Agence Sénégalaise de Promotion Touristique (ASPT)

What Agence Sénégalaise de Promotion Touristique (ASPT) does

Agence Sénégalaise de Promotion Touristique (ASPT) is Senegal's official national tourism promotion agency, established in 2014 and headquartered in Dakar. Operating under the Ministry of Culture, Handicrafts and Tourism as a public institution, ASPT functions as a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) with 63 employees, tasked with positioning Senegal competitively in global tourism markets. Its mandate covers international promotion, domestic tourism development, B2B trade facilitation, and event management, all funded through Senegalese state budgetary allocations rather than commercial revenue.

ASPT's core assets are the official 'Destination Senegal' website (visitezlesenegal.com) — a multilingual content portal (French, English, German) covering six destination regions, practical travel information, and curated experiences — and a portfolio of flagship events including the inaugural Salon des Marchés Touristiques Africains (SMTA, December 2025) and SATOLIC (Tourism, Littoral and Cruise Tourism Fair). It distributes promotional brochures, manages social channels (Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, YouTube), and is developing the 'Sénégal en 1 Clic' digital platform for centralized tourist information and reservations. The technology stack is conventional CMS-based with no proprietary systems, APIs, or AI/ML components.

The agency monetizes indirectly by catalyzing tourism revenue (Senegal's tourism sector contributes 7% of GDP) through three go-to-market motions: event-driven activation (IFTM Top Résa Paris, FITUR Madrid, FIDAK Dakar), channel-partner relationships with international tour operators (TUI, Avoris, Alpitour, Marriott, RIU, Accor), airlines (Air Senegal, Binter Canarias), and DMCs, and community-led diaspora engagement in Europe and North America. Its target is 5 million annual visitors. Recent strategic emphasis covers cruise tourism (via Port Autonome de Dakar partnership), cultural-religious circuits (Mouride pilgrimage, Gorée, Bob Marley family visit), sports tourism (JOJ Dakar 2026), and South-South cooperation (ONPTA Chad, APIX Forum Invest).

Name

Agence Sénégalaise de Promotion Touristique (ASPT)

Legal name

Agence Sénégalaise de Promotion Touristique

Website

https://visitezlesenegal.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ASPT is Senegal's official national tourism promotion agency under the Ministry of Culture, Handicrafts and Tourism, functioning as a government-funded Destination Marketing Organization that manages destination branding, flagship tourism events (SMTA, SATOLIC), international trade fair participation, and B2B partnerships with global tour operators, airlines, and hotel chains.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing and Tourism Promotion

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Destination & Local Services Marketplaces (Transfers, Guides, City Passes) (THALAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tours, Activities & Experiences Booking Marketplaces (THALAFAF), Consumer & Public Shows (B2C) Organizers (THAHABAC)

Keywords

• Destination marketing organization
• Tourism promotion services
• National tourism agency
• Destination branding
• Tourism trade events

Headquarters

HQ city

Dakar

HQ country

Senegal

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding / Public Budget: ASPT operates as a public institution under the Ministry of Culture, Handicrafts and Tourism. It is funded by the Senegalese state budget and does not generate commercial revenue from direct sales of tourism services. Its role is to promote Senegal as a tourism destination nationally and internationally.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ASPT is Senegal's official national tourism promotion agency operating under the Ministry of Culture, Handicrafts and Tourism. It markets Senegal as a destination through the official Destination Senegal website, flagship B2B trade events (SMTA, SATOLIC), international tourism fair participation, multi-language brochures, and partnerships with global tour operators, airlines, hotel chains, and DMCs. The agency does not sell tourism services directly to consumers; it coordinates national promotion and channels tourist demand through intermediary partners.

Product overview

ASPT operates as Senegal's official national tourism promotion agency, functioning as a destination marketing organization rather than a technology company. Its portfolio includes the 'Destination Senegal' website platform for tourism promotion, the annual SMTA trade show for African tourism markets, the SATOLIC coastal and cruise tourism fair, downloadable multi-language brochures, and the planned 'Sénégal en 1 Clic' digital platform. ASPT also manages programs for territorial tourism development through regional Tourism Houses across seven poles. No AI-powered or API-based products are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Destination Senegal Website

