Russian Tourists pullout of the destination on economic reason

(Friday 18 October 2019 Issue)

 Director General of Gambia Tourism Board (GTB) has cleared the air over the delisting of Russian tourists on Gambia Tourism market, saying they pulled out of the Destination because of economic reasons. They also faced sanction which did not support the Russian currency to pay foreign services.

At the arrival of Corendon Airline’s 2019 winter tourism season maiden flight to Destination Gambia at the airport on Monday, Abdoulie Hydara, said Russia did not pullout from Gambia’s tourism market because of bad experience, but because of economic reason.

Mr. Hydara, who was entangled in series of questioning by travel and tour writers also said tour operators of Russian tourists to The Gambia did not agree on pricing mechanism at the time. “Therefore, they have to pullout simply because Russia was facing some economic sanctions that did not support its currency to pay foreign services.” He said since things have now changed, they are working on bringing them back.

 On October 1st last year, 350 Russian Tourists landed in destination Gambia on Royal Flight VP-BLC Airbus, which marked the official opening of the 2018/2019-winter tourism season.

 The landing underscored the reality that the GTBoard had succeeded in its quest in capturing that part of European nation market. The capturing of that market was as a result of unrelenting efforts of the Gambia Tourism Board and its Ministry that made FTI to return to The Gambia and with direct flight from Moscow to Banjul.