The Gambia Tourism Development Master Plan
The Gambia Tourism Development Master Plan
The Gambia Tourism Development Master Plan
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AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK<br />
DEPARTMENT OF STATE FOR TOURISM AND CULTURE,<br />
REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong><br />
FINAL REPORT<br />
MAIN VOLUME<br />
JULY 2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS<br />
1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................1<br />
1.1 Purposes of this Report .....................................................................1<br />
1.2 Approach of the Consultants .............................................................1<br />
1.3 <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> Reports..................................................2<br />
1.4 Report Contents ................................................................................2<br />
2. WHY TOURISM IS IMPORTANT TO THE GAMBIA ................................3<br />
2.1 General Introduction to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>..................................................3<br />
2.2 <strong>The</strong> growth of tourism in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>................................................4<br />
2.3 <strong>The</strong> potential benefits from the development of tourism ....................8<br />
2.4 <strong>The</strong> importance of tourism to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> ......................................10<br />
3. THE CHALLENGES FACING TOURISM IN THE GAMBIA....................12<br />
3.1 Introduction......................................................................................12<br />
3.2 Choices for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>..................................................................14<br />
3.3 Options Considered.........................................................................15<br />
3.4 Consensus View..............................................................................17<br />
4. the vision for the development of tourism ...............................................18<br />
4.1 <strong>The</strong> Vision........................................................................................18<br />
4.2 How the Vision is to be reached ......................................................18<br />
4.3 Strategic Objectives.........................................................................19<br />
5. SHORT TO MEDIUM TERM MARKET STRATEGY AND AIR ACCESS23<br />
5.1 Introduction......................................................................................23<br />
5.2 Short-term Market Strategy .............................................................23<br />
5.3 Air Access........................................................................................25<br />
5.4 Business <strong>Development</strong> - Scheduled Routes....................................26<br />
5.5 Business <strong>Development</strong> - Tour Operator/Charter Operators.............27<br />
5.6 Domestic Operations .......................................................................27<br />
5.7 Banjul International Airport ..............................................................27<br />
5.8 <strong>Gambia</strong> International Airlines...........................................................28<br />
6. SHORT to medium TERM DESTINATION MARKETING STRATEGY...29<br />
6.1 Findings from the Tour Operator Survey .........................................29<br />
6.2 Short-term Marketing Objectives .....................................................31<br />
6.3 Broadening the market ....................................................................32<br />
6.4 <strong>The</strong> product portfolio........................................................................35<br />
6.5 Destination Marketing......................................................................36<br />
7. SHORT TO MEDIUM TERM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 42<br />
7.1 Background on the <strong>Gambia</strong>n <strong>Tourism</strong> Product................................42<br />
7.2 Strategic Focus................................................................................45<br />
7.3 Redevelopment of Main Resort Area...............................................46<br />
7.4 <strong>Development</strong> of New Resort Areas .................................................48<br />
7.5 Bird-watching and Fishing ...............................................................48<br />
7.6 Excursions and entertainment .........................................................48<br />
7.7 Management of Product <strong>Development</strong> ............................................49<br />
7.8 Cultural <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> ........................................................53<br />
7.9 <strong>Tourism</strong> and the National Parks ......................................................54<br />
7.10 <strong>The</strong> River and <strong>Tourism</strong> ....................................................................58<br />
7.11 All-inclusive Packages.....................................................................58<br />
7.12 Access to Finance and the need for incentives ...............................59<br />
8. OTHER SHORT TERM IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES.....................61<br />
2
8.1 Introduction......................................................................................61<br />
8.2 Infrastructure ...................................................................................61<br />
8.3 Environment ....................................................................................63<br />
8.4 Social Aspects .................................................................................65<br />
8.5 Agricultural Linkages .......................................................................68<br />
8.6 Human Resources...........................................................................71<br />
9. THE LONGER TERM PROGRAMME ....................................................73<br />
9.1 <strong>The</strong> Longer Term.............................................................................73<br />
9.2 <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Framework (TDAs and <strong>Tourism</strong> Sites).........73<br />
9.3 Anchoring and Linking TDAs and <strong>Tourism</strong> Sites .............................76<br />
9.4 Integrating TDAs, <strong>Tourism</strong> Sites, Links and <strong>The</strong>mes.......................77<br />
9.5 Carrying Capacity ............................................................................78<br />
10. DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH TO 2025 .................79<br />
10.1 General............................................................................................79<br />
10.2 West Coast TDA..............................................................................79<br />
10.3 Brikama TDA ...................................................................................87<br />
10.4 Western River TDA..........................................................................88<br />
10.5 Juffureh TDA ...................................................................................90<br />
10.6 Banjul TDA ......................................................................................90<br />
10.7 North Coast TDA .............................................................................90<br />
10.8 Kiang West TDA ..............................................................................91<br />
10.9 Baobolong Wetland TDA .................................................................91<br />
10.10 Central River TDA........................................................................91<br />
10.11 Upper River TDA..........................................................................92<br />
11. TEN YEAR ACTION PLAN .................................................................93<br />
11.1 Introduction......................................................................................93<br />
11.2 Measures and Targets of the Action <strong>Plan</strong>........................................93<br />
11.3 Institutional <strong>Development</strong> ................................................................94<br />
11.4 <strong>Plan</strong> implementation process...........................................................96<br />
11.5 Ten Year Time Frame......................................................................99<br />
11.6 First Rank Projects ..........................................................................99<br />
11.7 Sources of Financial Support.........................................................100<br />
11.8 Monitoring and Control ..................................................................108<br />
11.9 Commitment ..................................................................................109<br />
ANNEXES....................................................................................................110<br />
ANNEX 1 – LIST OF TECHNICAL REPORTS .........................................111<br />
ANNEX 2 - IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF ALL-INCLUSIVE TOURISM .....112<br />
ANNEX 3 - INSTITUTIONS......................................................................115<br />
ANNEX 4 - INDICATORS FROM OTHER TOURISM DESTINATIONS.127<br />
3
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS<br />
AI<br />
CAGR<br />
CSO<br />
DOSTC<br />
DPWM<br />
EIA<br />
EU<br />
GCAA<br />
GDP<br />
GIPFZA<br />
GSA<br />
GTA<br />
D m<br />
HIPC<br />
LGA<br />
MICE<br />
NAWEC<br />
NCAC<br />
NEA<br />
NGO<br />
NTO<br />
NTTI<br />
PPP<br />
RevPAR<br />
SEA<br />
SME<br />
TA<br />
TDA<br />
TDMP<br />
TS<br />
TSA<br />
WTTC<br />
UK<br />
UNDP<br />
UNWTO<br />
All-inclusives<br />
Cumulative Annual Growth Rate<br />
Central Statistical Office<br />
Department of State for <strong>Tourism</strong> and Culture<br />
Department of Parks and Wildlife Management<br />
Environmental Impact Assessment<br />
European Union<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> Civil Aviation Authority<br />
Gross Domestic Product<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> Investment Promotion and Free Zones Agency<br />
General Sales Agent<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> Authority<br />
Dalasi millions<br />
Heavily Indebted Poor Countries<br />
Local Government Administration<br />
Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions<br />
National Water and Electricity Company<br />
National Council for Arts and Culture<br />
National Environment Agency<br />
Non-Governmental Organisation<br />
National Tourist Office<br />
National <strong>Tourism</strong> Training Institute<br />
Purchasing Power Parity<br />
Revenue per available room<br />
Strategic Environment Assessment<br />
Small and Medium Enterprises<br />
Technical Assistance<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Area<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong><br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> Site<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> Satellite Accounts<br />
World Travel and <strong>Tourism</strong> Council<br />
United Kingdom<br />
United Nations <strong>Development</strong> Programme<br />
United Nations World <strong>Tourism</strong> Organisation<br />
4
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
1.1 Purposes of this Report<br />
This Report sets out the <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> for <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> is designed to chart a way<br />
forward for tourism in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> in the short, medium and longerterm.<br />
Work on the <strong>Plan</strong> commenced in 2004, with a draft master plan<br />
being completed in 2005. Extensive consultations were undertaken<br />
during the preparation process including on the draft plan, and the final<br />
<strong>Plan</strong> reflects comments made by stakeholders.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> takes 2025 as the period for the long-term vision for tourism<br />