Quantifiable outcome

• Tourism traffic to Senegal grew +18% (November 2024–April 2025 vs prior period) according to SETO
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• IL DIAMANTE (Italy)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2026ASPT and IL DIAMANTE are exploring new perspectives to boost the commercialization of Senegal as a destination on the Italian market. The partnership targets increased tourist arrivals from Italy.
• Port Autonome de Dakar (PAD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2025ASPT and the Port Autonome de Dakar signed a partnership convention during the SMTA 2025 launch at the Grand Théâtre National de Dakar. The agreement aims to increase Senegal's attractiveness by jointly leveraging port performance and tourism sector expansion, with a focus on cruise tourism (maritime and fluvial). DG of PAD Waly Diouf Bodian and DG of ASPT Dr Adama Ndiaye signed the agreement.
• APIX (Investment Promotion Agency of Senegal)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2025ASPT participated in the 2nd edition of Forum Invest in Senegal organized by APIX (October 7-8, 2025) at CICAD. ASPT co-managed the institutional booth of the State Secretariat for Creative and Cultural Industries and co-animated a roundtable on 'Ceebu Jën: heritage, value chain and culinary soft power.'
• ScenAfricminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 July 2025ASPT collaborated with ScenAfric to organize the 'The Return' festival, hosting the Bob Marley family (Cedella, Rohan, Skip, Soule, Saiyan) in Senegal. The itinerary included Gorée Island, Touba (Khalife Général des Mourides), and a discovery circuit of Dakar, showcasing Senegal's religious, cultural, and memorial tourism.
• Agence pour la Promotion et le Développement de l'Artisanat (APDA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2025ASPT formed a strategic partnership with APDA to strengthen national tourism while promoting local craftsmanship. The collaboration aims to integrate artisans into tourism circuits and develop authentic, sustainable cultural offerings. The two institutions pool their resources to boost Destination Senegal's attractiveness.
• ATS (African Travel Services)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2025ASPT in collaboration with ATS welcomed content creators Yanis and Fitclaire at the Monument de la Renaissance in Dakar, as part of a broader content creator hosting program to promote Senegal through digital storytelling.
• CEDIV Travel (Centre d'Études des Indépendants du Voyage)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 June 2025ASPT hosted the CEDIV Travel annual convention in Senegal (June 23-28, 2025) with approximately 200 French tourism professionals. The convention combined eco-tourism discoveries with CSR activities, including a project in a school on the Petite Côte. A dozen specialized French travel media also experienced Senegal through educational tours.
• Office National de Promotion du Tourisme, de l'Artisanat et des Arts du Tchad (ONPTA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2025In a South-South cooperation dynamic, a Chadian delegation from ONPTA met with ASPT's Director General and team. The meeting follows a 2019 exchange and aims to strengthen ties between the two agencies. A MoU is being considered to formalize cooperation around tourist reception, digital marketing, communication strategies, religious tourism, and participation in international trade shows. Cross-participation in festivals (Dary and Treg de l'Ennedi) is also planned.
• Gorée Municipality (Mairie de Gorée)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2025ASPT and the municipality of Gorée signed a partnership agreement to promote tourism in the commune. The agreement was signed by the Director General and the mayor, with the aim of enhancing Gorée's tourism infrastructure and visitor experience.
• 10KM de Dakar Marathon OrganizersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 May 2025ASPT was a partner of the 5th edition of the 10KM de Dakar Marathon, actively participating in the event and inter-company challenge, using sports tourism to promote the Senegal destination.
• SOGT (Senegal Oil & Gas Terminal)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2025ASPT and SOGT signed a strategic partnership convention as part of Senegal's tourism offer valorization. Details of the partnership focused on leveraging SOGT's infrastructure and operations to support broader tourism development objectives.
• Dakar Dem DikkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024ASPT signed a partnership with Dakar Dem Dikk (public transport) to promote domestic tourism circuits through VSD (weekend) packages to nearby destinations including Saint-Louis, Saloum Delta, Kaolack, and Toubacouta.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Office National Marocain du Tourisme (ONMT): Morocco's national tourism office responsible for promoting Morocco internationally through trade shows, B2B partnerships, and destination marketing. It is the most directly comparable African national tourism office to ASPT in terms of mandate, geographic proximity, and European source-market focus, but operates at substantially larger scale.
• South African Tourism: South Africa's national destination marketing organization, promoting leisure, cultural, and wildlife tourism globally. Comparable as a fellow African national tourism agency, with a more established brand, larger budget, and broader international footprint, but operating on the same destination-marketing mandate as ASPT.
• Ghana Tourism Authority: Ghana's statutory tourism authority under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, promoting cultural, heritage, and leisure tourism. West African peer with similar government structure, comparable scale, and overlap in diaspora-driven tourism strategies targeting Europe and North America.
• Tanzania Tourist Board: Tanzania's national tourism board promoting safaris, Kilimanjaro, and Zanzibar. Comparable as a fellow African DMO with a similarly sized tourism economy, emerging-market destination profile, and dependence on European source markets.
• Egyptian Tourism Authority: Egypt's national tourism authority promoting heritage and leisure tourism globally. Comparable as an African/Mediterranean national DMO leaning heavily on UNESCO heritage assets and Nile/coastal experiences, with overlapping European source markets.
• Kenya Tourism Board: Kenya's national tourism board responsible for international promotion of safari, beach, and cultural tourism. Directly comparable to ASPT in mandate (national DMO), reliance on a few heritage assets, and emerging-market destination positioning, though Kenya's tourism economy is significantly larger.
• Rwanda Development Board (Tourism Division): Rwanda's government agency combining investment promotion and tourism development, actively marketing gorilla trekking, MICE, and conferences. Highly comparable to ASPT in scale, government-integration model, and emerging-destination positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism: Government authority marketing Dubai as a global tourism, MICE, and leisure destination. Comparable as a state-backed DMO with aggressive international promotion, but with materially larger budget and global brand recognition.
• Tourism Authority of Thailand: Thailand's well-established national tourism organization with global brand campaigns and large-scale international promotion. Comparable in mandate as a national DMO in an emerging destination, but operates with a much larger budget, more developed digital ecosystem, and broader global brand recognition.
• ITB Berlin / Messe Berlin: The world's leading travel trade show organizer, where ASPT regularly exhibits and which sets the format ASPT's SMTA mirrors. Comparable as an institutional organizer of B2B tourism marketplaces, but at vastly larger scale and as an event owner rather than a destination promoter.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TourismeSenegal
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@destinationsenegal8956/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/DestinationSenegalOfficiel
• Instagraminstagram.com/destinationsenegal_sn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agence-s%C3%A9n%C3%A9galaise-de-promotion-touristique-aspt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Agence Sénégalaise de Promotion Touristique (ASPT)