{"id":3242,"date":"2026-04-08T10:51:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T10:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/?p=3242"},"modified":"2026-04-10T10:32:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T10:32:09","slug":"the-little-known-story-of-emerging-ecotourism-in-the-central-african-republic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/?p=3242","title":{"rendered":"The little-known story of emerging ecotourism in the Central African Republic"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-317163\">\n<div class=\"bulletpoints-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"bulletpoints\">\n<ul>\n<li><em>Though conflict and instability have shaped much of the Central African Republic\u2019s recent history, Dzanga-Sangha in the country\u2019s southwest is experiencing a modest rise in ecotourism centered on forest elephants, western lowland gorillas and the dense Congo Basin rainforest.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Officials say about 800 tourists visited Dzanga-Sangha in 2025, generating roughly $1 million in revenue, with local guides and lodge workers reporting gradual growth linked to improved stability.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Tourism is bringing some benefits, including income sharing, cultural tourism and small economic opportunities, though some involved in the country\u2019s ecotourism ecosystem say job creation remains limited and uneven.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>While optimism is growing, challenges such as poor infrastructure, limited access and questions about equitable benefits mean Dzanga-Sangha\u2019s ecotourism remains a work in progress.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"content-expander\"><span>See All Key Ideas<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>BAYANGA<\/strong>, Central African Republic \u2014 For many outside the country, the Central African Republic remains defined by a set of familiar images: conflict, instability, weak infrastructure and a state that struggles to extend its authority much beyond Bangui, the country\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n<p>These realities are not imaginary. They continue to shape daily life across much of the country. Roads are in poor condition, health services are fragile and insecurity persists in certain areas. For years, these conditions have overshadowed nearly every other story.<\/p>\n<p>But they do not tell the whole story.<\/p>\n<p>Hundreds of kilometers southwest of Bangui, near the borders with Cameroon and the Republic of Congo, a more low-key experiment is taking shape in the forests of Dzanga-Sangha. It is an attempt to build a local economy centered on wildlife, conservation and tourism in a country rarely associated with these three elements.<\/p>\n<p>In Bayanga, a small town serving as the gateway to Dzanga-Sangha National Park, visitors come for Dzanga Bai, one of the most famous forest elephant (<em>Loxodonta cyclotis<\/em>) gathering places in tropical Africa, where dozens \u2014 and sometimes well over a hundred \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/04\/a-unique-clearing-in-central-africa-draws-elephants-from-the-dense-forests\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">elephants can gather in a single area<\/a>. They also come for the western lowland gorillas (<em>Gorilla gorilla gorilla<\/em>) accustomed to human presence, the dense forest of the Congo Basin, and a conservation landscape that remains, in many ways, raw and un-finished.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_317164\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dzanga Bai, one of the best-known forest elephant clearings in tropical Africa, where dozens and sometimes well over a hundred elephants can gather in a single open space. Image by Rhett A. Butler\/Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to officials and field workers, visitor numbers have increased over the past two to three years, with an increasingly visible local impact, even if the figures remain modest on an international scale.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve observed that there is growth,\u201d says Gervais Pamongui, deputy director of Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas (DSPA), which is co-managed by the Central African government within the Ministry of Water and Forests. \u201cFirst, it\u2019s what we have to offer as a product. Second, in recent years, there has been a certain stability. For tourism to develop, a country needs stability so that visitors feel safe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This sense of relative calm in Bayanga comes up frequently in interviews conducted on the ground, often accompanied by caveats. No one suggests that the Central African Republic has overcome its overall fragility. However, in several interviews conducted by Mongabay, residents and officials draw a distinction between national perceptions and local realities in this part of the country.<\/p>\n<p>L\u00e9once Madomi, a tour guide who has been working in the region for about 16 years, says he believes the change has been most visible in recent years. \u201cI think it\u2019s over the last two or three years that tourism has really increased,\u201d he says. \u201cFor me, it\u2019s communication \u2026 advertising. People come, leave, and say they\u2019ve visited Dzanga-Sangha. They say it\u2019s calm, that it\u2019s positive \u2014 that means there\u2019s stability in the area. That\u2019s why others are listening.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_317165\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-317165\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775817088_52_The-little-known-story-of-emerging-ecotourism-in-the-Central-African.jpg\" alt=\"Most tourists who travel to the Central African Republic (CAR) are drawn by the western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Dzanga-Sangha National Park. Image by Rhett A. Butler\/ Mongabay.