Benin Ecotourism Concern (Eco-Benin) is a Beninese non-governmental organization created in 1999. She works to promote ecotourism and local development projects across Benin, for “responsible, equitable and inclusive human development”.

Eco-Benin uses ecotourism as an economic pillar for the development of local communities, either in regions where incomes traditionally linked to fishing or agriculture are in decline, or in locations with a natural and cultural heritage that is threatened with disappearance or poorly exploited. The activities of the NGO aim to develop simple tourist services that primarily benefit host communities and that contribute to the protection of their natural resources and cultural identities.

To do this, the NGO Eco-Benin strives to distribute travel revenues fairly between communities but also to develop and promote natural resources. With a dozen development projects established since its creation in 1999, Eco-Benin has implemented a Carbon Action Plan whose objectives are the planting of mangroves in the Ramsar 1017 site and the promotion of improved homes around national parks. In addition, the actions carried out for the development of the local economy are varied: construction of an ecolodge, rehabilitation of farms, development of an eco-museum, construction of a campsite, local accommodation and so many others.

Eco-Benin operates in localities from South to North Benin. In the south, it is Lake Ahémé, the most successful project after seven years of work with the support of the French Global Environment Fund and Planète Urgence. In addition, a new project is under way with the support of IUCN Netherlands to develop a network of ecotourism sites in the wetlands of southern Benin. At the center, it directly supports the Tobé beekeeping site in developing an ecotourism component as an added value to their beekeeping production. In the North, Eco-Benin has been working for five years in Koussoukoingou, a village characterized by its traditional Tata Somba homes, and around the Pendjari (in Tanongou) and W (in Alfakoara, Karimama and Banikoara) national parks (in Alfakoara, Karimama and Banikoara) as a partner-provider for German (GIZ) and Italian (RC) cooperation. A project is also under way in Tanéka Béri for the development of ecotourism activities and the conservation of local culture with own funding from Eco-Benin. Also, Eco-Benin is a partner of the Dutch Development Organization (SNV) in Benin. Eco-Benin participated in the development and implementation of the High Impact Training in Tourism for Jobs and Income (HITT) program funded by the European Union (http://www.hitt-initiative.org).

All Eco-Benin projects are managed by the host communities, with the objective that they will eventually become autonomous in the organization of ecotourism activities and its value chain in their village. A portion of the revenue (between 10 and 25% depending on activities and projects) is intended for the implementation of projects of community interest (renovation of a school, construction of latrines, etc.) or to help the poorest families. All of these projects welcomed 6322 tourists in 2011. These projects have 227 direct beneficiaries and 880 indirect beneficiaries (45% of whom are women) with significant socio-economic incomes.