Officials
of Gambia Tourism Board (GTBoard) and Gambia Tours said they are disappointed
over what they called the ‘unsatisfactory’ services of the airport service
personnel; immigration officers in particular, as it took over an hour for 365
passengers to go through immigration control when tourists disembarked from the
Thomas Cook Northern Europe airbus Thursday night.
Officials
of the two institutions who received and monitored the situation both described
it as a ‘bad impression’ which, they said might last longer with the visitors
for the fact that it was one of the maiden flights for the season.
Director
of marketing at Gambia Tourism Board, Adama Njie said, “the expression on the
faces of every tourist that night was frustration. What we saw tonight
shouldn’t happen and I hope the authorities will take action about it.”
The
tourists who already have long hours in the air still arrived at the Banjul
International Airport to face delays; courtesy of the new biometric system that
is now introduced at the airport. However, it is one of the rules and
regulations that every passenger has to go through immigration control on
arrival before departing to their various abodes or hotel.
With
frustrated face, Mr. Njie said the airport is the first point of call of
tourists, clearing stating that he is not saying that the process should be
extraordinary when tourists arrive in the country, but it should be within a
limited time.
“What
we have seen today is not very helpful. At least, when tourists are here the
process of immigration control at the airport should be expedited. Because when
you fly for long hours you will be tired and would want to get out of the
airport as quick as possible to rest,” he said.
Charbel
Hobeika, Managing Director of Gambia Tours and the grand handler of the Thomas
Cook NE said the heavy delay was from the immigration control. He identified
the new system, the “biometric system” as the cause of it.
In
his analysis, MD Charbel explained that it took the immigration exactly one
hour and fifteen minutes to clear just only three hundred and sixty-five
passengers from a flight, saying it is too long for passengers who had started
their journey by driving from their home to conduct check-in at the
airport. “With the landing, it will take
passengers up to twelve hours and then to stand for another one hour and
fifteen minutes at the immigration control before going through the customs
then go to the coaches to wait for it to full before depart to various hotel,
they will get more tired.”
He
called on concerned authorities to find a solution to the new system,
suggesting for the number of immigration officers at the airport to increase if
that can solve the situation, especially when there is a big flight or a
schedule whereby flights land simultaneously.
