By Yunus S Saliu
The Gambia Tourism Board (GTBoard) Director General Ida Jeng Njie has lamented that tourism benefits should not be measured solely by the number of visitors arriving in the country, stressing that visitor spending and its impact on local communities are equally important.
Speaking during a tourism stakeholder engagement held in the North Bank Region, she said domestic and regional visitors can contribute significantly to the tourism economy even when their numbers are not formally captured.
“If you have guests coming from Banjul to North Bank, it is not about the numbers,” she said.
She cited recent visits by tourists from neighbouring Senegal, noting that although their numbers were not recorded, they spent money during their stay in The Gambia.
“They visited sites, they bought goods, and all those things are the benefits that tourism gains without the actual numbers,” DG Jeng-Njie emphasized.
The GTBoard Boss said such spending demonstrates the wider economic value of tourism, particularly for local businesses, communities and tourism attractions.
She assured that the Tourism Board is committed to working closely with the North Bank Region and its communities to unlock the area’s tourism potential and contribute to building a stronger and more inclusive tourism sector.
“We are here to work together,” she said, calling for continued collaboration between the Tourism Board, local authorities, traditional leaders, communities and other stakeholders.
The Director General later expressed the Board’s appreciation to region’s leaders and communities for their hospitality and partnership, while reaffirming the Board’s commitment to supporting tourism development across the North Bank.