Ouagadougou: The general director of Espace Mor¨ne, Basile Bationo, opened on Friday the 72-hour event marking the 10th anniversary of the organization, which is dedicated to promoting local dishes, Burkinabe tourism, and Burkinabe culture.
According to Burkina Information Agency, Basile Bationo emphasized that the decade of Espace Mor¨ne's existence has significantly contributed to promoting Burkina Faso's gastronomy and supporting cultural tourism, aligning with the government's vision for tourism development. He highlighted the organization's role in socio-professional integration by creating jobs for young people in Burkina Faso.
Bationo addressed attendees in Ouagadougou during the launch of the anniversary celebrations, stating, "Ten years of existence now lead us to adapt to the current context in order to give a new look to our space and reassure you that we are only at the beginning of our work with the aim of satisfying our customers."
Sosth¨ne P. Ou©draogo, coordinator of the Informal Sector Trades Fair (SMSI) and co-sponsor of the event, expressed satisfaction with his organization's involvement in the celebration. He noted the event's potential for economic revival in the Mor¨ne area and reflected on the challenges faced from 2015 to 2025, such as security, health, and political unrest, which made business survival difficult.
Ou©draogo emphasized the importance of resilience and cultural activities, urging authorities to support spaces like Mor¨ne to achieve their objectives. "Without cultural activities, without the survival and promotion of these spaces, parallel businesses, activities related to the different spaces, must survive and promote their works," he explained.
Consultant Daniel Dan Hien gave a presentation on Espace Mor¨ne as an innovative force in cultural tourism. He identified the space's role in addressing the low promotion of local heritage in national tourism and meeting the need for spaces that combine restoration, artistic creation, memory, and community ties.
Hien detailed the space's focus on promoting local dishes, such as t´, fat rice, leaves, dolo, and caterpillars, and training cooks as cultural ambassadors. He highlighted the space's aim to be an innovative response to the challenges of territorial cultural development and sustainable tourism in Burkina Faso.
Looking forward, Hien spoke about the potential for replicability, strengthening of actors, and advocacy as practices to integrate into cultural and tourism public policies. He affirmed that Espace Mor¨ne stands as a reference and innovative space of local know-how and contemporary creativity in Burkina Faso.
The 10th anniversary activities of Espace Mor¨ne are scheduled from June 20 to 22, 2025, at the space, featuring conferences, exhibitions-sales, and artistic events.