Pa Modou, Edi has been doing more than chipping in periodically. He has actually spent some time in The Gambia doing research on Gambian tourism at his own cost. He is genuinely interested not only in the welfare of the Gambia but has a keen interest in the tourism sector. I have met him on at least a couple of occasions at the Department of State for Tourism Conference Room doing research. On the sector proper, I am of the view that the Tourism Master Plan Study should be expedited so that policy issues relating to package tours, eco-tourism, product mix, and the redefinition and/or revalidation of the Gambia Tourism Authority, among a host of other important aspects of the sector, are diagnosed sytematically and definitively for adoption. Presently, no such blue print exists for a sector that contributes at least 12 per cent to GDP. During my informal meeting with Senior Management of GTA a couple of weeks ago, I urge them to take special interest in the implementation of the Study which is being ably handled by Sheihk Tejan Nyang. I was very impressed not only with the new offices of the GTA but most importantly with the impressive Management team that has been assembled and an equally impressive Board of Directors. I wish GTA Management every success. Sidi Sanneh ----Original Message Follows---- From: Jungle Sunrise <[log in to unmask]> Reply-To: [log in to unmask] To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: tourism to begin earlier Date: Sun, 29 Sep 2002 09:44:00 -0400 Edi, The prospects that tourism can bring are varied and enormous; an so are its other negative effects. This is where people like you can chip in from time to time like you have been doing. I was told yesterday by a friend that the Sunset beach hotel is one of the best hotels he has visited in the country. I was very impressed especially if you consider that it is owned and run by Gambians. Lest some people misunderstand it, it is not a newly built hotel. It is the former Kotu Strand hotel that has been leased, I believe for 25 years, by a group of Gambian entrepreneurs. Another interesting recent development is the purchase of the Kombo Beach Novotel by a group of investor including Gambia Experience, Richard Bronson of the Vergin Group and some Gambian businessmen. I understand the hotel was sold for $3.5 million. These are very important developments if you consider how these two hotels deteriorated over the past decade or so. It is also very welcome news that Gambia Experience is part of the group of owners. Gambia Experience operates throughout the year and have done a lot for Gambian tourism. They also sponsore many worthy causes in the country. Have a good day, Gassa. Edi Sidibeh wrote: "This is really a great news hence unemployments will drop to the lowest > level.The developing progress am interested in more is the the > special flight that is coming from Chzeck republic for the start of > penetrating the eastern block to visit Gambia additionally the seasonal > program of the Gambia tour. Tourism is however, one of the largest if > not the largest employer and source to foreign currency earning when > forming is dropping. Therefore tourism ministry and the co-operate > organization responsible for the promotion of the sector should > continued their effort to keep the tourism on track for the benefit of > all Gambians. However, as one time hotel worker, I can feel for the > seasonal workers and their off seasonal worries and problems ven at the > time when seasonal savings can help others on the off seasonal > period -- There is a time in the life of every problem when it is big enough to see, yet small enough to solve (Mike Leavitt) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~