“TOURISM CAME TO US; WE DIDN’T GO FIND IT”: GRTS EXAMINES GENESIS OF GAMBIAN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT & PROSPECTS
The Gambia, known for its rich heritage and cultural diversity, is a magnet to tourists seeking to escape the harsh winter weather and stretch out on tranquil beaches and enjoy the warmth provided by the sun and friendly people.The beginning of tourism in the Gambia can be traced as far back as the mid-1960s, shortly after the country gained independence from Britain.Reliable accounts have it that tourism in The Gambia started by accident when a Swedish gentleman called Bertil Harding, who was travelling from Northern Senegal to the Northern part of the neighbouring country, lost his bearing and drove towards Banjul. Harding, according to accounts, was amazed by the beautiful coastline and the friendly people, and as a result, decided to stay for a couple of days, thus marking the discovery of the popular tourist destination that would later assume the name “the smiling coast of Africa”.Samba Batch Faye, Board Chairman of the Gambia Tourism Board, and Sheikh Tijan Nyang, Head of the Institute of Travel and Tourism of the Gambia, both confirmed that was what set off the development of tourism in the Gambia and led to a steady increase in the number of visitors as “tourism came to the Gambia” instead of the Gambia “going to find it.”"He was driving to Casamance to go to Cap Skirring and other places. In our conversation when he was alive, he said he drove overnight until in the morning, he saw Denton Bridge, then he said, well, I don't think I am in Casamance; I must be in the Gambia. Instead of turning around and finding his way to Casamance, he said, "Let me just go in and find out what Gambia is like," Samba Batch, Chairman of Gambia Tourism Board, said.By the late 1970s and 1980s, the Gambia had established itself as a prime tourist destination, and with an increasing number of hotels and resorts lining the coast and a surge in the number of tourists, the need for increased investments became apparent, effectively drawing in Swedish and European investorsInitially, the structures that were used to accommodate tourists were not custom-built. However, what followed were proper hotels built by foreign investors in tandem with the Gambia government, which at the time saw the huge potential that existed when the Gambian tourism development was in its infancy stage."There was only one hotel & that was the Atlantic Hotel. He went and checked in at the Atlantic Hotel. In the morning, he walked around the beach. That time Atlantic Beach was at least 100 meters of white sand on the beach as opposed to its current state.” “He walked around and found only a few people. By then, people were not keen on going to the beach. All that they were interested in was going through the wharves and fishing for crabs. And he said, "Well, this seems to be a nice place. Let me stay for a few more days,” the GT-Board chair added.With the rise of tourism, the demand for well-trained staff to work in hotels and restaurants and serve as tour guides became necessary. Then, emerged Gambia Hotel School, which was later upgraded and renamed "Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute".Others, like the Institute of Travel and Tourism in the Gambia, were born to cater for the ever-increasing need for trained human resources and seasoned professionals.Sheikh Tijan Nyang, a veteran in the tourism sector, who saw it and witnessed the evolution, weighs in on the gains made by the sector"It came in as an accidental industry that had no policies that would guide it to where it is today. As a result of it, the government thought it wise and had key people in key positions. People who were knowledgeable and they thought it is good to look at good examples.”“If I remember talking to the late Tom Senghore, he and the late Tapha Sosseh were permanent secretaries at various ministries. They went to Kenya from what I gathered from Tom Senghore. They did a case study in Kenya as to how it developed to where it is today, and they came and wrote a report. After that, the Bafuloto studies form the basis of our tourism development," said Sheikh Tijan Nyang.The Bafuloto studies were designed to understand traditional Gambian society and to unearth the hidden potential of community tourism. Now, with stiff competition, Nyang believes the sector needs urgent reforms and more investments in eco - and community-based tourism to ensure sustainability. "We have developed, but we also have a series of challenges that we need to address. Most of the countries in the sub-region do not operate the same system as we do. We depend entirely on package stores.”“The industry is seasonal, and it starts from October to April, and that's where it ends. We have been operating in this system since the inception of tourism, and I think we have seen it gradually diminishing." Nyang stated. Tourism is one of the sectors that help the Gambia maintain a level of buoyancy, but with many destinations seeking to outdo or attract tourists from the same source markets, there is a need to return to the drawing board to reposition and repackage Gambian Tourism so it can continue to attract tourists from across the world.
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