\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775817088_52_The-little-known-story-of-emerging-ecotourism-in-the-Central-African.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/08100403\/Photo-2-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/08100403\/Photo-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/08100403\/Photo-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/08100403\/Photo-2-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/08100403\/Photo-2-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Most tourists who travel to the Central African Republic (CAR) are drawn by the western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Dzanga-Sangha National Park. Image by Rhett A. Butler\/ Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He is careful to qualify this, however. \u201cIt\u2019s both true and false,\u201d he says regarding the idea that the Central African Republic is synonymous only with war and insecurity. \u201cYes, there are areas where there are problems. But not here in Bayanga. I\u2019ve been here for 18 years, I\u2019ve been working here for 16 years, and I\u2019ve never experienced chaos \u2014 running, hiding, none of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The wildlife remains the main attraction. \u201cThey love nature here in Dzanga Bai,\u201d Madomi says. \u201cThey\u2019ve never seen elephants gathered like this in families. In other countries, they\u2019re more scattered. You might see 10, 15, maybe 20. But here, if the timing is right, you can see 140, even 150 in a single day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Pamongui, Dzanga-Sangha welcomed around 800 tourists in 2025, representing some 20 nationalities, including Germany, Russia, Spain and the U.S. He also highlights a notable trend: \u201cWe\u2019re also seeing growing interest in domestic tourism. More and more Central Africans are coming to visit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the ground, this growth shows up in incremental changes. Guides prepare forest excursions at dawn. Lodges welcome a steady stream of visitors. Trackers lead tourists through the dense forest, interpreting signs invisible to the uninitiated. Hotel staff report more consistent activity than before.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere weren\u2019t many tourists before,\u201d says Zongbo Noella, who has worked at Doli Lodge \u2014 one of Bayanga\u2019s lodging options \u2014 since 2014. \u201cBut now they come more often. When they come, it helps us. It also helps our families , that\u2019s how we support them.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_317166\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-317166\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775817088_30_The-little-known-story-of-emerging-ecotourism-in-the-Central-African.jpg\" alt=\"Grace Balembe, right, is a WWF tracker. He told Mongabay that without tourism, he might not have a job. His work includes accompanying tourists into the forest and helping locate and track wildlife. Image by Rhett A. Butler\/ Mongabay.\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775817088_30_The-little-known-story-of-emerging-ecotourism-in-the-Central-African.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/08100520\/Photo-3-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/08100520\/Photo-3-350x233.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grace Balembe, right, is a WWF tracker. He told Mongabay that without tourism, he might not have a job. His work includes accompanying tourists into the forest and helping locate and track wildlife. Image by Rhett A. Butler\/ Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>She says she welcomes this change, while pointing out its limitations. Bayanga may be quieter than other parts of the country, but life remains difficult. \u201cHere in Bayanga, we haven\u2019t experienced war,\u201d she says. \u201cBut there are other challenges \u2014 many needs. We face difficulties, especially food shortages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This gap between promise and reality is a recurring theme in many discussions about ecotourism here.<\/p>\n<p>Officials highlight revenue-sharing mechanisms. According to Pamongui, revenue from entrance fees is distributed according to a formal framework: 30% for local communities, 15% for the Ministry of Water and Forests, 20-25% for the Ministry of Tourism, and 35% for the park.<\/p>\n<p>He also mentions cultural activities \u2014 traditional dances and community practices \u2014 the revenues from which directly benefit locals. \u201cTourists don\u2019t just visit the park,\u201d he says. \u201cThey also discover cultural practices and traditions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For some residents, the benefits are very real. B\u00e9atrice Babona, a member of the Indigenous Ba\u2019aka community who works with Radio Ndjoku, a community radio station in Bayanga, said tourism has had visible social effects.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor me, the arrival of tourists here \u2014 in the park and in the surrounding communities \u2014 is something positive,\u201d she says. \u201cIt motivates people. When they go into the forest, it also helps them revive their activities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe benefits of tourism are very real,\u201d she adds. \u201cWhen tourists come, they bring money, and that helps a lot. It allows families to send their children to school and go to the hospital \u2014 it does many things for the Ba\u2019aka.