By Yunus S Saliu
The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Culture has disclosed that in ‘all the two periodic reviews of the National Development Plan (NDP) Tourism and Culture sector have come out as the best performing sector.’
The PS disclosed this over the weekend during the laying of foundation stones for both Jimara Eco Tourism Park in Kunkilling Eco Tourism Forest Park in Central River Region and the Fulladu Tourism Camp at Sotuma Samba, Jimara in Upper River Region respectively, whereby Minister Hamat NK Bah laid the foundation stones.
According to Mrs Codou Linguere Jabang it is evident most prominently in the increase in tourism arrivals consistently for the past three years from 2017/2018 tourist season, in the revival of the Janjangbureh Kankurang Festival, and the digitization of the NCAC Oral Archives, as well as the revamping of the curricula of the Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute.
“We owe this success largely to the solid team of professionals we have managed to put together working in tandem to achieve success, despite the recurring issue of under funding for the sector,” she noted.
Without any doubt, PS Jabang assured that the eco-lodges will boost tourism arrivals, tap high value market segments and contribute to jobs and economic diversification in the sector
She noted that “more jobs will be created for our youths in the rural areas, skills acquisition for young people in hospitality.”
According to her, GTHI will facilitate training facilities and opportunities in each region so that the needed human resource to run the eco-lodges professionally will be readily available and not imported from the Greater Banjul Area.
The Permanent Secretary informed stakeholders that the facility is being built in Janjangbureh (McCarthy), the island settlement, known for its rich tradition of Kankurang, and its numerous sites of historic and cultural interest such as Armitage School and the Freedom Triangle.
Since 2017, she said, the NCAC has worked with the Youth Empowerment Project of the EU to revive the Kankurang Masking Festival, a festival now recognized as a veritable tourism product in rural Gambia.
Thanking the Minister of Tourism and Culture for his leadership which is most refreshing and moral boosting she also wholeheartedly thanked His Excellency President Adama Barrow for his support and encouragement to tourism and culture
