By Yunus S Saliu
Revealing the Gambia tourism sector’s post Covid-19 plan at the just concluded The Africa Summit 2020 on Thursday, the Minister of Tourism and Culture has reiterated the importance of domestic and regional tourism in particular to destination Gambia.
The Minister of Tourism and Culture, Thursday has pointed out the importance of domestic and regional tourism in particular to destination Gambia.
Honorable Hamat NK Bah harped on this during The Africa Summit 2020, a conference, organised by African Leadership Magazine featured twelve speakers through virtual via zoom with theme – Covid-19: Pathways To Africa’s Economic Recovery and Growth. The summit registered large number of audiences across all over the world and Africa in particular who had contributed widely on the theme of the summit.
The 4th edition of The African Summit 2020 brought together divergent views and thoughts, as well as insights and practical experiences of leaders, policymakers, experts, and other key stakeholders in issues relating to Africa’s development priorities post-Covid-19.
Honorable Hamat NK Bah said Covid-19 was a surprise to everyone as nobody expected it to reach greater stage which the whole world is experiencing now and “the speed it came to Africa was purely beyond our imagination,” he noted.
So far, he said Covid-19 has taught Gambia tourism sector a lesson as the sector is now working on post Covid-19 strategy plan for the economy “particularly tourism sector, we are now going through expert advice.”
“We are working on post covid-19 strategy plan for the economy in general particularly tourism sector and we have to go through expert advices. And of course as you aware that countries that have low cases easily come back to the market and as the situation is now, with low number of cases we have to come back to the market,” he disclosed.
With The Gambia having low cases and with the strategies put in place, he said the sector should be able to go back to the market.
He noted that with lesson of Covid-19, the country is looking into further promoting domestic and regional tourism “as a result we already laid foundation stones for three eco-lodges in upcountry while another two will follow in due time.”
By developing a strong domestic and regional tourism the Minister said the sector will certainly make a different because “all our tourism arrivals are international.” However, he disclosed the sector’s intention of replacing some of the source markets with the Nigeria market and as well attracts some of the middle class economy countries in Africa to come and enjoy the beauty of destination Gambia.
