Contribution of the tourism economy to the development of the city of

Located in the southwest of Côte d'Ivoire, the city of San-Pedro is the capital of the department of the same name and of the Bas-Sassandra region. Its maritime façade and its natural and human potential make it a pole of economic development through the tourism economy. This study analyzes local development through the tourism economy as an objective still being pursued in San-Pedro. Several data collection techniques were used in this study. These include documentary research, mainly on scientific works and study reports dealing with the issue of the tourism economy and local development. It was also necessary to resort to direct observation and interviews with 14 resource persons related to the tourism sector. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 60 tourists, 28 economic operators and 346 heads of households. This study reveals that the natural environment of San-Pedro has a rich natural potential, notably the vegetation, the climate and the hydrographic network. In addition, human assets constitute one of the pillars of this natural environment.