By Landing Colley
Honorable Hamat NK Bah, Minister of Tourism and Culture has told members of the National Assembly that his ministry has been encouraging domestic and regional tourism in the country long before coronavirus pandemic.
“Without doubt the 2020 tourism session has been economically devastated by covid-19, global pandemic. And to localize tourism it will still not sufficient to cover the economic benefit but it will help to reduce the gap. My Ministry has since started well before Covid-19 looking at ways and means of encouraging domestic and regional tourism in The Gambia,” he said.
He added the “construction of five eco lodges across the country, one in each region as per National Development Plan is indeed a clear indication. And my Ministry is happy to report that three of these lodges in Barra, North Bank Region, Kunkiling Forest, Central River Region and Sotuma Samba Sireh in Upper River Region are already in high gear,” he added.
According to him, these community based eco lodges will be sources of income to both the economic and the local people. Also, the expected high standard in term of good services delivery will encourage regional and domestic tourism.
However, Assan Touray NAM for Bakau further asked the MoTC Minister how soon the Ministry is expecting these eco lodges to complete in order to start localizing tourism in the country?
In Minister’s response, he said “the ministry is not waiting for these things to be completed, already there are facilities where Gambians are already going as tourism and this are of high standard,” he said.
“The eco lodge in Kassange called AbCa’s is one of the most successful lodges in The Gambia and the facilities there are comparable to any other part of the world,” he revealed.
“I was proud to see that Gambians are going on excursion visiting the place and see the beauty and nature there. Now, we are trying to develop the Bansang lodge, Kungda lodge but rather unfortunate we still having difficulties in getting a reasonable standard housing in Farafenni, Soma and Basse,” he disclosed