São Tomé and Príncipe: High-level policy dialogue to anchor tourism at the heart of economic diversification

 

São Tomé and Príncipe is set to take a decisive step toward building a sustainable tourism sector grounded in clear economic indicators. With the support of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office, the country will hold a High-Level Policy Dialogue to “Unite Voices for Sustainable Tourism” on 30 October 2025, preceded by a technical validation workshop on 29 October 2025.

This two-day engagement marks a crucial milestone in the second phase of the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) Development Project, which aims to equip 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 High-Level Policy Dialogue on 30 October will serve as a key moment for advocacy, dialogue and political engagement. It will bring together government authorities, development partners, academia, the private sector, and civil society to foster political and institutional ownership of the TSA and to ensure that evidence-based tourism becomes firmly embedded in the country’s economic diversification priorities.

The dialogue will also provide a platform to mobilize inter-institutional partnerships for the implementation of the TSA roadmap and the sustainability of the exercise, ensuring its long-term integration into national planning processes.

“This dialogue aims to translate the project’s technical results into concrete policy commitments, placing sustainable tourism at the core of São Tomé and Príncipe’s economic diversification strategy,” said Jean Luc Mastaki, Director of ECA’s Subregional Office for Central Africa.

Developed through close collaboration between ECA, national institutions, and UN partners, São Tomé and Príncipe’s first Tourism Satellite Account represents a solid analytical foundation for accurately capturing the true economic value of tourism and guiding public and private investment toward inclusive and sustainable growth.

“Our work seeks to support countries in implementing evidence-based development policies. The tourism potential of São Tomé and Príncipe can only be fully realized through targeted and well-informed public and private investment,” added Jean Luc Mastaki.

A structuring project supported by ECA

Since its launch in 2024, the project—through a series of capacity-building workshops—has enabled national experts to produce the country’s first Tourism Satellite Accounts. The latest workshop, held from 15 to 18 September 2025, resulted in the completion of the TSA analytical report and the initial estimates of tourism’s contribution at 11% of GDP and 10% of Gross Value Added (GVA), paving the way for the validation and policy dialogue stages.

Through this process, ECA and the Government of São Tomé and Príncipe have trained around 25 national experts from ministries, public agencies, academia, civil society, and the private sector, thereby strengthening national capacities in tourism statistics and data-driven policymaking.

By consolidating the achievements of this second project phase, the High-Level Policy Dialogue represents a decisive step toward stronger institutional coordination and the establishment of a sustainable culture of regular TSA production, enhancing the country’s ability to monitor sector performance and inform policy decisions with robust data.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).