Hi Folks,

After a long period of self imposed exile due to unavoidable 
circumstances, i am glad to be back although i have been following 
events on and off on the L.

Bro. Sheikh Tijan the issues you are Sidi raised are very important for
our economy. We need a comprehensive, holistic and gradual approach in 
addressing the short comings of the tourism sector. I know that you are
aware that tourism is the largest foreign exchange earner for the 
economy overtaking agriculture and the re-export trade. Given its 
importance and this stylized fact, it is imperative that developments 
in this sector needs to be reviewed periodically with stakeholders like
yourself who have the expertise to share with the government in 
formulating policies.

Your seminar is timely and i do hope that it is not just going to be 
yet another forum for policy dialogue without any meaningful, 
comprehensive and practical steps being implemented to address the 
plight of the sector with particular reference to how it affects 
Gambians stakeholders.

I would like to share some issues that you can also add to your list 
for discussion.

- Tourism is the biggest business in the world  and for the small 
Gambian market we know that  most of the profits stay in the west. 
Infact studies have shown that in developing countries, less than 10p 
to the £ stays in the local economy. Sheikh this is a fact that you are
well aware off. What is needed to increase the local income levels is 
the forward and backward linkages in the Gambia so that vegetable 
growers, fishmongers, drinks manufacturers ect. realize a larger share 
of the income from tourism.

- As you rightly alluded to, the concept of the Gambia as a smiling 
coast needs to be revisited. The concept of holiday paradise where two 
weeks holidays becomes the norm at cheap bargaining prices of which 
package tours and all inclusive are the worst examples should be 
adequately addressed.  We need the Gambian market to be competitive 
- but cheap bargains at what cost?.The quality of tourists visiting is 
very important. Before i left in 1997, out of pocket expenditure was 
declining and it is this expenditure that goes to people at the craft 
market, taxi drivers and other local businesses set up to support the 
industry. We need tourist that will spend, but to do so government 
policy and incentives to the sector needs to be right.



- If flights are cheap with the advent of mass tourism, it is the 
hoteliers and locals that suffer the loss of income because tour 
operators will still maintain their margins and negotiate cheaper beds 
prices. Local employment creation suffers as hotels will not be able to
take on staff since they have to keep controls on their overheads. 

-The issue of tourism as new colonialism, disturbing peoples tradition 
and way of life with the negative vices that accompanies it has to be 
addressed. How may times have Gambians been harassed in the beach for 
just taking a stroll or jogging near the hotels. My wife was once 
stopped at the fajara hotel for jogging down the beach with a friend by
some police officer. The beach should be accessible to all without 
restrictions.

- Job security is also an important issue that needs to be emphasized 
and i get disturbed when i read in the papers the arbitrary hire and 
fire policies of hotels. You should ensure that maximum use is made of 
the labor laws.

-The key issue is how do we increase the monetary gains for the Gambian
stakeholder in the sector. Presently the distribution is skewed towards
the foreign nationals/ tour operators and hoteliers. We need ways and 
means of increasing local/Gambian benefits.

-Mass tourism is here to stay and can only get bigger as the world 
becomes a global village. Like many other sectors we are competing in 
a more competitive global environment. There are more exotic 
destinations offering better facilities than ours. You need to address 
how to use and optimize our local environment to our advantage - 
diversifying the market and sources, eco-tourism to help in 
environmental conservation, rural tourism ect.

The demand for tourism is ever increasing and as a result we have to be
strategically placed to ensure that tourist pay the proper economic 
prices and stakeholders share the profits properly.

Good Luck to you and Batch, Lye and Ardi and all the Gambian players 
who are so instrumental in this sector. Your input and expertise should
be listen to by the authorities and put into practice. Lets hope that 
with this we will witness a rebirth and rejuvenation of tourism in the 
Gambia.

