By Yunus S Saliu
The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Culture has assured that the newly validated Tourism Policy and Strategy will make a lot of difference to tourism development in destination Gambia.
Madam Cordu L Jabang-Senghore addressing the gathering at the validation forum held recently at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center, Bijilo saying that document will make difference because it is within the framework of the National Tourism Policy and Strategy. She said the well thought out strategies and accountability frameworks have been formulated to ensure inclusive and sustainable tourism development as encapsulated in the National Development Plan.
The PS noted that the strategic framework to achieve the vision and objectives of the policy as enshrined in the new policy and strategy is robust and have the potential to propel tourism to higher heights as well as ensure its sustained competitiveness in this very challenging operating environment.
But she quickly added that it would require great coordination, appropriate institutional re-engineering and human resource development to ensure that the vision, goals and objectives as enshrined in the document is actualized.
Madam Jabang-Senghore affirmed that it is daunting challenge, “but not insurmountable and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture will create the enabling environment for the necessary and vital reforms augment and amplify the impact of the coveted tourism industry.”
However she noted that the Tourism Diagnostic Assessment Report and the policy were all-embraced in terms of the profundity and the range of issues tackled, to inform and give us all a better perspective on key and challenging issues in tourism in this critical moment.
Following an extensive work, according to her, two vital documents were developed and they are the Tourism Diagnostic Assessment Report and the National Tourism Policy and Strategy 2021 to 2030.
“These twin documents now formed the basis of the validation. These homegrown major documents have been formulated following a robust stakeholder engagement as well as extensive literature review,” she disclosed.
Further to that, she said he engagements were broad-based which included a broad spectrum of stakeholders at both the national and regional levels, this with, “idea to ensure that the final document embodies the true aspiration of the Gambian people in their pursuit to reposition, to be undertaken as captured in the national tourism policy and strategy to ensure collaborative and inclusive tourism management and development.”
The PS however emphasized that tourism in destination Gambia has, hitherto, been managed in a fragmented manner and the new policy and strategy promotes a holistic way of thinking by promoting inclusivity, accountability, and coordination among the many actors in the industry to foster and nurture complementarity. “This is in line with international best practice and in line with the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics,” she added.
