Winter Tourism Starts With Optimism

As many as some two hundred and eleven tourists last Thursday arrived in the country marking the beginning of the 2009/2010 winter tourist season.

The first batch of tourists were said to come from Scandinavia, mainly Denmark and Sweden.

This is a good start considering the world economic crisis. According to the Thomas Cook, the tour operator that brought in the tourists, The Gambia is considered as a cheap and most friendly country, Scandinavian tourists do consider visiting.

Mr. Morten Evensen, the Area Manager for Thomas Cook said as of now bookings indicate that the season would be a positive one. This is good news and promising. 

We do hope that this momentum will continue throughout the season. For Thomas Cook officials, they will be bringing some 633 guests on a weekly basis.

Mr. Morten Evensen appeals to hoteliers not to overcharge the guests. This is very important, because for some tourists the country is a cheap destination, compared to other countries. 

We learnt that in some countries like Egypt, hotels do offer free rooms for tourists; as such incentives make the sector even more competitive. Notwithstanding, it is said that The Gambia is a force to be reckoned with in terms of tourism.

We have great potential as far as tourism is concerned.

Our sandy beaches, sun and hospitality, coupled with other tourist attraction centres make the country unique among other destinations.

And most importantly, the peace and stability we enjoy make the Smiling Coast of Africa a safe heaven for holiday-makes.

We challenge all stakeholders in the tourism industry to work hard to ensure a successful season. To this end, we wish all in the industry a successful season, while wishing all the visitors a happy stay.