Sublime Côte d'Ivoire: How the Ivorian Government Is Developing Tourism

Côte d'Ivoire (in West Africa, French-speaking, the world's largest cocoa producer) has in recent years treated tourism as a new engine of economic growth, promoting it under a striking brand name: "Sublime Côte d'Ivoire". Understanding this strategy helps hospitality, food and beverage, events and travel businesses read the direction of the market.

Goals and structure of the strategy

"Sublime Côte d'Ivoire" was drawn up in 2018 with the consultancy McKinsey and began implementation in 2019, with a first phase covering 2018 to 2025. When it was announced in 2019, the Ministry of Tourism put the overall investment at about XOF 3 trillion (about US$6 billion). The core goal was to place Côte d'Ivoire among Africa's top five tourist destinations and to attract 5 million foreign visitors by 2025.

The strategy is built on "9 flagship reforms" and "9 structural projects", with three directions: driving development beyond Abidjan, increasing tourism's contribution to GDP and tax revenue, and creating jobs. Another aim is to position the country as the region's entertainment and leisure hub.

Officially reported results

Official figures from different points in time are not measured on the same basis, so they are listed separately below:

In June 2026, the Minister of Tourism presented higher summary figures to the National Tourism Council — for example, about 6.7 million visitors and tourism at 8.7% of GDP, compared with 6.5% in the previous review. When reading such figures, pay attention to the scope of the statistics and the year.

On quality, the government has been rolling out a classification system for hotels and restaurants since December 2021; in 2025, 540 businesses were assessed, of which 480 completed classification.

How the country markets itself abroad

International promotion is a key part of the strategy. In February 2020, Abidjan hosted the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Global Tourism Investment Forum — the first time it was held in Africa. Since around 2023, the "Sublime Côte d'Ivoire" logo has appeared on the shirts of French football club Olympique de Marseille; France is also Côte d'Ivoire's largest source market for tourists. At home, the Abidjan International Tourism and Leisure Fair (SITLA) returned in September 2025 after a five-year break, and 2025 was declared the "Year of Ivorian Gastronomy".

New directions to 2030

Officials say the strategy's second phase runs to 2030. The National Tourism Council in June 2026 set three main themes — "innovation, sustainability and competitiveness" — with priorities including the digitalisation of tourism services, online promotion and booking platforms, responsible tourism, and training workers to international standards.

One line for Asian businesses

The Ministry of Tourism has named Abidjan, Yamoussoukro, San-Pédro and Man as priority tourism hubs. If you are considering investment in hospitality, travel or events, start with announcements from the Ministry of Tourism and the National Tourism Council to understand the classification system and plans for the priority areas.

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References: Agence Ecofin – $6 bln to boost tourism sector in 2018-2025 (2019); Fraternité Matin – Sublime Côte d'Ivoire, radioscopie à mi-parcours (2022); AllAfrica – Tourisme et Loisirs : les chiffres-clés (2025); Fraternité Matin – Siandou Fofana fixe le cap de 2030 (2026); Connectionivoirienne – Partenariat Sublime Côte d'Ivoire et OM (2026); KOACI – Le SITLA fait son grand retour (2025)