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rassimian
United Kingdom
168 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Dec 2015 : 18:56:55
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The start of this holiday season has seen an influx of tourists from Poland to various hotels within the Senegambia area particularly at Palma Rima and Senegambia hotels. They seem to have come via an arrangement between the Gambian Tourist Authority and the Polish Tourist Board. In the hotel where I stayed a whole new building had been constructed during the last 12 months to accommodate them. They stay on an all inclusive basis which although may be financially beneficial to the hotel owners , has proved not to be so for the general staff who work there. Some of these tourists have racist attitudes referring to 'these blacks' or 'black boys' rather than call them Gambians or learn their Gambian names. They don't tip the staff who often have to take wooden beds a long way down to the sea front and back again. Even the juice boys have a rough time. When the Polish tourists find out that a juice was not part of their inclusive deal they walk away. It seems that in some hotels the Polish get up to 4 free Julbrews a day for each person. They say that everything they get offered is cheaper in Poland, such as a massage or alcohol. The hotel staff don't feel any benefit from them and neither do the taxi drivers who say that as they are all inclusive they only come out of the hotels for a walk and nothing else. However , it would not be fair to say that their attitudes are all the same ;some have tried to communicate with Gambian staff in English but many are ignorant of life in the Gambia. They feed the monkeys who then swarm around the dining tables and they stroke the dogs who roam around on the beach. It seems that the Polish tourist reps do not understand the culture of the Gambia very well. As one Dutch guy said to me' if you think this is bad wait til the Russians get here' The deal seems to be 1 week all inclusive including flight and drinks for 500 Euros. This arrangement is initially for 2 years so it remains to be seen how this will affect future tourist numbers but one thing is certain and that is that they are not liked.
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Invasion of the Poles
