Tourism in Benin is a small industry. In 1996,

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the nort ...

had approximately 150,000 tourists. By 2014 number rose to 242,000. A small country with a high concentration of tourist attractions, Benin's national parks and culture are among its main tourist attractions.Taylor & Francis Group, 2003, ''Africa South of the Sahara 2004'', Routledge, , page 88.

Abomey Abomey is the capital of the Zou Department of Benin. The commune of Abomey covers an area of 142 square kilometres and, as of 2012, had a population of 90,195 people. Abomey houses the Royal Palaces of Abomey, a collection of small traditional ...

is one of Benin's main tourist attractions, with palaces that became a World Heritage Site in 1982. The capital city

Porto Novo Porto-Novo (Portuguese: "New Port", , ; yo, Àjàṣẹ́, ), also known as Hogbonu and Ajashe, is the capital of Benin. The commune covers an area of and as of 2002 had a population of 223,552 people. Situated on an inlet of the Gulf of G ...

's attractions include its museums and architecture. Cotonou is the only international airport in Benin.Williams, Stephen, Dec 2002
Benin: The belly of history
''African History''. There are direct flights to Benin from Belgium, France, and a number of African countries. There are 578 kilometres of railroad in the country, which were developed under a joint effort with the Republic of Niger.Leonard, Thomas M., 2006, ''Encyclopedia of the Developing World'', Taylor & Francis, , page 198. Benin's government regards tourism as a method of diversifying its economy, attracting more foreign investment, and decreasing Benin's dependence on its agricultural industry. Although the government has a National Policy of Tourism Development, it has not made a strong effort to improve tourist facilities or to market Benin as a tourist destination.Travel and Tourism in Benin
Euromonitor. Some of the best

wildlife Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted ...

areas in West Africa are found in north Benin, where

Pendjari National Park The Pendjari National Park (french: Parc National de la Pendjari) lies in north western Benin, adjoining the Arli National Park in Burkina Faso. Named for the Pendjari River, the national park is known for its wildlife and is home to some of the ...

and

W National Park The W National Park (french: Parc national du W) or W Regional Park (french: W du Niger, links=no) is a major national park in West Africa around a meander in the River Niger shaped like the letter W (french: double v, links=no). The park includ ...

are located.Hudgens, Jim, 2003, ''The Rough Guide to West Africa '', Rough Guides, , page 927. The best time to see the Pendjari National Park's wildlife is towards the end of the dry season.Benin: Sights
Lonely Planet. The park is accessible to travellers and accommodation is available.

is located in Benin's far north, and stretches across

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to ...

and

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesWildlife of Benin *

Music of Benin Benin has played an important role in the African music scene, producing one of the biggest stars to come out of the continent in Angélique Kidjo. Post-independence, the country was home to a vibrant and innovative music scene, where native folk ...

References

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