Basirou Jawara, a prominent businessman and doyen of The Gambia’s tourism industry has accused former President Yahya Jammeh for the near collapsed of the tourism industry.
“If the sector is to recover from the mess, The Gambian government need to move away from been a consumer to become an investor in the sector,” he pointed out.
Jawara, the first Gambian to own and operate hotels and airlines in the country made these remarks among others at the launched of The Gambia Air Access Committee at the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in Banjul on Monday, where he also accused Yahya Jammeh of selling Sunwing hotel and Amie’s beach hotel at giveaway prices to the detriment of the Gambian people’s.
“The former government ruins tourism and is responsible for the collapsed of Atlantic hotel, Palm Grove hotel Wardner Beach hotel. The day they (military) took over of the country, three tourists flights arrived from Spain for Wardner Beach but they went back and since then for twenty two (22) years no tourists stays at Wardner Beach”, Jawara disclosed.
The prominent businessman pointed out that the collapsed of these hotels were politically motivated and launched by Yahya Jammeh with the views to ruin the industry as well targets players within the sector.
Jawara, one-time owner of Adonis hotel, Fajara beach hotel, Wardner beach hotel and Atlantic Airways described the idea of government setting up the Air Access Committee is to welcoming one especially at a time when many of the world’s renowned tour operating companies are facing serious troubles.
According to him, if government is serious about air accessibility it must be ready to invest in the sector and serve as an investor rather than a mere consumer, warning that tour operation is an expensive venture that requires serious funding if there is to be any success.
“Government must involve in the tourism development of this country, it must not only take but also to put in something. Since the start of tourism in this country government has not put in anything, it is only taking and this cannot continues”, Jawara warned.
Jawara urged the Minister of Tourism and Culture to mount an investigation on how Social Security acquire Sunwing and Ocean Bay, revealing that these hotels were clandestinely sold to one European mafia at a giveaway price by former President Yahya Jammeh.
“I want you (minister) to find how they (Yahya Jammeh and his government) sold these hotels to the European Mafia. They sold it at a giveaway price less than the price of my four bedroom house. Government didn’t get nothing from the sale of these hotels and I want you (minister of tourism) to find out”, Jawara challenged Tourism Minister.