Sao Tome, Oct. 20, 2025 (Lusa) - The tourism sector in the archipelago of Sao Tome and Principe accounts for 11% of gross domestic product (GDP), according to an assessment by the United Nations as part of a study on the sector.
The first "analytical report on the Tourism Satellite Account and initial estimates of tourism's contribution point to 11% of GDP and 10% of Gross Value Added (GVA), paving the way for validation and political dialogue," reads a statement sent on Monday to Lusa by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
The institution adds that the Portuguese-speaking archipelago will host a seminar on accounting for tourism in GDP at the end of this month, with a view to "accurately measuring" the contribution of this sector to national wealth, included in the Tourism Satellite Account Development Project.
The seminar organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa "is a crucial milestone in the second phase" of the project, which aims to provide São Tomé and Príncipe with a strategic tool to accurately measure the real contribution of tourism to national wealth, positioning the sector as a key lever for economic diversification and sustainable development," the statement added.
The meeting will bring together "government authorities, development partners, academics, the private sector and civil society to promote political and institutional ownership of the satellite account and ensure that evidence-based tourism becomes an integral part of the country's economic diversification priorities," says the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
It was this project, launched in 2024, that enabled national experts to produce the country's first Tourism Satellite Accounts, and at the most recent meeting last month, an initial estimate of the contribution to the country's GDP was presented.
Developed through close collaboration between the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, national institutions and UN partners, the first Tourism Satellite Account for São Tomé and Príncipe "represents a solid analytical basis for accurately capturing the true economic value of tourism and guiding public and private investment towards inclusive and sustainable growth," the statement concludes.
Tourism is, in fact, a strategic focus for the archipelago, reflected in the National Sustainable Development Strategy 2026-2040, based on sustainable tourism, which will be presented at the Investment Forum scheduled for December in Brussels, the local government recently announced.
Last year, the archipelago broke its record and welcomed 41,000 tourists, providing employment for approximately 14% of the population, according to the UN.
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