Commercial tourism can produce numerous detrimental impacts on societies and the natural environment. It is thus imperative to make tourism both environmentally and socially sustainable. Designing policies and strategies requires the input of the principal social groups that are involved in and affected by tourism: governments, local populations and tourists themselves.

The National Workshop on Tourism and the Environment was conducted between 1st and 3rd July, 2002. Twenty representatives of various ministries like the Ministry of Environment, Commerce, and Tourism; universities; and NGOs, participated in the Workshop.

Objectives
 Strengthen Senegal’s legislative and human resource capacities for achieving sustainable tourism.
 Engage government representatives and other stakeholders in the development and implementation of relevant environmental legislation.

Outcomes
 Broadened knowledge and understanding of the key international and national legislations related to tourism and sustainable development.
 Adoption of a Senegalese Charter on Sustainable Tourism by Senegal’s Minister of Tourism.

Partners
 Centre of Ecological Development Studies of the Ministry of Youth, Environment and Public Health of the Republic of Senegal
 French Government
 Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie
 Swiss Federal Office for the Environment FOEN