Embedding our trademark as ‘The smiling coast of Africa’
“Harnessing our cultural heritage, hospitality, and fauna & flora as Tourism’s unique selling points and gifts to the world”
TOURISM
Leisure Tourism continue to dominate the tourism landscape of The Gambia. A lot of achievements have been registered within the confines of Leisure Tourism, notably Beach and Ecotourism, however, the time has come to diversify our Tourism Landscape with additions of Heritage, Cultural, Sports, Adventure, Business, and Domestic Tourism.
These aspects of Tourism are opportunities that can be explored considering our rich heritage and culture, our natural resource, the River Gambia, which provides opportunities for fishing, birdwatching, kayaking, cruising, and yachting. The International Conference Center can be leveraged to embed MICE related aspects of Tourism, that is, international Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, and Exhibitions.
Diversifying the Tourism Landscape in addition to pursuing a conscious strategy to promote Domestic Tourism will go a long way in ensuring year-round tourism, employment creation, wealth generation, and healthy international tourism receipts by way of foreign exchange earnings to strengthen the dalasi through a buildup of our foreign exchange reserves.
As a cross-cutting sector, the development of Tourism must be cross-functional in approach. Tourism cuts across Trade in Services, Air Transport, Maritime, Agriculture, Environment, Safety and Security, and Natural Resources, both Fauna & Flora and Parks & Wildlife.
Its development necessarily should therefore encompass a holistic approach if its inherent benefits are to be fully harnessed. The development of the Tourism sector shall therefore be a priority in our economic development agenda.