Craft market vendors within the Senegambia area last Saturday benefited from a day-long capacity building course held at the Senegambia Beach Hotel.
The training session was organized by the ministry of Tourism and Culture in collaboration with the Gambia Tourism Board.
It was geared towards bringing the craft market vendors under a single umbrella to discuss issues of concern regarding the craft markets, and map out the best way forward in addressing those issues.
The training course also gave the participants the opportunity to share experiences and expertise on best practices in customer care, sales and marketing.
In her opening statement, Fatou Mass Jobe-Njie, minister of Tourism and Culture, said there is indeed a felt need for craft vendors to demonstrate maximum professionalism in their interaction with tourists.
She added that they organized the forum in order for participants to discuss and gain new knowledge relevant to their trade, and which can have a lasting positive impact in their trade relations with tourists.
It has been designed in such a way that vendors will be exposed to best practice in terms of customer care, service delivery and good salesmanship that goes beyond receiving money only for one’s personal end,” she said.
She said her ministry will continue to work with the Gambia Tourism Board and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that our service delivery standards are commensurate with acceptable international norms and standards.
Mrs Jobe-Njie added that the constituents of our craft markets lean heavily towards women and youth, two segments of our population whose contribution to socio-economic development, is profound and is highly recognized by the government.