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_317167\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-317167\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775817088_209_The-little-known-story-of-emerging-ecotourism-in-the-Central-African.jpg\" alt=\"Traditional dances are also among the main attractions for tourists in the southwestern region of the Central African Republic. Here, the Ba\u2019aka, an Indigenous community, perform a traditional dance to welcome visitors in the village of Yob\u00e9-Sangha. Image by David Akana\/ Mongabay.\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775817088_209_The-little-known-story-of-emerging-ecotourism-in-the-Central-African.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/08100638\/Photo-4-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/08100638\/Photo-4-350x233.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Traditional dances are also among the main attractions for tourists in the southwestern region of the Central African Republic. Here, the Ba\u2019aka, an Indigenous community, perform a traditional dance to welcome visitors in the village of Yob\u00e9-Sangha. Image by David Akana\/ Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But local support does not mean the model is beyond criticism. Several interviews suggested that the gains remain uneven, seasonal and too limited to absorb wider unemployment.<\/p>\n<p>Madomi, despite his long career in tourism, is blunt about that. \u201cNot really more jobs,\u201d he says regarding whether the sector had created significantly more work. \u201cIf I count, it\u2019s mostly eco-guards and people like us. But it\u2019s not enough for the population. It\u2019s not sufficient.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For him, the solution lies in a broader economy. \u201cWe need to create small businesses,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>That may be one of the clearest lessons from Bayanga so far: Wildlife tourism alone is unlikely to transform a place like this unless it is linked to wider local enterprise, infrastructure and public services.<\/p>\n<p>The region has also benefited from increased political visibility. Pamongui cites President Faustin-Archange Touad\u00e9ra\u2019s recent visit as a key moment. \u201cIt helped promote Dzanga-Sangha,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>But many challenges remain. Access is difficult, roads are unreliable, and the country\u2019s image continues to hinder development.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is certain is that there is calm and peace,\u201d Pamongui says. \u201cWe encourage people to come and discover Dzanga-Sangha.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A deeper question remains: Can a fragile country develop equitable ecotourism without replicating the inequalities seen elsewhere in the Congo Basin?<\/p>\n<p>In Bayanga, the answer remains uncertain.<\/p>\n<p>For now, Dzanga-Sangha is neither a resounding success nor a failure. It is a fragile, gradual endeavor, where exceptional wildlife, relative stability, and slow growth in tourism are opening up new possibilities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy hope is to strengthen monitoring, create small businesses, and raise more awareness,\u201d Madomi says. \u201cAnd in 10 years, this could become a little paradise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Rhett A. Butler contributed reporting to this piece.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Banner image:<\/strong> Forest elephants gather in the Dzanga Bai forest clearing. According to researchers, they are drawn to mineral-rich soils, and at times, more than 200 individuals assemble here, making it one of the few places on Earth where this elusive and endangered species can be observed in large numbers. Image by Rhett A. Butler\/Mongabay.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>FEEDBACK:<\/strong> Use this <a href=\"https:\/\/eu.jotform.com\/91615182854158\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">form<\/a> to send a message to the author of this post. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page.<\/p>\n<div id=\"single-article-footer\">\n<div class=\"container in-column about-editor-translator gap--40 pv--80\">\n<div class=\"container grid--3 repeat gap--40\">\n<div class=\"in-row gap--16\">\n<div class=\"author-avatar\">\n                    <img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/The-little-known-story-of-emerging-ecotourism-in-the-Central-African.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6bd960bec7294c7d8bd7c8303fb0c9276652271fb7df6d188c3aab43e3e3da7e?s=64&#038;d=identicon&#038;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-32 photo\" height=\"32\" width=\"32\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/>        <\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"in-row gap--16\">\n<div class=\"author-avatar\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775817089_34_The-little-known-story-of-emerging-ecotourism-in-the-Central-African.jpg\"\/>\n                      <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p>                            <span class=\"article-comments\"><a href=\"\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"\/><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Though conflict and instability have shaped much of the Central African Republic\u2019s recent history, Dzanga-Sangha in the country\u2019s southwest is experiencing a modest rise in ecotourism centered on forest elephants, western lowland gorillas and the dense Congo Basin rainforest. Officials say about 800 tourists visited Dzanga-Sangha in 2025, generating roughly $1 million in revenue, with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nature-biodiversity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3242"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3244,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3242\/revisions\/3244"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}