The business entities include hotels, night clubs, casinos, bars, and restaurants, and all other tourism-related businesses operating within and outside the Tourism Development Area. They have all been asked toregularise their operational licenses requirement.
In a press statement released by the management of GTBoard, the abovementioned businesses and their owners are further reminded that their continuing operations without payment for such license is in contravention of the GTBoard Act 2011 Part VII Sections 32 and 33 subsections 1 and 2.
According to the statement, failure to regularise operation licenses with the Board shall result in the Board invoking section 48 of the GTBoard Act, which states: “A person who contravenes any of the provisions of this Act commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding fifty thousand dalasis.”
The statement further says that hotel includes a guest house, rest house, tourist village, flat-hotel, inn, lodging house or premises used for the reception of guests or travelers, but excludes the premises listed in the first schedule of the GTBoard Act.
It continues: “Restaurant means premises in which the business of selling food or beverages to the public is carried on.
“Casino means any premises, including gaming houses, to which members of the public have access for the purpose of playing a prescribed game of chance.
“Nightclub means premises open for business at night and having a bar and disco or other entertainments.”
The GTBoard statement further advised guests or tourists“not to lodge in any Apartment, Guesthouse, Lodge, or Motel that is not registered with the Gambia Tourism Board, failure for which the guest is responsible for any uncertainty”.
