Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Abdoulie Jobe, accompanied by senior officials of the Gambia Tourism Board (GTBoard), the Gambia Hotel Association and other tourism stakeholders, on Saturday visited the students at the Senegambia Hotel, Kairaba Beach Hotel, Bakadaji Hotel and Kalimba Beach Hotel.
The students, who are in The Gambia with their teachers for their summer holidays, are participating under the camp theme 'L’amitié, valeur africaine et Olympique, pilier de la Teranga dans les collectivités éducatives,' 'Friendship - an African and Olympic value, and a pillar of Teranga within educational communities.'
The holiday camps provide the students with opportunities to participate in various activities, experience Gambian culture and hospitality, and broaden their knowledge of the country.
During the visits, Minister Jobe interacted with the students and their teachers and highlighted the importance of education, cultural understanding, unity and the strong fraternal ties between The Gambia and Senegal. He also reaffirmed the Ministry’s and GTBoard’s commitment to educational tourism and creating meaningful experiences for young people.
Speaking to journalists, Minister Jobe said the initiative was particularly important during the country’s green tourism season, as it helps hotels maintain business activity while strengthening regional tourism.
He noted that Senegalese companies and public institutions regularly organise holiday programmes for children and that their decision to choose The Gambia was an endorsement of the country’s tourism offering.
“This is one market that we try to attract so that they can fill our hotels, so that business can continue,” Minister Jobe said, while stressing that the initiative goes beyond tourism because Senegal and The Gambia share deep cultural and family ties.
He said the government would continue efforts to strengthen regional tourism and expand the programme beyond schoolchildren to include their parents and other Senegalese visitors seeking holidays, retreats and honeymoons.
Minister Jobe also pointed to the GTBoard’s new marketing strategy, under which regional tourism forms an integral part. He said Senegal remains a key market, while The Gambia is also targeting visitors from Nigeria and Ghana.
For her part, GTBoard Director General Ida Jeng Njie clarified that the current period should be referred to as the green season, rather than simply the off-season.
She said the arrival of the Senegalese students was beneficial not only to tourism but to the wider Gambian economy.
According to her, although the children are not included in conventional tourist arrival figures because they are minors and travel overland rather than by air, their spending contributes to several sectors of the economy.
“They are staying in the hotels, they are visiting sites, they are buying fuel, they are buying food and gift items,” she said, explaining that the programme generates income for hotels, transport operators, traders, small businesses and other service providers.
Madam Njie said the programme also provides an important opportunity for cultural exchange, allowing the students to experience Gambian traditions and practices while sharing aspects of their own culture.
She attributed the growing number of Senegalese students choosing The Gambia to the efforts of stakeholders across the country to provide a safe, welcoming and comfortable environment for visitors.
The GTBoard Director General said the initiative is also being expanded to encourage the students’ parents to visit The Gambia for holidays, retreats and honeymoons.
She cited the participation of organisations such as Senegal’s Social Security institutions and members of the judiciary, whose children are among those visiting the country.
She said the Ministry and GTBoard considered it important to visit the students personally to ensure they were comfortable and that any challenges they encountered could be addressed.
She expressed hope that the number of Senegalese children visiting The Gambia would continue to rise, from the current figure, in the coming years.
The students, in a vote of thanks, expressed appreciation to Minister Jobe for taking time from his busy schedule to visit them and witness their activities.
They said the Minister’s presence inspired the campers to dream bigger and develop confidence, leadership skills and a stronger sense of purpose.
The students also welcomed the Minister to their summer camp and expressed hope that his visit would help highlight the importance of investing in young people and creating opportunities for their development.
