With a coastline spanning over 80 kilometers filled with pristine sandy beaches, whole day guaranteed sunshine, historical sites and cultural display coupled with close to six hundred bird spices, Destination Gambia has even more to showcase. It is in the news that TUI from last Friday landed at the Banjul International Airport with 58 passengers. The flight is the maiden flight from Belgium in the 2022-2023 tourists’ season.
Earlier on, Gambia Experience flight from the United Kingdom landed at the Banjul International Airport with 164 passengers.
As countries emerged from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic which has paralyzed tourism and global travel in general, hopes are high that Destination Gambia is on the right track with these new arrivals. According to tourism officials, Destination Gambia is expecting 20 charter flights a week, which is a welcome development.
Tourism is a multi-million business and a good number of countries have started investing in their infrastructures and our important sites of visits to amass more arrivals.
Suffice it to state here that tourism is vital for the success of many economies around the world. There are several benefits of tourism in host destinations. In addition to improving the country's revenue of the economy, it also creates thousands of jobs, develops the infrastructures of a country, and plants a sense of cultural exchange between foreigners and citizens.
The number of jobs created by tourism in many different areas is significant. These jobs are not only a part of the tourism sector but may also include the agricultural sector, communication sector, health sector, and the educational sector. Many tourists travel to experience the hosting destination’s culture and traditions.
However, as much as Destination Gambia wants to increase its tourist arrivals, much emphasis should be placed on quality and efficient service delivery.
To this end, we commend the Ministry and Culture and Gambia Tourism Board for their uncompromising stance on quality and efficient service delivery. Quality service is key in any business undertakings. The ‘maslaha’ syndrome should be out of minds, as more visitors are now focusing on value for money.
Institutions, especially those in the hospitality sector need to adapt to the fast-changing trends in the hospitality industry to retain and even attract newcomers.
Together we can make Destination Gambia, a paradise and one stop spot for visitors around the globe.