By Lamin Sam Jaiteh
Travellers looking for their next adventure may want to set their sights on an emerging voice in the world of tourism: the West Africa Tourism Organisation, or WATO.
Established with a simple but ambitious goal—to put West Africa on the map for global travellers—WATO is quickly becoming the region’s connective tissue for anyone interested in exploring its sweeping coastlines, historic cities, and vibrant cultures.
WATO brings together tourism boards, travel companies, and private sector partners from across countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, The Gambia, and several others.
By uniting these diverse interests, the Organisation hopes to create a cohesive identity for West Africa as a destination—one that rivals better-known regions in Africa for its variety, hospitality, and unique sense of place.
At its core, WATO is an advocate and an organiser. The Organisation works on everything from developing sustainable travel strategies to promoting local festivals and encouraging investment in infrastructure – better roads, modern airports, and improved visitor amenities.
WATO also acts as a resource for travel agencies and international tour operators, providing insider knowledge and crafting multi-country itineraries that cut through red tape.
The timing for such a regional initiative could hardly be better. As international tourism booms post-pandemic, travellers are seeking experiences beyond the typical safari or city break.
West Africa offers just that: centuries-old UNESCO heritage sites, sprawling national parks teeming with wildlife, music that pulses through city streets, and beaches most visitors have only seen on the backs of postcards.
For travellers, WATO’s emergence could mean a new era of discovery. Instead of piecing together a trip country by country, tourists can now rely on an organisation that sees the region as a whole—making travel easier, more transparent, and, ultimately, more rewarding.
For West Africans, the Organisation represents something more: the chance to shape how the region is seen and experienced by the world, while creating sustainable opportunities at home.
As WATO’s President, Ola Wright, put it in a recent exclusive interview with The Senegambia Observer, “when people think about tourism in Africa, they think North Africa—the Morocco, the Egypt, Tunisia… or East Africa, safari. Those are the places people look at.
“The whole essence is to have a synergy within the region to develop tourism and to promote within and outside West and Central Africa.”
That cooperative spirit isn’t just a theory. Wright recalls, “A gentleman told me there is a particular country that they have been trying to work with for the past 15 years, but they have not been able to. That’s what organisations like us do—bring these bodies together.”
With connections spanning ministries, private businesses, and even banks, the West Africa Tourism Organisation just might have something special in store for your next getaway.
