By Yunus S Saliu
Abdoulie Hydara, Director General of the Gambia Tourism Board has said that Russian tourists pullout Gambia tourism traditional market because of economy and sanction which did not support the Russian currency to pay foreign services.
He made the revelation in an interview with travel and tour writers at the Banjul International Airport, Monday, 14th October during the official welcome of the arrival of Corendon Airline 2019 winter tourism season maiden flight.
He explained that “Russia didn’t pullout from The Gambia because of bad experience but because of economic reason, while also tour operator operating with the Russian tourists to The Gambia and the operator in the country (did) not agree on pricing mechanism at that time.” He added that “they have to pull-out simply because Russia is facing some economy sanctions that did not support the Russian currency to pay foreign services.”
DG Hydara quickly added that now thing has changed “we would bring them back,” he assured.
Meanwhile, October 1st last year 350 Russian Tourists landed in destination Gambia with Airbus inscribed Royal Flight VP-BLC with the above number of passengers and that marked official opening of the 2018/2019 winter tourism season,
Welcoming the flight then, it was much to the delight of the top echelons of the tourism stakeholders who beamed smiles as they received the maiden flight of those Russian tourists that flew direct from Russia to The Gambia. As the landing underscored the reality that the GTBoard has succeeded in its quest in capturing that part of European nation market. The capturing of that market was as a result of unrelenting efforts of the Gambia Tourism Board and its Ministry that made FTI to return back to The Gambia and with direct flight from Moscow to Banjul.