Tourism in Senegal Tourism in Senegal Tourism in Senegal is a vital part of the West African nation's economy. From a relatively small industry at the introduction of the first Club Med resort in the 1970s, Tourism has grown to be an important part of the Senegalese economy. Since the 1990s, Senegal has made an effort to reach beyond visitors from the former colonial power France and It is attracting tourists From Spain, British and Italians, in part motivated by the example of neighbouring Gambia, which draws a relatively larger tourist share from Northern Europe and the Americas to its Banjul coastal resorts.
Senegal traditionally been one of Africa's dominant basketball powers. The men's team performed better than that of any other African nation at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, where they reached the playoffs for the first time. The women's team won 19 medals at 20 African Championships, more than twice as many medals as any competitor. In 2016, the NBA announced the launch of an Elite's Academy in Africa, and more precisely in Senegal. The country hosted the Paris–Dakar rally from 1979 until 2007. The Dakar Rally was an off-road endurance motorsport race which followed a course from Paris, France to Dakar,