The European Union has signed a new contract for 600,000 euros with The Gambia heritage management organisation to tackle threats currently faced by the tourism sector.
In a statement issued in on Friday, the EU said it is working to help remove obstacles that led the tourism sector to a standstill since the beginning of the crisis.
As part of the EU support to The Gambia economic post-pandemic recovery, this project aims to protect the country’s heritage, and further develop a more diversified and sustainable tourism.
The project, titled ‘Initiative for Heritage Conservation – HerMap–Gambia’ is designed to strengthen civil society and local authorities as partners for developing cultural heritage management skills and thus investing in the enhancement of local cultural ecosystems and better integrating them in broader development strategies.
The ambition is to contribute to the promotion of The Gambia’s rich cultural heritage and its potential for social development and economic and inclusive growth.
The action aims at building the capacity and skills of local partners within traditional and emerging heritage professions through the delivery of community trainings, creation of online workshops and online heritage management courses platform.
Training will focus, among others, on sustainable tourism, museum management, heritage marketing, heritage branding, digital tools for recording and managing heritage.
“With its rich historical and cultural background, including two cultural sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, The Gambia’s culture is a driving force for the creative and cultural sectors.
“Furthermore, it is an important resource that could support economic growth, social cohesion, and employment through the promotion of sustainable tourism,” said EU Ambassador Attila Lajos.