Cheers
basil


On Thu, 26 Oct 2000 22:41:17 GMT Sidi M 
Sanneh <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Sheikh Tejan,
> 
> Thank you for your list of issues that plague the sector presently.  I might
> add that some fundamental issues would have to be addressed if the sector is
> to be revilatised to stay competitive.  Issues such as product
> diversification, all inclusive, the role of government, the tax regime etc.
> The workshop will certainly cover these issues but I am of the view that
> long term solutions to these and other structural and policy issues can only
> come with a comprehensive study with extensive consultations with private
> operators, local entrepreneurs, civic society etc. Economic/financial
> analysis of the various options available to determine their viability.  For
> example, recently there has been talk of cultural and eco-tourism. Are these
> strategies viable, what does Gambia have to offer in this domain etc. etc.
> The comparative advantage enjoyed by the sector is fast dissipating and
> every effort must be made to arrest this decline. The environmental issues
> must also be addressed comprehensively and thus the need to finalise the
> Coastal Erosion Study so that beach erosion problem can be addressed
> expeditiously as well.
> 


> Since it does not appear that I will be able to travel next week (due to the
> number of work days lost as a result of recent events in Abidjan), I take
> this opportunity to wish you and the rest of the participants successful
> deliberations. Both the ADB and IFC will participate in the workshop.
> Thanks
> 
> Sidi Sanneh
> 
> 
> >From: Sheikh Tejan Nyang <[log in to unmask]>
> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> ><[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Re: The death of Tourism
> >Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2000 17:44:00 +0100
> >
> >Karamba and Sidi,
> >Thanks for your comments on the sector which is in deep crizes but
> >hopefully we will be deliberating on the
> >major issues affecting the sector and do hope that this time we will move
> >forward.
> >The major problems with the sector is as follows;
> >1; The inadequate infrastructure resulting to constant power cuts.--
> >2. Seasonally constrains
> >3 Lack of positive thinking technical Director within the Department of
> >State for Tourism
> >4. Lack of government commitment in plowing back part of the receipts from
> >tourism for the promotion of the
> >sector.
> >5. The need for a new image different from The smiling coast which was
> >adopted as a slogan since  1981.
> >6. Insecurity in hotels, rule of hire and fire, remuneration's and
> >incentives.
> >7. Drainage of foreign exchange earnings for importation of items for
> >tourism consumption.
> >8. Lack of attention on the social problems of the sector i.e. Increase or
> >accelerated rate of prostitution,
> >homosexuality, bumster problems  etc
> >9.Lack of further training  facilities overseas for Gambians.
> >
> >10. Lack of tax incentives to investors especially Tour operator.
> >With due respect Karamba ,  the new Secretary of State for Tourism Yankuba
> >Touray has made a good start since
> >he took over. HE  has commissioned a study for the creation of a tourism
> >authority and has also commission
> >the classification of hotel all which will be adopted at the conference.
> >These two areas are of great
> >importance to the sector.You will be sup rise to learn that these were part
> >of our tourism policy adopted
> >for 1995-2000 and never implemented. My rating for the policy is 10 over
> >100. Does this give you an idea how
> >badly the industry needed action ?
> >
> >I hope to bring you an update after the workshop.
> >Chi Jamma
> >Bro. Sheikh Tejan Nyang
> >[log in to unmask] wrote:
> >
> > > As reported in the Daily Observer today, the tourism industry is facing
> >an
> > > unmitigating disaster this season. They are expecting the lowest number
> >of
> > > visitors ever, continuing a downward spiral that if unchecked might doom
> >the
> > > industry entirely. The thousands of people who make their living either
> > > directly or through associated services catering to tourism would sadly
> >be
> > > consigned to what this government wrought on the larger Gambian
> >community be
> > > it farmers, civil servants and small businesspeople. A sector as crucial
> >and
> > > full of potential as Tourism is left to literally wither in the vines
> >through
> > > lack of funding, poor management and utter callousness. What Yahya
> >Jammeh has
> > > done is to allocate a few million Dalasis (about D6million the last time
> >I