development.<br />
This report has the twin purposes of:<br />
(1) indicating the long-term development vision, which incorporates<br />
development throughout the whole of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, so spreading<br />
the benefits of tourism throughout the country; and<br />
(2) indicating solutions to the short and medium term issues that are<br />
facing the industry in a ten year action plan. <strong>The</strong>se issues will have<br />
to be addressed otherwise the long-term vision will be lost.<br />
<strong>The</strong> overall <strong>Plan</strong> builds on previous work undertaken. Among these<br />
are the National Policy for <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> 1995-2000 and follow<br />
up studies on new tourism areas and new markets prepared for the<br />
Department of State for <strong>Tourism</strong> and Culture under the Netherlands<br />
Management Cooperation Programme in 1998. Targets in terms of<br />
visitor arrivals contained in these reports have not been met, nor has<br />
the target contribution of tourism to GDP, an indication of the<br />
challenges for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
1.2 Approach of the Consultants<br />
<strong>The</strong> findings have been reached with the assistance of a Study<br />
Coordinator and the <strong>Tourism</strong> Support Group. <strong>The</strong> work has involved:<br />
• continual participation in the study on the part of stakeholders<br />
(private sector and public sector) through workshops in April and<br />
December, 2004, and January, 2005 and August 2005; and<br />
• A multi-disciplinary team, looking at different aspects in order to try<br />
to reach a holistic approach to planning future tourism development.<br />
<strong>The</strong> tourism product is highly complex, requiring a very large<br />
number of different inputs to be brought together in a coordinated<br />
fashion, working in harmony with each other and remaining<br />
financially and economically viable.<br />
1
1.3 <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> Reports<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> comprises this main report, together<br />
with:<br />
• a separate Summary Report<br />
• 16 Technical Reports, presented in two volumes.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Technical Reports are as follows:<br />
Technical Reports, Volume 1 Technical Reports, Volume 2<br />
1: <strong>The</strong> Economic Impact of <strong>Tourism</strong> 9: Agricultural Linkages<br />
2: Air Access 10: Human Resource <strong>Development</strong><br />
3: Visitor Survey (at the airport) 11: <strong>Tourism</strong> Related Social Factors<br />
4: Visitor Survey (at hotels) 12: Cultural <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
5: Marketing and Promotion 13: Environmental Issues<br />
6: Product <strong>Development</strong> 14: Parks Management<br />
7: Physical <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Plan</strong>ning 15: <strong>Tourism</strong> Related Infrastructure<br />
8: River Cruise Product 16: <strong>Tourism</strong> Legislation<br />
Further details are given in Appendix 1.<br />
1.4 Report Contents<br />
First of all this Report indicates why tourism is important to <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>. <strong>The</strong> Report then highlights the challenges facing <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> overall Vision for the development of tourism is then presented.<br />
Following this is the short to medium term strategy and the longer term<br />
development strategy. Finally, the actions needed are set out in the<br />
context of a Ten Year Action <strong>Plan</strong>.<br />
2
2. WHY TOURISM IS IMPORTANT TO THE GAMBIA<br />
2.1 General Introduction to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is one of the smallest countries in West Africa with a total<br />
land area of 10,689 square kilometers (km). It stretches 350 km inland<br />
from the West to East on either side of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> River. <strong>The</strong> River<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>, which runs the entire length of the country from the Futa<br />
Jallon Highlands in the Republic of Guinea to the Atlantic Ocean,<br />
divides the country into two halves the North and the South Banks.<br />
<strong>The</strong> River is one of the longest in the world allowing direct navigation<br />
inland from the open ocean.<br />
Figure 2.1: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
SENEGAL<br />
Kaur<br />
Kass Wollof<br />
CENTRAL<br />
RIVER<br />
Sukuta<br />
Bakau<br />
Sara Job Kunda<br />
Essau<br />
Barra<br />
Banjul<br />
NORTH<br />
BANK<br />
Kerewan<br />
Salikene<br />
LOWER RIVER<br />
Farafenni<br />
Manya<br />
Konko<br />
Georgetown<br />
Bansang<br />
Diabugu<br />
UPPER RIVER<br />
Basse Santa Su<br />
Gunjur<br />
Brikama<br />
WESTERN<br />
Kalagi<br />
SENEGAL<br />
N<br />
This map is intended exclusively for the use of the readers of the report to which it is attached. <strong>The</strong> names used and<br />
the borders shown do not imply any judgement concerning the legal status of a territory nor any approval or<br />
acceptance of these borders. This applies to all Maps used in this report. <strong>The</strong> maps are not to scale.<br />
<strong>The</strong> population is 1.4 million and the population growth rate is 2.8% per<br />
annum resulting in one of the highest population densities in Africa at<br />
128 persons per square kilometre (Provisional Census 2003 Results).<br />
Overall per capita income is approximately US$320 per year. <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> is classified as one of the highly indebted poor countries<br />
(HIPC).<br />
As can be seen, land is a scarce resource that needs to be used with<br />
great care. <strong>Plan</strong>ning all physical development needs to take this<br />
scarcity into account. Making sites available for tourism development is<br />
one of the main incentives that the Government has in bringing about<br />
tourism and clearly this has to be used both with great care and to<br />
great effect, which currently is not the case. Many land sites in the<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Area (TDA) are substantially misused as an<br />
economic resource.<br />
3
Debt is a substantial issue, with the national debt being about one and<br />
a half times the annual Gross Domestic Product. <strong>The</strong> level of national<br />
debt has to be taken into account in looking at options for the<br />
Government supporting tourism development particularly through the<br />
provision of infrastructure. Inevitably the Government is constrained in<br />
what it can achieve.<br />
Agriculture is the main economic activity and this sector accounts for<br />
the largest proportion of economically active persons with more than<br />
half of the population engaged in subsistence farming, livestock rearing<br />
and groundnut cultivation. Groundnut is the main cash crop but efforts<br />
to diversify have brought in sesame growing, which is predominantly<br />
grown by women. Rice is the staple food but the country has not yet<br />
reached self-sufficiency in rice production thus leading to the importing<br />
of rice. In addition to agriculture, tourism and commerce are important<br />
sources of foreign exchange as well as of employment.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>n climate is typically Sahelian with a long dry season from<br />
November to May and a short rainy season between June and<br />
October. Distribution of rainfall tends to be irregular and the country<br />
has experienced recurrent droughts. <strong>The</strong> estuary basin of <strong>The</strong> River<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> is virtually a tidal inlet with salt-water intrusion ranging from<br />
180-250 km. in the rainy season and dry seasons respectively. Irrigable<br />
lands are therefore limited and agriculture, which is the backbone of the<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>n economy, is mostly rain-fed. As a result agricultural activity is<br />
subject to wide seasonal fluctuations and production levels are<br />
vulnerable to variations in rainfall.<br />
Islam is the predominant religion with 95% of the population being<br />
Muslim. Christians account for the remainder and a few people practice<br />
traditional religions. One common strand among ethnic groups is the<br />
patriarchy where male dominance is common.<br />
<strong>The</strong> social fabric of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is based on family networks often<br />
stretching into neighbouring countries where the extended family takes<br />
responsibility for the well-being and maintenance of the family. Family<br />
networks provide support systems to limit poverty, which is on the<br />
increase. Poverty is more of a rural than an urban phenomenon.<br />
However, families are finding it hard to maintain this system, which to<br />
date has largely hindered local entrepreneurship by limiting savings<br />
and investments.<br />
2.2<br />
<strong>The</strong> growth of tourism in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> founding of tourism in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is attributed to a Swedish tour<br />
operator (Mr. Bertil Harding) who ‘discovered’ the beautiful sandy<br />
beaches and pleasant climate in this unspoiled tropical destination. It<br />
was a good sun-sea-sand destination less than seven hours flying time<br />
from Scandinavia. With a fortnightly charter flight from Sweden, he<br />
started the business in 1965, which was also the year of independence<br />
for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. For several years, the Scandinavians were the only<br />
tourists in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, then the British came and tourism grew rapidly.<br />
4
At the start, there were only two unclassified hotels located in the<br />
capital city, Banjul - the Atlantic and Adonis hotels. Later, as business<br />
grew in 1970s and 80s, other hotels were built namely the Fajara,<br />
Wadner Beach, Bungalow Beach and Kotu Strand. Today there is a<br />
proliferation of hotels, guesthouses, motels particularly in the Kanifing<br />
Municipality, which is the main domain of the tourism.<br />
Figure 2.2: <strong>The</strong> Business, Government and <strong>Tourism</strong> Core<br />
Realising the limitations of the infrastructure and the need to expand<br />
bed space, tour operators (such as Vingresor who were the first to<br />
establish in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>) not only got involved in tour operations but<br />
also in the building of hotels. For example, the current Sunbeach Hotel<br />
(former Sunwing) was built on a joint venture between the Government<br />
of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation<br />
and Vingresor. Vingresor also became involved in the training of tourist<br />
guides to provide a service that hitherto had not existed in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Government supported the whole development of tourism. <strong>The</strong><br />
Government received International <strong>Development</strong> Assistance (IDA) and<br />
United Nations <strong>Development</strong> Programme (UNDP) assistance to build a<br />
road network linking the hotels, the airport and the main urban centers.<br />
More recently the Kombo Coastal road was built with a loan of US$ 8.5<br />
million from the Kuwait Fund and US$ 6 million from BADEA.<br />
5
Figure 2.3: Trend in Air Charter Arrivals<br />
Air Charter Arrivals<br />
120000<br />
100000<br />
80000<br />
60000<br />
40000<br />
20000<br />
0<br />
Calendar Years, 1967- 2005<br />
Note: Figures for 2005 are provisional<br />
For many years the picture for tourism in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> was one of solid<br />
growth. However, competitive pressures are considerable. <strong>The</strong> UK<br />
travel advisory in November 1994, following the change of Government<br />
in July 1994, seriously affected the industry when most tour operators<br />
