By Yunus S Saliu
The Gambia Tourism Board (GTBoard) has called for stronger coordination among institutions operating at Banjul International Airport to improve the passenger experience and ensure that visitors receive a welcoming, efficient and professional service from arrival to departure.
The call was made on Thursday during a consultative meeting organised by the GTBoard with airport service personnel and other tourism stakeholders at Banjul International Airport. The meeting focused on service expectations, immigration matters, customs procedures, security services and other issues affecting the experience of passengers using the country’s main gateway.
The annual consultative engagement is held ahead of the winter tourism season to review preparations and identify challenges requiring attention across the tourism sector.
Presiding over the meeting on behalf of the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Permanent Secretary Amie Njie-Joof said the airport should be viewed not only as an aviation facility but also as an important component of national development, tourism competitiveness, investment, trade and employment.
She noted that for many visitors, Banjul International Airport is their first point of contact with The Gambia and, in many cases, their last impression of the country.
According to her, immigration, baggage handling, customs, transportation, security, customer service, cleanliness, information services and the general efficiency of the airport all contribute to how visitors perceive The Gambia.
She said maintaining the country’s reputation as a welcoming and culturally rich destination requires tourism infrastructure to keep pace with the expectations of today’s travellers.
The Permanent Secretary called for practical and sustainable solutions to challenges affecting passengers, including delays, congestion and unnecessary procedures. She also encouraged investment in training, capacity building and technology where these could make airport processes faster and more efficient.
She further stressed the need for stronger air connectivity as the country seeks to diversify its tourism products into cultural, heritage, eco-tourism, community-based, sports, wellness and gastronomy tourism.
Chairman of the GTBoard Governing Body, Momodou Bamba Saho, said the airport consultations were particularly important because every visitor’s tourism experience in The Gambia begins and ends at the airport.
He said the first and last hours of a visitor’s journey are critical in shaping their perception of the country, adding that the promise of “The Smiling Coast of Africa” must be matched by the experience visitors receive at the airport.
Chairmanh Saho said different institutions have legitimate responsibilities relating to border security, revenue collection, immigration, customs and aviation, but travellers experience these services as one continuous journey.
He therefore called for the passenger journey to be managed as one chain rather than as a series of separate counters.
Among the practical measures he proposed were joint planning for busy periods, improved coordination during overlapping or delayed flights, removal of avoidable duplication in passenger processing and clearer information on entry requirements, charges and payment options.
He also highlighted the importance of clean toilets, adequate ventilation, seating, trolleys, timely baggage delivery and coordinated assistance for elderly passengers, persons with disabilities and families requiring support.
The Governing Body Chairman said improvements did not necessarily require large budgets, but rather coordination, discipline and goodwill. He proposed that stakeholders agree on practical measures that could be implemented during the tourism season and reviewed afterwards.
GTBoard Director General Ida Jeng-Njie also called for a more coordinated and measurable approach to addressing challenges at the airport.
She identified delays during peak periods, congestion, baggage-handling concerns, coordination challenges among agencies, ground transportation issues, customer-service gaps and inadequate passenger information among the issues affecting the visitor experience.
DG Jeng-Njie proposed the establishment or strengthening of a permanent airport tourism stakeholder coordination mechanism bringing together key government agencies and private-sector operators to regularly discuss challenges, monitor agreed actions and track timelines.
She said the GTBoard was prepared to facilitate engagement and provide the tourism industry’s perspective, while urging every stakeholder to take ownership of issues within their respective areas of responsibility.
“When a visitor arrives at Banjul International Airport, they should not have to navigate our institutional boundaries. They should experience one seamless, welcoming and professional destination,” she said.
She urged stakeholders to make the airport a gateway that reflects the hospitality, efficiency, professionalism and pride of The Gambia.
The meeting brought together representatives of the security forces, Gambia Hotel Association (GHA), Tour Operators Association of The Gambia (TTAG), Gambia Revenue Authority, Gambia Immigration Department, Gambia Civil Aviation Authority and other stakeholders.
Among those who delivered remarks were TTAG Chairperson Liane Sallah, Deputy Director General of the GCAA Sulayman Jatta, Anna Jarju of the GRA and Maryam Nyang of the Gambia Immigration Department.
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