ECO-BÉNIN

Open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 1pm and 2pm to 5:30pm.

Benin Ecotourism Concern (Eco-Benin) is a Beninese non-governmental organization created in 1999. It works to promote ecotourism and local development projects throughout Benin, for a "responsible, equitable and united human development".

Eco-Benin uses ecotourism as an economic pillar for the development of local communities, either in regions where incomes traditionally linked to fishing or agriculture are declining, or in localities with a natural and cultural heritage threatened with disappearance or poorly exploited. The NGO's activities aim to develop simple tourism services that benefit the host communities and contribute to the protection of their natural resources and cultural identity.

To do this, Eco-Benin strives to distribute the revenues from the trips equitably among the communities, but also to develop and enhance the natural resources. With a dozen development projects implemented since its creation in 1999, Eco-Benin has set up a Carbon Action Plan whose objectives are the planting of mangroves in the Ramsar site 1017 and the promotion of improved fireplaces around national parks. In addition, Eco-Benin's actions for the development of the local economy are varied: construction of ecolodges, rehabilitation of farms, development of eco-museums, construction of camping sites, homestays and many others.

Eco-Benin intervenes in localities from the South to the North of Benin. In the South, it is Lake Ahémé, the most successful project after seven years of work with the support of the French Fund for the World Environment and Planète Urgence. In addition, a new project is underway with the support of IUCN Netherlands to develop a network of ecotourism sites in the wetlands of southern Benin. In the center, it directly supports the beekeeping site of Tobé to develop an ecotourism component as an added value to their beekeeping production. In the North, Eco-Benin has been working for five years in Koussoukoingou, a village characterized by its traditional Tata Somba dwellings, and around the Pendjari (Tanongou) and W (Alfakoara, Karimama and Banikoara) national parks as a service provider-partner for the German (GIZ) and Italian (RC) cooperations. A project is also underway in Tanéka Béri for the development of ecotourism activities and the conservation of local culture with Eco-Benin's own funding. Also, Eco-Benin is a partner of the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) in Benin. Eco-Benin participated in the development and implementation of the High Impact Training in Tourism for jobs and income (HITT) program funded by the European Union (http://www.hitt-initiative.org).

All of Eco-Benin's projects are managed by the host communities, with the objective that they eventually become autonomous in the organization of ecotourism activities and its value chain in their village. A portion of the revenue (between 10 and 25% depending on the activities and projects) is used to carry out projects of community interest (repairing a school, building latrines, etc.) or to help the most destitute families. All of these projects have allowed to welcome 6322 tourists in 2011. These projects have 227 direct beneficiaries and 880 indirect beneficiaries (45% of whom are women) with significant socio-economic income.

Eco-Benin, "Benin Ecotourism Concern", has developed examples of support for the structuring of community-based micro-enterprises in some localities.

Eco-Benin works with international development organizations to empower local communities to manage ecotourism activities. As an example, Eco-Benin has supported the creation of community-based ecotourism initiatives in Tanongou, Possotomé, Koussoukoingou, Alfakoara, etc. Today, some of these associations operate as village micro-enterprises. They are entirely autonomous and take development initiatives such as the construction of an ecolodge in Koussoukoingou and the extension of the lodging houses in Tanongou.

Since 2005, Eco-Benin has been working to operationalize ecotourism in several localities in Benin including villages bordering national parks. Thus, it has been set up responsible, fair and solidarity-based trips including the ecotourism trails in place.