pulled out from <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> within 48 hours. <strong>The</strong> industry almost came<br />
to a standstill. All the allied trades and services were similarly affected<br />
as they depended on the number of arrivals to operate effectively and<br />
in addition they had already made investments, which they were unable<br />
to recoup. Serenity Holidays, which trades as <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> Experience,<br />
continued to operate, and effectively gave the industry a ‘lifeline’<br />
through this period.<br />
Business picked up again in 1996 when air charter arrivals reached<br />
96,126. <strong>The</strong> biggest contributory factor in this increase was the<br />
operation of four flights per week by the German tour operator, Frosch<br />
Touristik International (FTI). When FTI ran into problems in 2000,<br />
tourist arrivals dropped again. In 2001 the FTI operation ceased.<br />
Paralleling this, the leading German tour operators, Thomas Cook and<br />
TUI, pulled out of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> in face of the low pricing adopted by FTI.<br />
<strong>The</strong> effect was to deprive <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> of one of its biggest and most<br />
lucrative markets in Europe thus reducing the number of tourist arrivals.<br />
This has in turn emphasized <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s dependence on the UK and<br />
Dutch markets (Figure 2.4)<br />
In 2005 (a year for which charter tourist arrivals were provisional at the<br />
time this report was finalised) there appears to have been a substantial<br />
rise in travel during the European summer, including Dutch<br />
6
holidaymakers attracted by low prices. Despite this tourism remains<br />
highly seasonal as shown in Figure 2.4.<br />
Figure 2.4 Dominance of the UK market<br />
Arrivals by Nationality<br />
60,000<br />
Arrivals<br />
50,000<br />
40,000<br />
30,000<br />
20,000<br />
10,000<br />
UK<br />
Benelux<br />
Germany/Austria<br />
Scandinavia<br />
Other Europe<br />
Africa<br />
Americas<br />
Other<br />
Source: GTA<br />
0<br />
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004<br />
Year<br />
Figure 2.5 Seasonality in 2004 and 2005<br />
Arrivals by Month<br />
Arrivals<br />
20,000<br />
18,000<br />
16,000<br />
14,000<br />
12,000<br />
10,000<br />
8,000<br />
6,000<br />
4,000<br />
2,000<br />
0<br />
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun<br />
Month<br />
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec<br />
2004<br />
2005<br />
Source: GTA<br />
7
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as a destination as of 2006 is at a pivotal point, from<br />
where it is possible to see a number of alternative paths. <strong>The</strong>se paths<br />
vary from possible retrenchment in tourist numbers (if nothing is done)<br />
through to modest growth if new strategic initiatives can be put in place.<br />
2.3 <strong>The</strong> potential benefits from the development of tourism<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> is already second only to agriculture in its place in the<br />
economy. A number of best estimates can be made of the economic<br />
contribution of tourism to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> both now and for the future.<br />
Responsible <strong>Tourism</strong> Policy<br />
A Responsible <strong>Tourism</strong> Policy for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> was launched by the Secretary<br />
of State for <strong>Tourism</strong> and Culture at the 2004 World Travel Market in London.<br />
This policy is a call to action in order to combat some of the inequalities and<br />
negative impacts of tourism. <strong>The</strong> policy is addressed to the whole of the<br />
tourism industry, government and the <strong>Gambia</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> Authority. It identifies<br />
objectives to achieve responsible marketing of the destination and to deal<br />
with issues of economic, social and environmental responsibility.<br />
It is envisaged that implementation of this policy will come through a<br />
Responsible <strong>Tourism</strong> Partnership which is a multi stakeholder action group<br />
that represents all interested parties working in the tourism arena. In terms<br />
of implementation, working documents include 5 year targets and an annual<br />
work plan.<br />
Contribution of tourism to GDP in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
<strong>Tourism</strong>’s contribution to monetary GDP is targeted to increase from an<br />
estimated 13 percent in 2004 to around 18 percent by 2020, which<br />
implies that tourism will grow considerably faster than other sectors of<br />
the economy. (Further information on tourism’s economic impact is<br />
contained in Technical Report No 1.)<br />
Foreign Exchange Earnings<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> is a major source of foreign exchange, vital given that as of<br />
2004 the net current account deficit (excluding official transfers) was an<br />
estimated US$59 million. Thus the need to earn foreign exchange is a<br />
top priority.<br />
After allowing for leakages of gross visitor expenditure due to imports<br />
and payments retained outside <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> (which are assumed to<br />
decrease from 45 percent in 2001 to 35 percent in 2020), net foreign<br />
exchange earnings are targeted to increase from an estimated $40<br />
million in 2004 to $130 million in 2020.<br />
Contribution to Employment<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong>-generated employment is projected to increase from an<br />
estimated 16,000 jobs in 2004 to around 35,000 jobs in 2020. <strong>The</strong><br />
employment figures are for full-time jobs, or full-time job equivalents in<br />
8
the case of persons (e.g. tour guides, souvenir vendors) who may<br />
derive only part of their income from tourism. <strong>The</strong> total number of<br />
persons either fully or partly dependent on tourism as a source of<br />
livelihood is therefore greater than the employment figures alone would<br />
suggest.<br />
Contribution to Government Revenues<br />
Assuming an average contribution from all tourism enterprises of 20<br />
percent of gross revenues, the potential revenue yield from tourism<br />
enterprises could increase from a notional D200 million in 2004<br />
(compared with an actual tax collection of D54 million) to around D800<br />
million in 2020.<br />
An allocation of five percent of total tourism-generated revenues for<br />
tourism promotion and other activities would generate some US$<br />
500,000 in 2005 and Dalasi 41.3 million in 2020, assuming that the<br />
potential tax yield were fully realised.<br />
Linkages<br />
Given that <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is still primarily an agricultural economy, with as<br />
yet underdeveloped manufacturing and services sectors, the main<br />
scope for developing increased linkages between tourism and other<br />
economic sectors lies with the agricultural sector (direct imports<br />
represent approximately one-third of the cost of combined food and<br />
beverage purchases) and with the informal sector, which surveys show<br />
already captures, on average, approximately one-third of the total outof-pocket<br />
expenditure by visitors in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
Spreading the Benefits<br />
A serious contribution to the Government’s poverty reduction strategy is<br />
to seek double or more the number of tourism-related jobs in both the<br />
formal and informal sectors. Elements for achieving this are via higher<br />
yields per visitor, including attracting large-scale investment in<br />
designated sites in the coastal <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Areas as set out<br />
in the Physical <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Plan</strong>ning Technical Report no 7.<br />
Involvement of Informal Groups<br />
Poverty is a major concern in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. <strong>The</strong> DFID <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
Challenge Fund funded a 20 month pro-poor tourism project which ran<br />
from August 2000 to March 2002 working with the Association of Small<br />
Scale Enterprises in <strong>Tourism</strong> (ASSET) on a series of participative<br />
surveys to collect information about the perceptions of the tourists, tour<br />
operators, hoteliers and inbound operators (or ground handlers). Each<br />
of the informal sector groups (by the informal sector is meant all those<br />
individuals and micro enterprises which engage with tourists and the<br />
tourism industry, but are not members of the <strong>Gambia</strong>n Hotel<br />
Association or the <strong>Tourism</strong> and Travel Association) participated in the<br />
research phase and identified what they saw as the significant barriers<br />
9
to their participation in the industry and reported on their sales during<br />
the peak season (the first quarter) of 2001.<br />
An agenda for action was identified for each informal sector group,<br />
based on their understanding of the barriers that needed to be<br />
overcome in order that their sales and income could be increased.<br />
Discussions were held with government and the formal sector about<br />
what they could contribute to improving market access and the<br />
performance of the informal sector composed largely of poor<br />
producers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> following actions were suggested to improve the market access of<br />
the informal sectors:<br />
• <strong>Development</strong> of Codes of Conduct for each informal sector group<br />
• Licensing to be extended and backed up by badging<br />
• New destinations and products to be developed for excursions<br />
• Insurance to be required for ‘high risk’ informal sector activities –<br />
particularly the fishermen and accommodation providers<br />
• Local sourcing of food, supplies and soft furnishings<br />
• What’s On information to be placed in hotels and a regular<br />
publication to be produced especially on businesses not part of<br />
Tour Operators programmes.<br />
• <strong>The</strong> need to encourage all SMEs to be a part of ASSET<br />
• Help to ASSET to build its capacity to be able to organize training<br />
etc. for its members.<br />
2.4 <strong>The</strong> importance of tourism to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
Overall, the development of tourism in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> has been a longterm<br />
‘success story’ for nearly forty years. Whilst there may be debates<br />
about issues such as the distribution of benefits, social impacts and<br />
environmental changes, there is no doubt that the contribution from the<br />
macro-economic viewpoint – foreign exchange, value added for GDP,<br />
employment, local incomes etc. – has had a major beneficial effect in a<br />
small economy.<br />
More importantly, tourism still has the potential to make a major<br />
contribution to the Government’s efforts to grow the <strong>Gambia</strong>n economy,<br />
helping address issues such as poverty reduction. <strong>The</strong> visitor surveys<br />
undertaken for the <strong>Plan</strong> indicate a core of satisfied visitors, some of<br />
whom repeat and love the destination. So, there are market<br />
opportunities that can be tapped into. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> needs to encourage<br />
the development of its tourism business such that it supports the<br />
economic and social aims of the country.<br />
10
THE SURVEY INDICATES THAT RATINGS ARE GOOD<br />
FROM THE TOURISTS WHO COME TO GAMBIA<br />
PERCENTAGE RATING AS GOOD OR VERY GOOD<br />
100<br />
90<br />
80<br />
70<br />
60<br />
50<br />
40<br />
30<br />
20<br />
10<br />
0<br />
Accommodation<br />
Eating &<br />
Drinking<br />
Tour Operator<br />
Transport<br />
around country<br />
Shopping<br />
People's<br />
welcome<br />
Safety<br />
Cleanliness<br />
<strong>The</strong> sample’s response to the <strong>Gambia</strong>n people is remarkably good. Some 93% give a<br />
rating of ‘good’ or ‘very good’. Clearly, this is a potential 'product plus' which could<br />
