By Yunus S Saliu
The Gambia Tourism Board (GTBoard) and the Tourism Security Unit (TSU) have intensified preparations to ensure a safe and secure environment for visitors as The Gambia gets ready for the 2026/2027 winter tourism season.
The two institutions held a consultative meeting on Wednesday at the Police Intervention Unit (PIU) office in Kanifing to assess the TSU’s operational readiness, identify gaps and discuss measures to strengthen security within the Tourism Development Area (TDA) and other tourism-related locations.
Speaking to journalists after the closed-door meeting, GTBoard Director General Ida Jeng-Njie said the engagement formed part of the Board’s wider stakeholder consultations aimed at ensuring a successful tourism season.
She said security remains a critical component of tourism, noting that visitors need to feel safe and secure throughout their stay in the country.
“A lot of positive energy is now focused on the safety of the tourism sector to ensure that The Gambia is safe, so they can come, spend their money and enjoy their holiday,” she said.
According to Jeng-Njie, tourism is a collective responsibility and cannot be managed by the tourism authorities alone.
“Tourism is everybody’s business. Tourism cannot take all these matters into its own hands. We need to collaborate, we need to work with each other, we need to dialogue and listen to each other if we want tourism to move,” she said.
She described the security services as an important pillar of the tourism sector, stressing that the GTBoard needs their continued support to maintain The Gambia’s reputation as the “Smiling Coast.”
“Without you, for us to retain the Smiling Coast might be a challenge, because you are part of the people or the sectors that make the Smiling Coast smile,” she said.
Jeng-Njie said the expansion of the TDA and growth in tourism facilities require increased security presence and resources. She noted that the level of manpower deployed several years ago may no longer be sufficient to cover the expanded tourism area.
“The Tourism Development Area has expanded. So, the number of men that you had five or three years ago, you cannot have the same number of men to guard the sector. You need more,” she said.
She added that discussions also focused on ensuring security personnel are adequately equipped to perform their duties effectively.
The GTBoard DG also highlighted several major international events expected during the upcoming season, including the West Africa Food Festival (WAFFEST), the Kora International Festival and Mboka Festival.
She said the events are part of efforts to diversify and showcase the country’s tourism products, culture and cuisine to international visitors.
“We are trying to expose and showcase what we have as a country so that people can see that Gambia has more than the smile,” she said.
Meanwhile, TSU Commander AIG Adeline Basangel said the meeting focused on preparing the unit for the tourism season and identifying gaps from previous years.
“We are taking stock, looking at the gaps from previous years, and trying to bridge them this year,” he said.
He said the TSU plans to increase manpower and strengthen its presence at key tourism locations to ensure visitors remain safe.
“We will increase our strength, the manpower. We will have to be everywhere so our presence can be felt,” she said.
AIG Basangel identified mobility as another major requirement, noting that officers need vehicles, motorcycles and quad bikes, particularly for beach operations, to enable them to respond rapidly to incidents.
He explained that some equipment previously provided to the TSU may have become damaged or unusable over time, while the expansion of the TDA has increased operational demands.
On concerns about alleged delays in responding to incidents, he said he was not aware of specific cases but assured the public that the police take reports seriously and respond to calls for assistance.
“As police officers, we take every incident seriously. We respond and try to establish whether it is true or not true,” he stated.
He therefore assured tourism stakeholders and visitors that the TSU was putting the necessary measures in place to ensure a safe and secure tourism season from its commencement to its conclusion.
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