Small scale stakeholders including experts of the tourism industry have raised eye browns to the reintroduction of the much talk-about all-inclusive tourism package, describing it as unfavorable to their businesses as well as to the country’s tourism industry.
In a vox-pop conducted by this reporter at the tourism industry, scores of dissatisfied small scale operators expressed their concerns regarding this package. Many of them felt sidelined in this major decision reached by Gambia’s tourism authorities and Frost Touristik International (FTI) in reintroducing all-inclusive package.
According to them, with the reintroduction of all-inclusive package into Gambia’s tourism market, small scale operators are deprive of customers who frequently visits their businesses and thus all-inclusive tourism is not beneficial to them.
Some of the dissatisfied operators said, the package only benefit foreign own tour operating companies, hoteliers and ground tour operators are benefiting from this new package reintroduced into the market.
Ebrima Jaiteh is the secretary general of Tourists Taxi-drivers Association of The Gambia said in an interview that, they (tourist’s taxi-drivers) are totally against the reintroduction of the all-inclusive package.
“This all-inclusive doesn’t help us (tourists-taxi drivers) at all because if you advertised The Gambia as a destination and in turn you book all their rooms, food and transportation then what does you expect ordinary Gambians to benefit from this package?,” Jaiteh rhetorically questioned.
According to him, with the reintroduction of all-inclusive tourism the industry is mortgage to foreign tour operating companies at the detriment of local operators who are making their livings from the sector, adding that without locals benefiting from tourism business one has to forget about it.
He added that if tour operators are task with transporting tourists from the airport to the hotels and continue to provide transport services for them while staying in the country then how one would expect tourists taxi drivers who are paying taxes to the state to survive in the industry, he queries.
Jaiteh further adduces that, with this package most of their members will queue for the whole day at the garages without making trips as all the trips ventured by the tourists are tailor-made for them by tour operator, adding that it’s high time for the government to protect the interest of local operators against that of the foreign interest.
Seedy Sanneh is the president of the Senegambia Craft Market Association also told this reporter how craft market vendors are striving under the new tourism order instituted by the tourism authorities.
“We (Senegambia Craft market Association) have made a thorough assessment of the past tourists season vice verse the all-inclusive package and come to the conclusions that this package does not favor the craft market vendors at all. Now, we are calling on the government to halt this package with immediate effect,” he noted.
According to him, the last tourist’s season could be regarded as the worst tourists seasons ever experience in The Gambia, noting that most of the tourists who ventured into the country last season are budget travelers who’s spending are very limited to trickle down to the craft market vendors.
He disclosed that, the only people who benefitted from the last tourists season are the tour operators and their business partners on the ground.
Seedy Lamin Bah, a tourism lecturer at the University of The Gambia said: “Am urging the tourism authorities to reconsider their position regarding the all-inclusive tourism package as many small scale stakeholders are dissatisfied with the product.”
It would be better if we can go back to the drawing board and engage all tourism stakeholders in coming to a conscientious decision before any new product be introduce into the tourism market, he adduces.