be made more of.<br />
<strong>The</strong> rating of shopping in <strong>Gambia</strong> drops dramatically with only 51% rating it as<br />
‘good’ or ‘very good’. Indeed 18% rated shopping as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’. Clearly,<br />
shopping is not fulfilling the expectations of a considerable number of tourists.<br />
<strong>The</strong> rating for cleanliness is clearly disappointing. Less than half of the sample rated it<br />
as 'good' or 'very good', and indeed 22% rated it as 'poor' or 'very poor'. This would<br />
suggest that this is an issue on which action will have to be taken by the tourist<br />
planning authorities.<br />
11
3. THE CHALLENGES FACING TOURISM IN THE GAMBIA<br />
3.1 Introduction<br />
<strong>The</strong> previous section has outlined the present and the potential<br />
economic importance of tourism to the <strong>Gambia</strong>n economy. It also<br />
highlights the notion that <strong>Gambia</strong>n tourism is now at a pivotal point in<br />
its progress. It is possible to indicate that <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is beginning to<br />
illustrate some of the characteristics associated with the tourism<br />
product lifecycle with the destination being in danger of going into<br />
decline unless a concept of revival is introduced.<br />
Figure 3.1 indicates that the surge that built up in the 1980s and 1990s,<br />
and that would have taken <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> through to maybe 200,000 air<br />
charter arrivals by the Year 2020 (a reasonable projection in, say,<br />
1999) lost momentum in the period 2000 – 2004. It is possible to put an<br />
interpretation on these figures that could suggest a stage in the tourism<br />
product life cycle has been reached where some decline sets in, so<br />
reducing air charter arrivals back down towards 60,000, if nothing is<br />
done about it.<br />
Figure 3.1 – Projections of Air Charter Arrivals<br />
AIR CHARTER ARRIVALS - LONG TERM VIEW<br />
250000<br />
200000<br />
y = 271.8x 1.6519<br />
R 2 = 0.9334<br />
150000<br />
100000<br />
y = 2719.3x - 10447<br />
R 2 = 0.9411<br />
50000<br />
y = -2.726x 3 + 178x 2 - 533.72x + 3220.2<br />
R 2 = 0.9545<br />
0<br />
-50000<br />
Calendar Year 1965-2020<br />
12
Despite the maelstrom of changes elsewhere, <strong>Gambia</strong>n tourism has<br />
largely been able to operate with the same product, namely a wintersun<br />
destination product (but with an outstanding climate). Due<br />
recognition has to be given to several outstanding innovative initiatives<br />
such as Coconut Residence and Makasutu Lodge, but these are in the<br />
minority.<br />
What is clear is that there are a number of issues that have to be<br />
addressed if any progress is going to be made and if <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is<br />
going to raise incomes from tourism as it badly needs to do. Why it<br />
needs to do this is down to several reasons:<br />
(1) the air flight access is relatively tenuous and there is a need for<br />
more passengers to strengthen air flight access to different<br />
markets and to provide more passenger and aircraft throughput to<br />
repay running an international airport in Banjul;<br />
(2) occupancy factors in the hotels are too low by modern competitive<br />
standards. Generally tourist destinations nowadays cannot survive<br />
on a short seasonal operation. <strong>The</strong> tourism business is just far<br />
more competitive than it was twenty years ago;<br />
(3) tourist accommodation in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, in general, is earning too<br />
little money to properly refurbish and keep up standards that<br />
tourists now expect – both in quality and range of facilities and with<br />
reference to both physical standards and service standards.<br />
Overall it adds up to the fact that <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> must get more tourists in<br />
order to prosper as well as to progressively seek to raise spend per<br />
visitor and to cater for increased levels of independent travel.<br />
<strong>The</strong> issues that have to be addressed and that present key challenges<br />
are:<br />
• Minimal growth in the 10 years from 1994 to 2004, with associated<br />
loss of market share for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> in key originating markets<br />
such as the UK<br />
• Limited air access, limiting the market possibilities (and relatively<br />
expensive air access compared to competitor destinations)<br />
• Poor financial returns (as a result of low tariffs, short season)<br />
creating difficulties in financing hotels and also in financing other<br />
product improvements such as improvements to attractions<br />
• Limited product portfolio and lack of differentiation<br />
• Inconsistent standards and quality, including physical development<br />
in TDA<br />
• Debilitating inefficiencies in provision of utilities, notably electricity<br />
• A special social issue with regard to the problem known as<br />
‘bumsters’ (bomsers)<br />
13
Finding workable solutions to these different challenges is the key task<br />
for this <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong>. <strong>The</strong>se issues can be<br />
categorised under:<br />
• Market Strategy and Destination Marketing;<br />
• Air access and air capacity into <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>;<br />
• Financing of hotels and product development, the product portfolio;<br />
• Special Issues such as Bumsters and Utilities.<br />
<strong>The</strong> issues in these four categories, on the one hand, if unresolved, are<br />
capable of damaging the tourist destination, but on the other hand, the<br />
resolution to the issues holds the key to the success of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>n<br />
tourism industry both in the short-term and the long-term.<br />
3.2 Choices for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> pattern of tourism in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> that has existed since the<br />
industry has been established has focused on short (normally one<br />
week) winter sun holidays sold via tour operators with access on<br />
charter airlines and a standard pattern of excursions operated by local<br />
ground handling companies. <strong>The</strong>se holidays are typically sold on a half<br />
board or full board basis, leaving limited incentive to eat outside hotels.<br />
This form of tourism is subject to a number of forces:<br />
• A decline in market share of package holidays, as independent<br />
travel – encouraged by the availability of low-cost scheduled<br />
airlines offering varying lengths of holiday (rather than standard<br />
one or two week periods) and the availability of direct booking<br />
via the internet;<br />
• Consolidation of foreign tour operators, strengthening their<br />
negotiating powers for the purchase of accommodation and<br />
other services in destination countries;<br />
• <strong>The</strong> diversification of the holiday market, with increased interest<br />
in activity and adventure holidays and in environmental and<br />
social issues (including poverty alleviation) as they appertain to<br />
the holiday market.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as a vacation destination is thus in an invidious position.<br />
It has lost market share in a business (package tours) that are also<br />
losing market share. Downward pressure on prices, notably for<br />
accommodation, makes it difficult to maintain, let alone improve<br />
accommodation standards.<br />
<strong>The</strong> dependence on package tour operators and charter airlines for<br />
access means that growth of independent travel is severely<br />
constrained. Indeed for direct access to and from its principal market,<br />
the UK, <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> has been dependent on charter airlines and, to a<br />
large degree, on one medium sized operator, Serenity Holidays. While<br />
14
this company has been supportive of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as a holiday<br />
destination, to be a destination that has undue dependence on one<br />
company, with a declining market share in a market that is declining<br />
overall is a dangerous position to be in. Serenity Holidays in 2006<br />
though did make a step forward in working with Astraeus Airlines of the<br />
UK to re-introduce scheduled flights between the UK and <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> above analysis suggests that in order for tourism to play a stronger<br />
role in the economy, and in poverty alleviation, a review of the various<br />
options for development is appropriate.<br />
Growth in ‘dynamic packaging’<br />
<strong>The</strong> holiday market, including in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s largest market, the UK,<br />
is seeing a shift from conventional package holidays to ‘dynamic<br />
packaging’. This is where the elements of a package are assembled<br />
from different components to match the needs of a specific customer,<br />
as against the purchase of a pre-assembled package from a brochure.<br />
A survey in 2005 of the UK outbound market shows that while package<br />
holiday bookings declined by 7%, travel agent sales of<br />
accommodation-only and air-only were up by 31% and 15%<br />
respectively. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as a destination is not as of 2006 well<br />
placed to meet this change in purchasing patterns.<br />
3.3 Options Considered<br />
In conjunction with the industry and with the Government, consideration<br />
was given to three different options for future tourism development in<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, which can be described as: -<br />
Option 1 – Hold Level<br />
Option 2 – Modest Increase<br />
Option 3 – Double Income<br />
<strong>The</strong>se three options were considered in an industry/Government<br />
strategy workshop:<br />
Options 1 - ‘Hold Level’.<br />
Essentially, this option involved letting things carry on as they are, but<br />
make some product improvements (e.g. contain the ‘bumster’ problem,<br />
clean up the TDA, implement a licensing system) and carry out<br />
marketing improvements (e.g. partnership marketing, internet and PR).<br />
However this is considered untenable as there would be a slow decline<br />
as volume fell below thresholds for: -<br />
• maintaining different series of air flights, so withdrawals would take<br />
place,<br />
• maintaining airport facilities,<br />
15
• keeping up tour operator profitability so further loss of interest by<br />
tour operators.<br />
In effect whilst the aim was ‘hold level’ a possible downward spiral was<br />
being risked, and so it was considered necessary to do more.<br />
Option 2 - ‘Modest Increase’.<br />
In this option, there is emphasis on more product development (e.g.<br />
‘bumster free zone’ at airport, encouragement of refurbishments, official<br />
guides, river cruising, ocean cruises, bird watching, fishing, soft<br />
adventure, water sports, pause in newbuilds so increasing<br />
occupancies, along with development of summer season options). Also<br />
there is more emphasis on marketing (new <strong>Gambia</strong> image).<br />
However, whilst this option would alleviate some of the problems of low<br />
occupancy and limited product portfolio, this was considered to be not<br />
enough because it did not tackle all the challenges facing the industry.<br />
Option 3 - ‘Double <strong>Tourism</strong> Income’.<br />
This is the selected option that was seen as tackling the challenges.<br />
On the market side (in addition to actions in Options 1 and 2) there is:-<br />
• a scheduled service route development programme aimed at<br />
enabling the growth of independent travel, including of higher<br />
spending visitors. This would build on the scheduled services<br />
introduced in 2006 to/from the UK and the USA<br />
• encouragement of all-inclusives and self catering<br />
• a major increase in marketing spend<br />
• maintaining existing ‘economy’ markets while developing higher<br />
spending ‘luxury’ markets including special interest segments such<br />
as cultural and adventure holidays<br />
