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afrol News, 14 January - The Senegalese tourism and transport infrastructure is experiencing important developments. The opening of a new international airport was announced by President Abdoulaye Wade himself a few days ago as a new means to significantly increase the number of arriving foreigners. Senegalese President Wade announced the beginning of the constructions of the new international Blaise Diagne airport at Ndiass, located 52 kilometres outside the capital, Dakar. According to estimates, the new facility will be finalised by the end of 2006 and the total costs of the project are set at 173 billion franc CFA. Having in mind these constructing costs, according to President Wade, negotiations about the participation of the private sector in the project had already been launched. Private capital is expected to take part in the future management of running the airport, the ABB. After meeting with the ABB management, Mr Wade explained he expected that "air traffic will be increasing from the current numbers of 400,000 annual international tourists up to 700,000 arrivals, which represents a growth of 70 percent." The Senegalese President, known to be fond of large-scale infrastructure projects, was reportedly carried away when presenting the details of the new airport to members of the country's press. Describing the new airport, Mr Wade held it would become "a real jewel." - Even if traffic increased fivefold, the new airport would be able to handle it, President Wade said. "Aircrafts of the new generation will be able to land, take off and be handled without any problems. And with these superstructures created, there will be economic benefits for the state budget," he added. Senegal is one of West Africa's major tourist destinations. Given its cultural strengths, proximity to Europe, a fairly developed tourism infrastructure - including all ranges of hotels and resorts - and a favourable climate, Senegal has been able to attract a growing number of European travellers. The low-scale civil war in the attractive southern Casamance province however endangers the tourism industry's development in this otherwise calm and politically stable country.
Sources: Based on Senegalese govt and press and afrol archives
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