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The Burkinabé hotel sector is holding its breath after the cancellation of international events due to the coronavirus pandemic, signaling a significant loss of revenue for businesses in Ouagadougou.
Fespaco, the annual Pan-African film and television festival, was the last event postponed this week due to concerns over Covid-19.
Burkina Faso’s National Culture Week and the Ouagadougou International Handicrafts Fair have already suffered the same fate, according to correspondent Yaya Boudani.
Burkina Faso’s hospitality and tourism sector has been hit hard by the economic downturn due to restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
Hotel owners and restaurateurs have relied on international events to keep them afloat and are calling for government support to help save their businesses.
“The sector is not doing well and tourists have not been coming for over a year. These events were a source of income, ”said Boudani Célestin Zoungrana, president of the Professional Association of Hoteliers and Restaurateurs, to correspondent.
The cancellation of top-tier international exhibitions, a major source of income for the country, has forced companies to seek help.
Zoungrana urged authorities to review the corporate tax situation and try to provide some kind of financial relief to companies facing difficult conditions.
An inter-ministerial commission assessed the impact on the hospitality and tourism sector, but with the cancellation of Fespaco, authorities must review this and make the necessary adjustments, according to Zoungrana.
Fespaco is Africa’s largest film festival and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019. It attracts some 100,000 people each year, who see some 450 screenings.
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