On the product development side there is:<br />
• Dedicated tourism investment promotion<br />
• A ‘green’ and restyled current TDA area with promenade areas,<br />
tropical gardens, and shopping<br />
• <strong>Development</strong> of the Southern TDA<br />
• New nature based TDA in Western River<br />
• More use of beaches with camels, quad bikes<br />
• Pilot value for money coastal and river eco-lodges based on local<br />
communities<br />
<strong>Development</strong> will vary according to the timescale involved. In view of<br />
the challenges facing the industry, it is best to think in terms of a shortterm<br />
five year strategy, leading into a medium term strategy that will in<br />
turn form a platform for the longer term vision through to 2025. <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
is a highly capital intensive industry and especially in the short-term,<br />
16
the measures proposed will need to be realistic in terms of their capital<br />
requirement and the willingness of the range of stakeholders to play<br />
their part in the forthcoming plan.<br />
3.4 Consensus View<br />
<strong>The</strong> consensus view was that <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> must seek the third option<br />
(‘Double Income’) because current spending per head and the current<br />
numbers (say 90,000 tourists) are both too low. <strong>The</strong> first two options<br />
risk a downward spiral because numbers are potentially below<br />
thresholds for keeping airlines and tour operators interested in the<br />
destination.<br />
17
4. THE VISION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM<br />
4.1 <strong>The</strong> Vision<br />
<strong>The</strong> objective of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s Vision 2020 for the tourism sector is<br />
defined as<br />
"to make <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> a tourist paradise and a major tourist destination<br />
through product innovation, quality improvement, improvement of<br />
investment returns and diversification of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>'s tourism<br />
product".<br />
<strong>The</strong> kind of Vision for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as a tourism destination which this<br />
suggests, and which relates to the Option of ‘Double <strong>Tourism</strong> Income’,<br />
can thus be described as:<br />
A distinctive tourism destination that offers a high quality of experience<br />
for our visitors that is sustainable and where strong economic and<br />
social benefits are provided for <strong>Gambia</strong>ns.<br />
Implications of this Vision are for:<br />
• Progressive improvements in the quality and range of the<br />
product offered, both in terms of accommodation and of ancillary<br />
accommodation. This includes a wider geographical spread of<br />
tourism within <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>;<br />
• Strong marketing and promotion that enables <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> to<br />
penetrate new markets, both geographically and in terms of<br />
market segments;<br />
• Higher standards of customer care, supported by quality<br />
training.<br />
Key results will include raised income levels from tourism, including via<br />
higher average daily expenditure on the part of visitors to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
Employment available in the industry will be more varied, spread more<br />
widely geographically, and provide higher levels of job satisfaction.<br />
Higher tax revenues will provide Government with enhanced resources<br />
to address its poverty reduction agenda.<br />
4.2 How the Vision is to be reached<br />
<strong>The</strong> gap between tourism in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as it exists in 2006 and<br />
where the country wishes to be at the end of the <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong><br />
<strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> period is substantial.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Vision can only be implemented by Government playing a key lead<br />
role, working in tandem with the private sector. This will require<br />
18
political commitment from State House downwards and, given that<br />
tourism is a cross-cutting activity, from a wide range of interests.<br />
Government illustrated its commitment to the sector by the<br />
establishment of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> Authority (GTA). <strong>The</strong> Authority<br />
has to be developed further if the Vision is to succeed, with a strong<br />
effort to build institutional capacity in the Authority and in other<br />
institutions related to tourism. This includes the Hotel School, which<br />
should be developed both via capacity building and via new enhanced<br />
facilities and courses into a National <strong>Tourism</strong> Training Institute (NTTI).<br />
<strong>The</strong>re have been substantial steps in the recognition of the role of small<br />
and medium sized enterprises in tourism, including via the<br />
establishment of the Association of Small Enterprises in <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
(ASSET). ASSET, the Hotel Association, the <strong>Tourism</strong> and Travel<br />
Association, other interested parties and donors must work together<br />
with the GTA and Government on a partnership basis if the Vision is to<br />
be achieved.<br />
<strong>The</strong> rich cultural heritage and natural resources will support the efforts<br />
to diversify the product range. <strong>The</strong> appropriate institutional and legal<br />
framework shall be put in place to ensure the development of the<br />
respective human resources capable of undertaking the marketing,<br />
promotional and operational activities.<br />
<strong>The</strong> targets outlined in the Vision 2020 are still valid and far away from<br />
unrealistic 'dreams' which often characterise medium and long-term<br />
visions. <strong>The</strong> findings contained in the Technical Reports confirm that<br />
the goals are achievable and that tourism can play the important role<br />
as foreseen in the Vision.<br />
Achieving the Vision will depend on a series of actions, e.g. continuous<br />
government support towards tourism, political stability, competitive<br />
product range, growing market demand, provision of relevant physical<br />
and social infrastructure, sound environment and efficient institutional<br />
arrangements. <strong>The</strong>re is a need to streamline the development process,<br />
by building capacity at national and local levels and by promoting a<br />
strong public/private sector partnership.<br />
4.3 Strategic Objectives<br />
<strong>The</strong> realisation of the Vision requires the achievement of a number of<br />
strategic initiatives:<br />
Product consolidation and improvement<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> enjoys an attractive sea-sun-sand product with a relatively<br />
short flight distance and with little time change to large source markets<br />
in Europe. However, many accommodation facilities and other product<br />
components are not fulfilling modern requirements in terms of<br />
standards and appearance and are in urgent need of renovation and<br />
upgrading. Research revealed that increasing competition weakens<br />
19
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>'s market position, mostly resulting in low room rates and<br />
thus fewer funds for necessary reinvestment.<br />
Product expansion and deepening<br />
<strong>The</strong> present focus on middle/lower class beach tourism makes <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> dependent on a limited number of tour operators as well as<br />
making it very vulnerable against trends in an ever-changing tourism<br />
environment. As <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> has not yet fully exploited its potential,<br />
new product components can be added or expanded, thus widening<br />
the presently small spectrum. Examples are cultural and nature based<br />
holidays, opening up the interior, using the River <strong>Gambia</strong> cruises, and<br />
involving the communities through a specifically designed offer.<br />
<strong>The</strong> traditional beach tourism can also be extended by adding capacity<br />
south of the present areas as well as complementing the present<br />
accommodation by facilities directed to upper market segments and<br />
new clientele, e.g. in the self-catering sector. <strong>The</strong> diversification of the<br />
product is a condition for the successful development of tourism in <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
Stabilisation of existing and opening-up of new source markets<br />
At present, the flow of tourists to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is concentrated on a few<br />
source markets, dominated by the United Kingdom with a small number<br />
of tour operators. <strong>The</strong> German market almost disappeared within a<br />
short time. <strong>The</strong> country has to improve this disadvantageous situation<br />
by strengthening its position in the traditional markets; recapture lost<br />
markets and approach new ones. Efforts to deal with new market<br />
segments beyond the conventional "3 Ss" have to be intensified.<br />
Institutional strengthening and capacity building<br />
<strong>The</strong> management, monitoring and control of the day-to-day operation of<br />
tourism as well as its medium and long term planning require an<br />
efficient institutional and legal framework. <strong>The</strong> key role of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> Authority has to be strengthened and equipped with adequate<br />
financial, human and technical resources. Cooperation between the<br />
public and private tourism sector in a close partnership relationship is a<br />
key issue for any future development.<br />
<strong>Development</strong> of human resources in tourism and related sectors<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> is a service industry and therefore the human factor plays an<br />
essential role in the delivery of the product. While the friendly attitude of<br />
the staff in hotels and other tourist enterprises is regarded as very<br />
positive by the visitors, there is an evident lack in terms of professional<br />
skills and service standards. <strong>The</strong> design and implementation of a<br />
coherent training and education system in tourism is imperative to meet<br />
present and future demand in terms of quantity, quality and<br />
qualifications.<br />
20
Establishment and improvement of tourism related infrastructure<br />
<strong>The</strong> deficiencies in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>'s tourism-related infrastructure are<br />
already negatively affecting the sector, in particular with regard to<br />
electricity and water supply as well the conditions of the road and ferry<br />
services. Any future development both by upgrading the quality<br />
standards and the expansion of capacity requires a significant<br />
improvement in this field. This also applies to the opening-up of the<br />
interior for new product segments, e.g. nature-based tourism.<br />
Improvement of air access and visitor facilitation<br />
As a result of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>'s dependence as of 2006 on a relatively<br />
small group of European tour operators, only a few charter companies<br />
are serving the destination, mostly limited to the winter season. Any<br />
expansion of business requires an increase of frequencies, routings<br />
and capacity, which can only be achieved by a joint effort of the<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>n public and private sector together with the industry partners in<br />
Europe.<br />
Tourists' expectations with regard to the facilitation and comfort of their<br />
stay in the destination are growing, and it is necessary to meet these<br />
demands in terms of immigration/ customs procedures, tourist<br />
information, signage, use of credit cards etc. Constant improvement in<br />
this field is required to compete with other destinations.<br />
Immigration at Banjul is generally quick, but the status of porters is<br />
