By Yunus S Saliu
Tourism one of the sectors that has steadily contributed to the growth of the Destination Gambia GDP for some decades was seriously hampered during the last 2016/2017 Winter Tourism Season due to the unexpected political circumstances in the destination.
Adama Njie, Director of Marketing Gambia Tourism Board in a brief interview stated that the last season, at the beginning was very promising but the political situation the country faced hampered the season.
“As we are all aware,” he said, “the first quarter of the season was very poor, of course, many flights were cancelled as almost all the major charter flights repatriated their guest back to their respective markets (destination.)”
He noted that if it wasn’t the political impasse the country’s tourism should have been in a very strong position but nonetheless it was actually beyond everyone.
Njie explained that during the last season they were having an average of about 25 flights a week which excluded the interruption of the political impasse. But in the upcoming 2017/2018 Winter Season, “we are hoping to get good season compare to the last season in particular that the country has gained a very democratic system because it will give the destination a stronger footing.
He however expressed optimism of the GTboard and other stakeholders in the upcoming 2017/2018 Winter Tourism season as he disclosed that “in 2016 many things were happening then that many investors interested in the country were sceptical but such environment is past now and the board and other stakeholders are very optimistic about the upcoming season.”Without fear, he said tourists will like to return to destination Gambia especially that everything has gone back to normal.
He went further to say that the major tour operators like Thomas, Gambia Experience among others are all coming back and the signs they getting from the booking are very impressive.
Tourism, he reiterated, is key to the development of any country particularly The Gmabia and GTBoard, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture or the tourism fraternity cannot do it all alone because it is everybody’s business “but if we all work together for better Gambia we will see a different tourism image to the Smiling Coast.”
