(Ecofin Agency) - The hotel group Club Med announced, in a press release published on 25 August, that it would open in 2017 a second resort in Senegal, with an investment of 63 million Euros.

The memorandum of understanding for the construction of Saraba Village was signed on 21 August by Henri Giscard d’Estaing, Chairman of the Board for Club Med, in the presence of Mahammed BounAbdallah Dionne, Prime Minister of Senegal and Jean-Félix Paganon, French Ambassador in Senegal.

The Sabara Village will include 358 rooms and suites (a total of 860 beds), “on a site covering 30 hectares in Nianing, located 90 kilometres away from Dakar, on the Petite Côte”, according to the press release.

“Senegal is an ideal summer destination, close to European markets. The opening of this village is part of the policy of the new Senegalese government who wishes to put tourism at the centre of the country’s economic development with the objective of making Senegal a world-renowned destination”, highlights Club Med.

The new village will help create over 1,000 jobs, 400 of which will be direct. “The village will host about 30,000 customers per year, which will be added to the 8,000 that the Cap Skirring Club Med Village, in Casamance, already hosts every year”.

The French group specifies that “activities linked to transport, shuttle services and excursions will be outsourced to local partners”, adds the communiqué.

The construction of the Sabara Village will be “financed through equity (40%) by a pool of partners-investors”.

In addition to Club Med, holding 35%, “VACAP (Société Vacances Cap Skirring SA, owner of des Almadies, ex-Club Med village in Senegal), will bring an investment corresponding to 35%, FONSIS (Senegalese Sovereign Strategic Investment Fund) and CDC (Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations du Sénégal) will each hold 15%”, explains the group.

Moreover, Club Med revealed in its communiqué that an expansion project for 250 beds of the existing Cap Skirring Club Med Village is under study.