confusing and there is no prior explanation of customs procedures.<br />
Prominent notices that provide clear guidance to visitors should be<br />
provided, for porterage close to the immigration desks and for customs<br />
in the baggage delivery hall. A standard advertised fee (in £ and €) for<br />
porterage would assist, as would a clarification of the benefit of<br />
engaging a licensed porter in relation to bumsters.<br />
Departure procedures are more sound than for arrivals.<br />
Improvement of linkages to other sectors<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> as a multifaceted socio-economic activity has a variety of<br />
linkages to other sectors, in the case of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> in particular to<br />
agriculture, the major sector in the national economy. <strong>The</strong>re are still<br />
ways to increase the supply of local produce to the accommodation<br />
and restaurant sector, thus reducing the imports and saving foreign<br />
exchange.<br />
<strong>Development</strong> of community-based enterprises in tourism<br />
<strong>The</strong> diversification of the tourism product into the interior and through<br />
the introduction of new types of niche markets, e.g. eco-tourism, will<br />
allow communities to participate and benefit from the development of<br />
the sector more than in the past. It can contribute to an improvement of<br />
living conditions in rural areas through the creation of jobs and<br />
generation of income, and mitigate the drift to the urban areas.<br />
21
Mitigation of social and environmental impact<br />
Although research related to the <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> showed that<br />
tourism has only a modest negative impact on the social fabric of the<br />
host country and the natural environment, measures have to be<br />
undertaken to control any negative developments in this field. <strong>The</strong><br />
handling of the 'bumster' issue is one of the important initiatives.<br />
Overall, the development of the tourism industry is going to require a<br />
considerable effort of planning, investment, training, and awareness<br />
22
5. SHORT TO MEDIUM TERM MARKET STRATEGY AND AIR<br />
ACCESS<br />
5.1 Introduction<br />
<strong>The</strong> market strategy and the air access strategy are intimately<br />
interlinked. <strong>The</strong>re is little value in talking about markets in Europe that<br />
cannot be reached by air services.<br />
<strong>The</strong> critical difficulty for the <strong>Gambia</strong> is that there are few markets that<br />
can be reached in a competitive manner. This relative lack of access<br />
forces <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> both:<br />
• To seek out markets that can be penetrated quickly to a certain<br />
threshold level, that allows <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> to support the required air<br />
services (e.g. Germany); and<br />
• To penetrate deeper and deeper into markets which have<br />
reasonable air access, but deeper and deeper penetration usually<br />
means going down in the price spectrum and/or expanding market<br />
niches without necessarily going down the price spectrum (e.g. UK).<br />
An allied objective should be to develop the ECOWAS regional market,<br />
where air services already exist and where it may be possible to<br />
expand tourism outside the main winter season. This includes<br />
pursuing meetings and conferences business, given the completion of<br />
new conference facilities in 2006.<br />
5.2 Short-term Market Strategy<br />
<strong>The</strong> market strategy (as opposed to the marketing strategy) has to be<br />
focused upon the pre-eminent markets namely: UK, Benelux,<br />
Scandinavia, Germany and Spain. <strong>The</strong> priorities are:<br />
EXISTING GEOGRAPHIC MARKETS –<br />
UK<br />
• Grow new business based around the newly launched, in 2006,<br />
‘scheduled charter’ series out of Gatwick. If this can be promoted as<br />
a scheduled service with tour basing fares for smaller tour<br />
operators, then one can open up the specialist market niche<br />
segments much more – e.g. birdwatching, deep sea fishing.<br />
• In UK, try to open more winter charter series from airports not<br />
currently servicing Banjul (and thus market catchments currently<br />
underserved) e.g. Glasgow. East Midlands was a new originating<br />
point in 2005/6.<br />
<strong>The</strong> broad intention in the UK market is to try to widen the market<br />
spectrum to allow a deeper mining of the market by increasing the<br />
number of market segments that can be reached both geographically<br />
and in terms of their product interests.<br />
23
Benelux and Scandinavia<br />
In Benelux and Scandinavia, the focus would also be on a deeper<br />
mining of the markets but the emphasis here would be on trying to use<br />
the shoulder seasons (September, October, April and May) to try to<br />
increase the volume.<br />
NEW MARKETS<br />
Germany<br />
An objective should be to get the German market going again in<br />
significant numbers. This will need new charter series; it would be<br />
assisted by the development of all-inclusive resorts. A short term<br />
objective could be to get new charter series out of Munich and<br />
Frankfurt.<br />
Spain<br />
Spain is an emerging market for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> and one where the trends<br />
are still unclear. However there is considerable tour operating capacity<br />
and charter airline capacity in Spain as well as close links with the<br />
Canary Islands, so a number of different propositions could be put to<br />
the Spanish players in the market. <strong>The</strong>re seems no reason why a<br />
significant volume of tourists cannot be attracted from Spain.<br />
Italy<br />
Italy is a new market for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> and one with special<br />
characteristics. However, it is a market that has been developed by<br />
competing destinations such as Kenya (in relation to the Kenya coast).<br />
<strong>The</strong> GTA should learn about the market by a programme of visits to key<br />
tour operators and with airport access incentives promote the<br />
establishment of a flight series from northern Italy to Banjul.<br />
West Africa<br />
<strong>The</strong> regional market is as yet untapped. <strong>The</strong> presence of existing<br />
scheduled services suggests that pilot initiatives should be made in<br />
ECOWAS member states, in collaboration with regional airlines, aimed<br />
at both the business and leisure markets.<br />
HIGHER YIELD MARKET MIX<br />
A key element of the Vision is to attract visitors with a higher average<br />
spend per day – those who can be regarded as more ‘up-market’. This<br />
involves increased volumes of independent travel and those with<br />
specialist interests in ‘niche’ tourism products including cultural<br />
tourism. <strong>The</strong> opening of the Sheraton Hotel, and new scheduled<br />
services from the UK and the USA, gives the opportunity for a new<br />
impetus in this direction. This has to be pursued in both existing<br />
geographical markets and in new ones in Europe and North America.<br />
Priority geographical markets in this context are Spain, the UK and the<br />
North Eastern seaboard of the USA.<br />
24
NICHE MARKETS AND MARKET SEGMENTS<br />
<strong>The</strong> USA offers potential in the special Roots market. This merits<br />
highly targeted promotion among those of African descent resident on<br />
the eastern seaboard and the New York Metropolitan area. <strong>The</strong> GTA<br />
should facilitate co-operation between <strong>Gambia</strong>n ground handlers and<br />
their counterparts in Senegal to give an impetus in promoting the<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>n product using direct flight access.<br />
New members of the EU in Eastern Europe are potential new<br />
geographic markets worthy of investigation. Initially travel would likely<br />
need to be via scheduled flights, so that identification would need to be<br />
made of niche market segments that can be developed.<br />
Particular market segments for development include further<br />
development of bird watching, cultural tourism (including the Roots<br />
market), educational and professional visits, nature based tourism<br />
(including fishing), wellness and special events including sports tourism<br />
and recreation.<br />
HIGHER YIELDING MARKET NICHES<br />
<strong>The</strong> development of specialised market niches is facilitated by the<br />
growth of scheduled services. Primary targets for development in this<br />
context should be adventure tourism (potentially linked into Senegal)<br />
and cultural tourism for those with a specific interest in the cultural<br />
richness and diversity to be found in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. As new facilities are<br />
provided, the “wellness”, sport fishing and golfing markets can be<br />
targeted, particularly in the UK.<br />
5.3 Air Access<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> needs increased frequency of air access and capacity in<br />
order to sustain Banjul airport and in order to widen the market<br />
potential for the tourist destination.<br />
Whilst cruise ship calls and tourists entering by road into <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
should be encouraged, the bulk of the tourist market will remain with air<br />
travel for the foreseeable future. So the market opportunities are<br />
inextricably linked with the air flights that can be encouraged into <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> through Banjul.<br />
Banjul has some opportunities for acting as a hub airport into other<br />
West African cities but it is not a location which is likely to be a major<br />
stopover, or interchange point.<br />
<strong>The</strong> air access situation in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> improved in 2006 with the reintroduction<br />
of a scheduled service to/from London Gatwick and with<br />
weekly services to/from Baltimore/Washington in the USA. <strong>The</strong> London<br />
service is operated by Astraeus with Serenity Holidays (trading as the<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> Experience) acting as GSA. In 2005 there was only very<br />
limited scheduled air access from Europe consisting of two weekly<br />
flights from Brussels. Neighbouring Dakar is served daily by regional<br />
carriers but as of 2006 only one of these is bookable outside the<br />
25
egion. <strong>The</strong> majority of tourists continue to arrive on flights chartered<br />
by tour operators.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is hindered in its efforts to grow the market because of<br />
limited direct air access, particularly from Continental Europe.<br />
AIR ACCESS STRATEGY<br />
Air access is fundamental to tourism in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. <strong>The</strong> strategy is to<br />
expand the level of service, with increased scheduled ‘charter’ flights<br />
along the model adopted in 2006 to/from London, and to increase<br />
charter flight access from new originating points. <strong>The</strong> strategy is also<br />
to maintain a direct connection with North America and to develop<br />
tourism on the basis of West African routes. <strong>The</strong> strategy is to be<br />
pursued via a support package of measures to new and additional<br />
services that meet the objectives of the <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Master</strong><br />
<strong>Plan</strong>. <strong>The</strong> support package is detailed in Technical Appendix 2, Air<br />
Access.<br />
As can be seen the resolution to the air access problem in the shortterm<br />
is<br />
• To provide support to the continued development of the ‘scheduled<br />
charter’ concept out of the UK following its introduction to/from<br />
Gatwick in 2006, because a scheduled service (even if a ‘scheduled<br />
charter’) has the potential to widen the market spectrum in terms of<br />
independent travel and of niche market segments;<br />
• To find new airports in UK for charter series (and thus new market<br />
catchments)<br />
• To revive the German market with new charter series.<br />
