and commerce through the Olympic Fair. Visiting the site on Wednesday, November 4, the Minister of Culture, Crafts and Tourism, Alpha Thiam, welcomed this initiative which highlights the cultural diversity of Senegal and its tourism potential.
MBOUR – Accompanied by a strong delegation composed in particular of the mayor of Saly, Ousmane Gueye, the director general of the Senegalese Agency for Tourism Promotion (Aspt), Berenger Fap Ngom, and that of the Society for the Development and Promotion of Coasts and Tourist Zones of Senegal (Sapco), Babacar Mbengue, the Minister of Culture, Crafts and Tourism, Alpha Thiam, visited the different stands of the Olympic fair. An initiative which is an extension of the dynamic of the “Dakar 2026” Youth Olympic Games (YOG). Alpha Thiam aims to make this event a showcase of Senegalese know-how. He underlined the tourist significance of this event. “These Games have shown that Dakar, Senegal and the whole of Africa are a tourist destination,” he declared, before calling on investors to seize the opportunities offered by the country’s different territories.
According to Alpha Thiam, relaunching the tourism sector also involves developing local resources and promoting domestic tourism. “The revival of tourism will involve endogenous tourism. Every Senegalese must become an ambassador to discover the potential of our regions,” he added. The minister also insisted on the need to make culture and crafts levers of economic growth. Inviting the Senegalese to support local production, he declared: “Be proud to buy Senegalese. Be proud to consume Senegalese. »
Through this fair, Saly intends to contribute to the influence of the Senegal destination, by highlighting its artisans, its products and its cultural wealth. A way to extend the spirit of the Joj and to promote the image of a Senegal that is open, welcoming and proud of its values.