> > > checked) and appoint  a political hatchetman who doesn't even know how
> >to
> > > fold a napkin much less improve the hospitality industry. The few
> >talented
> > > people in the ministry who can actually craft  ideas lack the clout to
> >see
> > > their work through. As a result while Tourism officials from other
> >countries
> > > use valuable time and effort courting business and persuading operators
> >to
> > > come to Cape verde or Senegal, Yankuba Touray is busy frothing his mouth
> > > about how great Yahya  Jammeh is and how he intends to give this to that
> > > group in two years! The result is very predictable in that he will
> >almost
> > > certainly run the industry to the ground because the remaining hotels
> >can't
> > > sustain operations much less grow if the visitors are choosing
> >somewhereelse.
> > > The industry receives no tangible incentives and must often times
> >contend
> > > with ever-increasing tax rates, onerous regulations and a host of other
> > > circumstances not conducive to business in general. What the industry
> >needs
> > > most is a government that is focused on nurturing the private sector in
> > > general and is committed to making it the engine of growth and
> >prosperity. In
> > > their case, such a government would make tourism a priority by
> >establishing a
> > > professionally run and adequately funded agency with a clear mandate to
> > > aggressively court tour operators to bring in the visitors. Parallel to
> >that,
> > > the gov't would work with the industry to help them improve services
> >through
> > > incentive provisions and other ancillary things the gov't can do to make
> > > their visitors have a pleasant stay. Part of the reason some visitors
> >don't
> > > return is because as it is ,Gambia provides a qualitatively inadequate
> > > experience for visitors compared to our competitors. It is a disgrace
> >that
> > > even the very few sites we offer to our visitors be in Juffuray or Fort
> > > bullen are so poorly kept or organized that going there is much of a
> >chore
> > > than a nice outing. Having some poor lady mumbling on a ramshackle stool
> > > about Kunta Kinteh is not a profound encounter for anybody and the truth
> >is
> > > there is sufficient history and sites to make them all great.Another
> >option a
> > > different gov't would consider is to initiate a partnering scheme in
> >which
> > > tax rates for Tourism related businesses would be reduced with the
> > > understanding that savings realized would be invested into improving
> > > services. The rationale for such a deal would be that an improved
> >product
> > > would in the longer term grow the industry and also serve as a strong
> > > incentive for newcomers to come in an invest. You will not attract
> >investors
> > > into country with near confiscatory taxes coupled with a government that
> >is
> > > generally considered vile and indolent.
> > >       In the meantime the good people of the tourism industry would have
> >to
> > > endure another failed season with all its effect on the people who are
> >trying
> > > do their bit to both take care of their families and lift the nation in
> >the
> > > process. Like the rest of the nation they have this albatross called
> >Yahya
> > > Jammeh hanging over their neck. He and his cronies who collectively are
> > > unlikely to succeed in any merit based endeavor have nonetheless made
> > > themselves custodians of our nation's fate. What they have done to
> >destroy
> > > tourism is representative of  their overall record spanning the gov't .
> >They
> > > have neither the ability nor even the inclination to do right by the
> >tourism
> > > industry . They would substitute lies and threats for substantive
> >policies
> > > and would prefer to add you to their incedious grand scheme of putting
> >as
> > > many people as they can on a charity leash with people owing their
> > > livelihoods to crumbs fed to them by Yahya himself. He wants people to
> >queue
> > > at his feet be it through gov't or his socalled charities  to beg for a
> > > living after he has consciously and deliberately destroyed your best
> > > available means of sustenance. This is how tyrants scheme to control and
> > > ultimately enslave their people.
> > >    The gov't would soon come out with another canard about  how they
> >have
> > > great plans for the 2002 season with silly claims of visions worse than
> >a
> > > pipe dream . The only salvation is they would not be around come that
> >time
> > > and we would have a gov't that would finally work  with the industry to
> >move
> > > forward.
> > > Karamba
> > >
> > >
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