By Yunus S Saliu
Less than ten days after the two-day Ministerial dialogue with stakeholders’ forum held at the Paradise Suites Hotel, Kololi, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) on Saturday visited the tourism development area (TDA) to physically see the situation of things in the areas.
Meanwhile, the dialogue with tourism stakeholders’ forum brought together over 500 participants from the tourism sector to engage in a public conversation with the Minister. Also, it was used to inform him about developments and challenges facing the sector. The outcome of the meeting with preparation for upcoming winter tourism season 2024/2025 among other issues prompted this important visit of the Minister to TDA.
Places visited by the Minister who was accompanied by the Director General of the Gambia Tourism Board (GTBoard) and senior officials of institution, the TSU Commander, and members of the press corps included the demolished TerangaBeach Club, Palma Rima Beaches and its environments, KotuBendula and Fajara Craft Markets, Horse stable and horse riders, Fajara Water Front Beach and surrounds, Tourist Car Parks with bicycle parks, terraces in between hotels, TSU base located in strategic areas within the TDA, Denton Bridge Boat Station and more.
Honourable Minister Abdoullahi Jobe used the opportunity of the visit to sensitize some of the stakeholders and operations of the area visited while urging some of them to make themselves unique and identifiable by considering having a uniform to identify them as per their area of operation, and also encouraged them to always operate within laid down rules and regulation.
Horse riding being part of tourism products, the Minister not only urged the riders to have uniforms to identify them but also urged them to regulate themselves by having something to present, like a certificate or an attestation, that will show they are qualified horse riders to make their clients recognize and respect them professionally, and also to engage veterinary doctors to check their horses’ health condition periodically.
More so, he used the opportunity of the visit to talk to those that are having below standard structures to uplift them, and also remove some of the eyesores in the beaches and their surroundings.
Commenting on this almost five hours tour of the TDA which started at Palma Rima Beach and terminated at the Denton Bridge Boat station, the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture applauded the Director General of the GTBoard, Aboubacarr S Camara and his staff for taking time out to join him for the visit.
By and large, he said it is a work in progress which the GTBoardand other stakeholders have done phenomenally well as it’s encouraging that the governing body, DG of the GTBoard, and staff are “taking on board some of my thoughts and ideas because it is a collective responsibility that we all have to make sure that the destination is a destination of choice.”
Notwithstanding, he emphasized that there are still some areas that need some improvement, while noting that he will continue to encourage GTBoard, as well as the players, to work in tandem to make those necessary improvements.”
“Because it’s not only the Ministry nor GTBoard that can improve the destination but all of us, every Gambian, has a role to play to make the destination a destination of choice because of the importance and significance of the tourism industry to us,” the Minister disclosed.
He, therefore, implored everyone involved direct or indirect player to continue the work and do the best for the country, again “I must say, I’m generally very encouraged by what I’ve seen, and we’ll continue to work with the team to take the sector from where I found it to another level.”