By Yunus S Saliu
As 2019 winter tourism season officially kicked start in destination Gambia on Monday, the Director General of the Gambia Tourism Board (GTBoard) accompanied by other officials from the Gambia Tourism Board and as well as tour operator expressed joy and confidence of having a successful 2019 winter tourism season despite the collapsed of Thomas Cook, one of the leading tourist carrier to Destination Gambia.
The Corendon Airline being the first maiden flight for the season flew direct from Amsterdam, Holland and landed at the Banjul International Airport at exactly 12:40 pm local time with the arrival of 141 tourists onboard.
Receiving the Corendon Airline maiden flight at foot of the Banjul International Airport was Abdoullie Hydara, Director General of the GTBoard alongside Ida Jeng Njie, Director Tourism International, Adama Njie, Director of Marketing and as well as Liane Sallah of Adventure Tour.
DG Hydara said it was another happy moment for the country’s tourism industry. He said the arrival figure is a sign of good start and positive development for the Gambia.
With the ceased trading of the Thomas Cook flight news, he said there are new entrant to the market as TAP Air Portuguese will be flying to destination Gambia begin from this month with three flight per week.
In this just started 2019 tourism winter season, he said there will be fifty-one flight frequencies per week to the destination compared to fifty-seven per week during the last season.
With great confidence “hopefully,” he continued, “we will soon confirm additional three new flights to the market soon.”
He however noted that it is not the number of flight to the destination but the frequency and flight configuration hence it is not all tourists chartered flights bring tourists to The Gambia but also schedule flight.
Ida Njie Jeng, Director Tourism International affirmed that The Gambia is now all-year-round destination. She said there were already few flights to the Gambia before the official opening of the season.
She noted that the GTBoard expectation for the season is very positive.
Adama Njie Director of Marketing disclosed dilated on the importance of tourism to the country. He added that GTBoard is well prepared for the season with great expectation.