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Momodou
Denmark
11728 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Mar 2010 : 18:43:31
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Challenges in the Tourism Sector
By Seedy Darboe
The Gambia is one of the most poplar tourism countries in West Africa, but now facing many challenges in the country’s drive to add more value to tourism packages and make the country an all year round tourism destination.
One should think why this year tourism has become unfavorable to some people. As some attribute this to the global economic crises, others say it is due to the expensiveness of the hotel and the tax levied on tourists. However, what is clear to us is to think of re-packaging tourism in a way that not only do government and hotel executives benefit, but also how do we make it beneficial to communities whose lives are dependent on it.
If it is because of the expensiveness of the hotels, then we could say we know our problem for now. But how can we solve that problem when the Gambia Tourism Authority, which is the main body responsible of regulating the industry, is increasing taxation in the market every year.
At least, that is what craft vendors and fruit sellers are complaining about. Despite the low income that they have in the business, most of these people lives are dependent on the season as they have other needs like that of family and personal, to take care of. This is why we believe the GTA and the Ministry should go round to the people in the tourism sector, have meetings with them, ask them what is their difficulties in this year’s tourism compared to last year’s, among others.
Speaking to The Daily News reporter, Dawda Ngum, Chairman of the Senegambia Craft Market Vendors say this problem cannot be solved in the office. According to him, many people have this believe that bumsters are the ones who destroy market by saying bad things to the tourists so that they will not go and buy things according to the first prize.
When we all know that bumsters are the last persons to reach the tourists, so how can this be the case when some of us know that this tourists will first receive briefing from their tour operators and hotels of residence? These are the people who tell tourists everything about the country – how to deal with strangers, what to do when they go to markets: "if you ask for any thing that is 100 dalasi you say have fifty dalasi".
He added that there are many positive thing accrued from community tourism. Many people in the Gambia that benefit from the tourists are due to bumsters. Many of those rich young men have made it thanks to bumsters, some has even traveled outside this country all due to bumsters. Some tourists like to be entertained and guided by bumsters than the hotel guides, and it’s because the entertainment from the bumster is different from the other guys.
According to him, he said most people should know that bumsters are also in the sector for their interests, because there are many jobless youths sitting in the ghetto without doing anything for a living. So if bumsting is the only ambition that they have in mind, them we should give them way.
It’s true that some tourists do complain of the global crisis that is affecting them; that is why they don’t have so much money to spend on the market and the little that they have to spend is gone into hotel accommodations.
Gabriel Sanyang also talked about expensiveness in the airports fees, adding that expensiveness in the air ports have nothing to do with the tourism, because they have a specific amount or kilo that people don’t pay. So if you go over that, you must pay.
He said it is true that tourism is bad, "but I think that global crises is something we can do nothing about that.
Source: Dailynews
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