The statement below is my contribution to the Tourism Workshop currently
taking place at the Senegambia Beach Hotel in Banjul.  I have requested the
organisers to insert it in the official transcript of the proceedings.  The
statement draws extensively on recent Bank Missions to Banjul. I hope it
will be of interest to some.

__________________________________


STATEMENT BY MR. SIDI SANNEH
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK AT THE STAKEHOLDERS WORKSHOP ON THE WAY FORWARD –
TOURISM IN THE GAMBIA
1ST AND 2ND NOVEMBER 2000

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Let me begin by saying that it is indeed an honor and privilege to be
invited to be present with you at this workshop. Unfortunately and due to
the recent political crisis in Cote d’Ivoire, I have not been able to travel
to this seminar. Nevertheless, I wish to thank you on behalf of the
management of the African Development Bank for the kind invitation that was
extended to the bank and also to the Private Sector Department.

Distinguished Ladies & Gentlemen

Tourism to The Gambia dates back 35 years to 1964/65 when the country was
identified by Swedish and Danish packaged tour operators catering to a
down-market clientele in search of a more "exotic", and prestigious
alternative to the Balearic Islands and the Spanish Sun Coast; the product
being essentially 3-S (Sun, Sand and Sea) as also offered in Spain.
Initially, tourism was confined to two hotels in the Gambian capital Banjul
during the winter season from November to April. The earlier tour operators
were established as the main Scandinavian "happy-go-lucky" tour companies
whose main activities were relaxation, beach parties and a high degree of
alcohol consumption. The bulk of package fees were paid in Europe, while
Gambian hotels catering to Western visitors were owned or controlled by
European investors. From 1970/71 to 1990 growth in visitor arrivals was
significant, hotel bed capacity expanding from 2,600 in 1970 to 6,000 in
1993; and finally, 6,926 for 2000. Air charter visitor numbers grew from
1,207 in 1969/70 to 58,026 in 1990/91 and 89,997 in 1993/94.

A Tourism Office and Tourism Liaison Board was established in 1970, which
also saw the inception of a Tourism Development Area (The TDA) encompassing
the peri-urban areas of Bakau, Fajara, Kololi and Kotu adjacent to the major
Gambian township Serekunda linked by a causeway to Banjul. However, tourism
developments were on ad-hoc basis with only minimal attempt of zoning and
regulation. A Ministry of Tourism was established in 1974 to supervise the
sector.

Scandinavian tourism dominance ceased in 1985, with Britain becoming the
major source market, with a significant 54% drop in Scandinavian visitor
arrivals from 1975 to 1985. Germans entered the market in significant
numbers along with visitors from the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg,
France, Switzerland and Austria. However British market domination of the
tourism industry was almost complete by 1994 when it comprised 60% of the
market.  The 1997/98 season saw the arrival of 90,810 charter visitors,
while 1998/99 was the record year for tourist arrivals with a total of
120,000 charter visitors with an average stay of 13 days, i.e. just over 1.5
million bed-nights.

The Present Tourism Situation in The Gambia

Although the tourism industry is vital to the Gambian economy contributing
between 12% to 18% to the country’s GDP, it being hampered by a tour
operator monopoly and extensive leakage. Gambian direct and indirect
employment within the tourism sector is estimated at approximately 10,000,
providing basic sustenance for what may be close to a tenth of the Gambian
population. Accordingly, even a minor crisis in the tourism industry would
have severe implications for the well being of the Gambian population in
general.

After 35 years as a tourist destination for predominantly West European
visitors, The Gambia is still almost exclusively a down-mid market, 3-S's,
packaged tour destination, with almost no mid-up market "3rd generation"
free individual travellers, dominating other sectors of the international
market. The male/female visitor ratio is 55/45. Only very limited product
development has taken place, while spatial development and zoning has been
erratic, coinciding with the deterioration of beaches in the TDA. A very
high proportion of tourists to The Gambia are repeat visitors. In 1998, the
total number of visitor arrivals on charter flights was 91,106 composed of
42% British, 26% German/Austrian, 16% Dutch/Belgian and 10% Scandinavian.

European packaged tour operators are presently consolidating as cartels
through a maze of take-overs, giving small countries with underdeveloped,
and under-funded, tourism organisational structures only very limited
bargaining power, while competitive new 3-S destinations, offering nature
and culture as a holiday add-on are proliferating on the world market. The
total dependency on packaged tour operators imposes a major economic
disadvantage on local service suppliers vis-à-vis international tour
operators/foreign investors. Further, taxes and fees from the tourism sector
in The Gambia are paid directly to the Central Treasury and local
authorities, only minimal amounts being allocated for the strengthening of
the tourism industry.

