Gabon, which touts itself as the world’s most carbon-positive nation, has launched a new destination marketing identity to invite tourists to visit the country’s rainforests and enjoy its beaches, cultural experiences and wildlife. The new brand, “Discover Gabon, The Last Eden,” builds on the Central African nation’s reputation for sustainability, biodiversity and conservation. Around 88 percent of Gabon is covered by equatorial rainforest and the country has the largest population of forest elephant in the world, with an estimated 95,000 of the critically endangered species, besides being home to approximately 30,000 gorillas and chimpanzees.
The launch of the new identity is part of an initiative by the country’s president, Ali Bongo Ondima, to further the development of eco-tourism in the country. The brand identity was unveiled at a ceremony attended by dignitaries, including Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze, the country’s prime minister. The international communications company Zebek worked with the government to deliver the new brand vision, media elements and identity. Investments have been targeted upgrading infrastructure and developing high-end ecotourism under the “Green Gabon” strategy for sustainable development.
Gabon is visited each year by the Southern Hemisphere’s largest population of humpback whales, who nurse their young there before migrating south; and the world’s largest populations of leatherback and olive ridley turtles also come to Gabon to nest. The country is home to more than 10,000 plant species. This is more than the total diversity of all countries in West Africa, with 15 percent of the plants in the country unique to Gabon.
To protect its biodiversity, Gabon also established a network of 13 national parks. In total, 22 percent of the country’s land falls within protected areas while another 60 percent is managed in sustainable forestry concessions. Since 2018, the country has also declared 26 percent of its waters as marine protected areas.
For more information, visit www.discovergabon.com.
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