Since air transport is a ‘derived demand’ the view is taken that major<br />
incentives for airlines are not necessary, but rather, creating original<br />
demand is the key. <strong>The</strong> main incentive will be a scheme for tour<br />
operator marketing support, financed by the levy charged to arriving<br />
charter passengers. This air access strategy will of course be<br />
supported by a destination marketing/promotional strategy.<br />
5.4 Business <strong>Development</strong> - Scheduled Routes<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a need to lessen dependency on seasonal tour operator<br />
charters and to improve scheduled service air access. This will enable<br />
independent travel to grow, including of those visitors more likely to<br />
make use of smaller scale tourism developments. It will also enable<br />
operators in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> to take advantage of new marketing and<br />
promotional opportunities available via the Internet.<br />
Scheduled service access has two components (a) establishing new<br />
routes, and (b) increasing frequency on existing routes. Ideally, in the<br />
longer term, the objective should be to have (a) daily non-stop flights<br />
from key regional destinations; (b) daily service from London and (c) 2-<br />
3 weekly flights from two points in Continental Europe, possibly<br />
Amsterdam and Frankfurt.<br />
26
Recommendations to resolve these issues focus upon Route Support<br />
Schemes to be operated by GCAA (see annexes to Technical Report<br />
No 2, Air Access) that would entail giving discounts to scheduled<br />
service operators who open new routes or add frequency. <strong>The</strong><br />
discounts would apply to landing fees; lighting charges and passenger<br />
charges on a graduated scale, e.g. new, year round routes receive the<br />
highest rebates. Those airlines operating on a charter basis (such as<br />
Monarch and Transavia) should be offered similar incentives to operate<br />
on a scheduled rather than a charter basis. <strong>The</strong>re would be similar<br />
incentives for operations that move up to daily or double daily<br />
frequencies.<br />
5.5 Business <strong>Development</strong> - Tour Operator/Charter Operators<br />
Charter airlines operate on behalf of tour operators and so the tour<br />
operators need to be targeted with incentives to open new markets<br />
and/or to extend the season. <strong>The</strong> recommended strategy is to have an<br />
incentive programme (see annexes to Technical Report No 3) to<br />
reward both these categories of tour operator. <strong>The</strong> approach would<br />
involve the main stakeholders, e.g. airport, hotels and Government<br />
(GTA). <strong>The</strong> formal incentives would be given by GCAA by way of<br />
reduced landing fees (but not passenger charges) and by GTA in terms<br />
of cooperative marketing funds linked to the number of qualifying<br />
tourists carried on the new routes or during the expanded season.<br />
5.6 Domestic Operations<br />
In the longer term, it might be possible to provide domestic flights from<br />
Banjul to Georgetown and Basse Santa Su using a 12 passenger<br />
Caravan airplane capable of landing on simple landing strips. In order<br />
to compensate for low load-factors and to contribute to the fixed<br />
overhead the ticket prices would probably have to be US$ 100 return at<br />
2006 prices assuming 75% load factor. While this service would still be<br />
affordable by tourists, the operation would need local customer support<br />
in order to maintain a year round service.<br />
5.7 Banjul International Airport<br />
<strong>The</strong> airport is managed by CGAA and meets all international standards<br />
with regards to operational facilities. <strong>The</strong> terminal facilities are basic<br />
and there are ongoing comments regarding the standard of customer<br />
service, especially in relation to the porters and ‘bumsters’ who operate<br />
in and around the terminal. <strong>Gambia</strong> International Airlines (GIA) have a<br />
monopoly on ramp handling although a private company, Air Reps, can<br />
provide passenger check-in. Costs of landing and handling in Banjul<br />
and are up to 50% higher than in Gatwick (and Dakar). Fuel costs are<br />
also higher in Banjul, with the result that Banjul is not a low-cost airport.<br />
This reflects the relatively modest level of traffic at Banjul which has to<br />
meet a significant level of fixed costs.<br />
Despite the cost issues it is recommended that both GCAA and GIA<br />
review their cost structures and introduce some measures to<br />
27
encourage new business and to reduce congestion by operating a<br />
peak/off-peak tariff.<br />
5.8 <strong>Gambia</strong> International Airlines<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>n International Airlines is 100% state owned and engages in<br />
travel agency, airport handling and flight operations activities. GIA has<br />
been applying for an Air Operators Certificate; it previously operated a<br />
weekly flight to/from London Gatwick via Futura Airlines. GIA would<br />
need to upgrade its complete operation (marketing, equipment,<br />
schedule, reservations, GDS participation, web booking, customer<br />
service), if it is to make any impact in the European markets.<br />
It is recommended to break up GIA into separate companies dealing<br />
with Handling, Travel Agency & Tour Operations and Airline<br />
Operations. <strong>The</strong> airline division should operate completely separate<br />
from the Handling and Travel & Tours businesses.<br />
28
6. SHORT TO MEDIUM TERM DESTINATION MARKETING<br />
STRATEGY<br />
6.1 Findings from the Tour Operator Survey<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> has done relatively little destination marketing leaving the<br />
matter largely to the tour operators. <strong>The</strong> outcome has been that there is<br />
low awareness of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as a destination even in the relatively<br />
few markets that <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> can access. Technical Report no 5,<br />
‘Marketing and Promotion’, was prepared after consultations with a<br />
broad spectrum of the European travel trade including the<br />
dissemination and analysis of a tour operator survey questionnaire.<br />
Further information was gained from in-depth interviews and an<br />
analysis of tour operators’ 2004/05 brochures to assess the current<br />
product range offered and image portrayed both by <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> and<br />
the country’s main competitors.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Survey found that <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is a long established winter beach<br />
destination in need of rejuvenation. Market appeal is relatively narrow,<br />
based upon traditional beach hotels, a short season, middle income<br />
and middle to upper age segments – the target markets need to be<br />
broadened and new products for those markets developed.<br />
Gaps in the product portfolio<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s key selling points presented by most tour operators<br />
focus on the beaches, the weather, the friendly welcome, peaceful,<br />
relaxing atmosphere, vibrant culture, river and birdlife. Some tour<br />
operators also mention negative aspects including strong sea currents,<br />
hassle from locals, lack of nightlife and basic standards in resorts.<br />
Tour operators are highly consistent in identifying what they see as the<br />
main constraints to growth for tourism in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>:<br />
• Lack of awareness<br />
• Poor infrastructure<br />
• Lack of Investment<br />
• Poor product quality.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a significant market opportunity gap in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s<br />
accommodation portfolio, excluding as it does any self-catering or allinclusive<br />
style properties.<br />
However, each of these accommodation options has constraints to<br />
development. In the case of self-catering operators were concerned<br />
that the infrastructure in terms of restaurants and supermarkets etc did<br />
not exist in sufficient quantity or quality to support this option. <strong>The</strong> lack<br />
of a reliable public electricity supply, and the consequent reliance on<br />
generators, is also a significant constraint.<br />
All-inclusive style hotels or beach clubs are generally acknowledged as<br />
a highly saleable product that could suit <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> well, although<br />
29
standards of service and hygiene would need to be improved. This<br />
form of tourism product was viewed as commercially attractive for tour<br />
operators and likely to attract a wider customer audience.<br />
Visitors enjoy the friendly attitude of the <strong>Gambia</strong>n people and this<br />
positive aspect is stressed by tour operators in their brochures.<br />
However service levels in many areas fall below the levels expected by<br />
tour operators and customers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> range of attractions was the aspect that scored most poorly with all<br />
tour operators giving a rating of poor or satisfactory. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
offers no traditional holiday destination attractions and there are only a<br />
limited number of bars and restaurants.<br />
Although there are around 3,000 rooms in <strong>Gambia</strong>n establishments, as<br />
of 2005 the major UK operators only featured 6 properties whose<br />
combined 1,300 rooms could be considered to represent <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s<br />
“international” bedstock by virtue of their size and relative quality prior<br />
to the completion of the Sheraton resort.<br />
Market Share<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> has lost market share in its core UK market which grew by<br />
28% overall in the 5 years to 2004 whilst the <strong>Gambia</strong>n UK traffic has<br />
only moved by 9%.<br />
<strong>The</strong> visitor survey conducted at the airport in April 2004 indicated that<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> has two key competitors - the Canary Islands and Egypt –<br />
both having similar flying times from the source markets and a relatively<br />
similar exotic appeal to the European tourist.<br />
Regional and Domestic Market<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are an increased number of middle and upper class citizens<br />
domestically and within the region who would contribute to the<br />
development of tourism and use tourism facilities and attractions. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
is the need for promotional strategies to develop the regional and<br />
domestic market. Bi-lateral agreements and trading between different<br />
tourism providers between regional countries can also be<br />
strengthened.<br />
Destination marketing<br />
By far the strongest key motivators for customers choosing <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> are identified by operators as the weather and value for<br />
money/ price. Destination awareness in the marketplace is weak – a<br />
plan to develop and implement a complete re-branding of “<strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>” needs to be undertaken.<br />
Concerns are expressed both about the low level of consumer<br />
awareness of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> and a lack of product knowledge amongst<br />
the travel trade. <strong>The</strong> success of Egypt’s Red Sea campaign was<br />
identified as potential model for success. <strong>The</strong> campaign took a holistic<br />
30
approach combining consumer advertising with product improvements,<br />
good prices and trade support and subsidies.<br />
On the positive side perceptions were that <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is fairly safe in<br />
comparison with other African destinations. Tour operators have<br />
concerns regarding airport security (abysmal); hassle from locals and<br />
hotel rooms not being secure resulting in theft.<br />