FUTURE TOURISM POTENTIAL

The Gambia tourism industry is presently hampered by its limited
international profile as a down-market, packaged 3-S destination. However
The Gambia provides excellent scope for development and market penetration,
if a more activity oriented product mix is developed, paired with a
marketing profile bringing The River Gambia, nature, cruising, canoeing,
nature and culture up-front. The primary attraction of The Gambia should be
the River, including huge stretches of Mangrove forest as well as salt and
fresh water swamp areas. The River is easily navigable and mainly safe. Bird
watching, dolphin watching, sport fishing and mangrove “exploration” could
be main activities, along with cruising visits to river villages, sites and
towns. The Gambia mangrove areas are the closest environments to the
European markets.

With its high degree of ethnic diversity The Gambia offers a wide range of
visitor experiences within its limited land and river area. These
attractions include performing arts (dance and music) which are highly
developed, while Gambian cuisine is diverse and attractive.  Art-handicraft
production is mainly aimed at the present visitor down-market, and therefore
has limited variation and show of skills. The majority of objects sold on
tourist markets can be classified as examples of "airport art". However,
objects displayed at The Gambia National Museum indicate that there is good
scope for an upgrading of quality, given a more discerning visitor market.
The Gambia has a range of historical buildings; monuments; and
archaeological sites well described in historic sites of the Gambia
published by the National Council for Arts and Culture in 1998. Most sites
monuments and buildings are in need of protection and conservation.

Given that present tourism to The Gambia is almost exclusively in the hands
of
International packaged-tour operator cartels, it is understandable that
Gambian marketing of the Gambia product is only very limited, and that
marketing outlets are few. However, developments of The Gambia product
requires adequate profiling of the country as a nature-, culture- and
cruise-destination, which would need a concentrated international marketing
effort by the Gambia.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

Given the huge potential for growth in the Tourism sector, the African
Development Bank in close co-operation with the Department of State for
Tourism and Culture, is financing a sectoral study, whose major objectives
are to undertake a thorough review of the tourism industry in The Gambia
with a view to formulating suitable policies and strategies for the
development of the sector within short, medium- and long-term periods for
the planning period of up to 2022.

The outcome of the proposed study will be a comprehensive and detailed
Development Master Plan covering the entire tourism sector of The Gambia, by
focusing on product development; market development; environmental
protection, sector reform, the establishment of a tourism data base, zoning
of tourism developments; maximisation of economic benefits of the sector
through increased utilisation of local resources. The Master Plan prepared
by the Consultants will guide the government to formulate and adopt
appropriate policies and procedures; institute the necessary reforms and
legislation for the sustained development of the sector.

Further to the Master Plan, the study will outline a number of tourism- or
tourism related projects that could be developed during the planning period.
Special emphasis will be given to the preparation of the project briefs that
could possibly be undertaken, primarily by the private sector, during the
first five years of the planning period.

Distinguished Ladies & Gentlemen

One of the main areas of benefit to the study will be the assistance to the
Government in bringing about complete institutional reform in the sector
which will be aimed at attracting private investment into the country and
ensuring the smooth functioning of the tourism industry. The role of the
government in the direct promotional activities of the tourism industry will
be effectively reduced, confining its functions to the regulation of the
sector from the top. The study will look into the possibility of setting up
institution in the form of a National Tourism Organisation (NOT),
incorporating Government, the private sector and other stakeholders such as
the NGOs, which will be in charge of the promotional aspect of the sector.

Furthermore the study will assist in the enhancement of the institutional
capacity of the executing agency through the training of counterpart staff
who will understudy the consultants during the execution of the study. The
staff trained will be responsible for planning for the sector in future and
also in following up the recommendations of the study after the departure of
the consultants, thus contributing to the sustainability of the study.

Based upon the preceding paragraphs, it can be concluded that tourism to The
Gambia has in recent years become a high-risk industry due to among other
reasons, a lack of product development, product deterioration, lack of
planning, institutional weaknesses and outdated legislation. These problems
need to be solved immediately in order to avoid further deterioration of the
situation, which would result in economic decline and serious social
consequences for the country. The Gambia has excellent potential for
developing and expanding its tourism industry.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the African Development
Bank, I thank you for time afforded and your attention.



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