Customers who have never been to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> have many negative<br />
preconceptions. <strong>The</strong>y see <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as a third world country and<br />
are concerned amongst other things about, poor quality, poverty and<br />
hassle, as they would be concerned about most African countries.<br />
Customers who have travelled to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> find that the<br />
accommodation is not the most luxurious but it is fine. <strong>The</strong> resorts are<br />
very much as you might expect of a holiday destination, the people are<br />
friendly and although visitors do get hassled, it is not aggressive.<br />
6.2 Short-term Marketing Objectives<br />
<strong>The</strong> various surveys carried out in the course of preparing the <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
<strong>Development</strong> <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> – notably the visitor surveys and the tour<br />
operator surveys – indicate that the general marketing aims that have<br />
to be achieved in the short to medium term are:<br />
• ‘Rejuvenate the destination’;<br />
• Broaden the markets and the market segments; and<br />
• Broaden the product portfolio.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se general aims have been restated as marketing objectives and<br />
strategies to reach these objectives. All of these are cast within the<br />
overall strategy for development which is to ‘Double Income’ within the<br />
timeframe through to 2025. <strong>The</strong> ‘Double Income’ option is seen as<br />
essential for survival because the tourist numbers are seen as possibly<br />
becoming too low to sustain the air services, too low to sustain the<br />
interest of the major tour operators, and too low to maintain fixed<br />
destination costs such as the airport. Whilst there is a desire to<br />
encourage the independent traveller, and this is a key aim of the<br />
longer-term strategy, the tour operators are likely to remain key players<br />
in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> for the foreseeable future. <strong>The</strong>ir important role has to be<br />
recognised and encouraged accordingly.<br />
In order to ‘Rejuvenate the destination’ we are proposing an overall<br />
strategy that can be described as a ‘boutique’ strategy. It is based upon<br />
broadening the market spectrum (i.e. finding more source markets) and<br />
broadening the spectrum of market segments (i.e. finding more niches<br />
in established markets).<br />
31
6.3 Broadening the market<br />
Critical to the overall strategy are the following factors:<br />
1. <strong>The</strong> German market should be recovered; and<br />
2. <strong>The</strong> British market has to be ‘mined more deeply’ with a wider<br />
range of market segments.<br />
3. <strong>The</strong> Benelux and Scandinavian markets have to be ‘mined more<br />
deeply’, but the key opportunity there appears to be in opening<br />
up the shoulder seasons – October, April, May.<br />
German Market<br />
Only a small number of operators feature <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> in the German<br />
market. Operators are not able to identify clear and specific target<br />
groups in the German market for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. <strong>The</strong> general observation<br />
is that the current (small) number of German tourists tends to be either<br />
repeaters from the mid 90’s or those seeking a simple sun and beach<br />
holiday.<br />
In general, German tour operators stated that <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> offers no<br />
more than a reasonable product. Nevertheless, the demand for an<br />
increase of all-inclusive hotels in the near future is very high,<br />
particularly in light of there being perceived to have been no<br />
improvement in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s tourism infrastructure in recent years,<br />
e.g. leisure activities, renovation of historical sites.<br />
Improvements need to be seen not only in tourism infrastructure, but<br />
also in the quality of accommodation, e.g. more four star hotels as<br />
bookings of this hotel category have increased in the last years, as well<br />
as the extension of the range of attractions. Additionally, the German<br />
tour operators are looking above all for an improvement of service<br />
standards. German tour operators suggest that <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> develops<br />
a proper destination image and as a result is able to be clear in<br />
identifying target customer types.<br />
<strong>The</strong> most significant constraint to the task of building German market<br />
volume reported by German operators is that of air access. <strong>The</strong>re is an<br />
urgent need for regular direct flights from Germany to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> from<br />
major airports.<br />
With the exception of Condor, no other German airline was flying as of<br />
2005/6 to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. <strong>The</strong> most critical criterion for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>'s<br />
future in the German market is the all-inclusive offer. <strong>The</strong> market of allinclusive<br />
holidays in Germany continues to grow and a destination<br />
without all-inclusive hotels will be difficult to sell to German customers<br />
in the future.<br />
Possible future product areas for tourism development include products<br />
with a high potential of probable interest for German tour operators are<br />
32
eco-tourism, cultural tourism, bird watching, adventure tourism, water<br />
sports and twin centres with Senegal.<br />
With regard to an extension into the German market in the low season,<br />
although 80% of the tour operators do not include <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> in their<br />
summer programme, 50% would consider it as an interesting<br />
opportunity if the product offer included all-Inclusive properties and the<br />
price/performance-ratio maintained its present position.<br />
UK Market<br />
In the UK eight major tour operators featured <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> in their<br />
winter brochures as of 2005. Only one UK tour operator, Serenity<br />
Holidays (<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> Experience) features a year round programme<br />
to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. Most UK tour operators feature <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> in either<br />
their Winter Sun brochure or long haul brochure or in both. Only <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> Experience has a dedicated <strong>Gambia</strong> brochure.<br />
All UK tour operators have been using charter flights to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
In 2004/05 four charter airlines (Astraeus, First Choice, Monarch and<br />
Thomas Cook) flew to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> from three UK departure points<br />
(Gatwick, Manchester and Bristol). All tour operators feature Gatwick<br />
and Manchester departures. Only <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> Experience features<br />
departures from Bristol using Astraeus Airlines; in the 2005/6 season it<br />
added East Midlands as an originating point. <strong>The</strong> largest UK tour<br />
operator, Thomson (part of TUI), does not operate its own aircraft to<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> and operates only a relatively small programme using<br />
other the aircraft of other companies.<br />
In total 24 different hotels in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> were featured in UK tour<br />
operator brochures as of 2004/5. On average tour operators feature a<br />
choice of 5 or 6 hotels in each brochure ranging from the lowest<br />
number of 3 hotels featured in First Choice Winter Sun programme to<br />
over 18 featured in the <strong>Gambia</strong> Experience brochure. <strong>The</strong> ratings of<br />
the hotels vary from 2 to 5 stars in the mainstream tour operator<br />
brochures.<br />
A constraint for tour operation is that foreign tour operators prefer to<br />
feature accommodation that is unique to that operator within any given<br />
originating market. In <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> the small number of hotels<br />
acceptable to tour operators seriously constrains this possibility, with<br />
most tour operators having to feature the same hotels. This enables<br />
price comparisons to be made by the customer, which emphases the<br />
pressure on price to neither the benefit of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> nor of the<br />
foreign tour operator.<br />
Several specialist companies operate small programmes to <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> from the UK. Most of these operators feature <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as<br />
one of a range of destinations offering a particular type of holiday. Key<br />
areas of interest are bird watching, nature and cultural holidays.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are “clusters” of opportunities for partnership between niche tour<br />
operators and destinations in the development and operation of resort<br />
33
facilities. <strong>The</strong>se include sport and wildlife activities on land and sea,<br />
such as golf and diving. Given the general paucity of dangerous<br />
wildlife in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> there are opportunities too for “soft adventure”.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are also opportunities for partnerships in the health ‘Wellness’<br />
field, especially in the winter season, which could be developed jointly<br />
with EU Tour Operators.<br />
Benelux<br />
Unlike both the UK and German markets, the Dutch consumer is<br />
provided with good opportunities to visit <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> in the<br />
shoulder/green months. <strong>The</strong> Dutch have responded well to the offseason<br />
prices available and visitor arrivals have increased<br />
substantially.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Dutch operators mentioned that in addition to the ‘bumster’<br />
problem the risk of catching malaria in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> puts the country at<br />
a distinct disadvantage when consumers consider competing<br />
destinations that do not have these ‘hassle’ factors.<br />
As with the other markets, the Dutch also maintain that <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s<br />
key selling points are price, climate, beaches and friendly people. <strong>The</strong><br />
target market in the Benelux is seen as the middle-income, middleaged<br />
traveller looking for a relaxed affordable beach holiday in a good<br />
climate and within reasonable flying distance. It is notable that the<br />
issue of price and affordability are constant rejoinders from the Dutch<br />
customer.<br />
Table 6.1: Brochure analysis, UK tour operators, Winter 2004/5<br />
HOTEL RESORT Rooms Star Rating No. of operator brochures<br />
CORINTHIA ATLANTIC Banjul 240 4 11<br />
SENEGAMBIA BEACH Kololi 325 4 11<br />
KOMBO BEACH Kotu 250 4 10<br />
SUN BEACH Bakau 192 4 8<br />
PALM GROVE Banjul 136 3+ 5<br />
KAIRABA Kololi 156 4+ 5<br />
TAFBEL Kololi 98 2+ 5<br />
PALMA RIMA Kololi 152 3 3<br />
SUNSET BEACH Kotu 94 3+ 3<br />
FAJARA Kotu 240 2+ 2<br />
HOLIDAY BEACH CLUB Kololi 80 2+ 2<br />
PALM BEACH Kotu 120 2+ 2<br />
NGALA LODGE Bakau 10 Deluxe 1<br />
AFRICAN VILLAGE Bakau 71 2 1<br />
OCEAN BAY Bakau 195 4 1<br />
CAPE POINT Bakau 62 2 1<br />
MAKASUTU LODGE Inland 3 Deluxe 1<br />
COCONUT RESIDENCE Kololi 40 Deluxe 1<br />
BIJILO BEACH Kololi 21 3+ 1<br />
PARADISE Kololi 73 3 1<br />
MANSEA BEACH Kololi 60 2 1<br />
BUNGALOW BEACH Kotu 110 3+ 1<br />
BAKOTU Kotu 88 3 1<br />
BADALA PARK Kotu 200 2 1<br />
TOTAL HOTELS 24 3016<br />
Source: Consultant’s Research. Smaller niche properties such as Coconut Residence and Makasatu Lodge are<br />
featured only by <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> Experience.<br />
34
6.4 <strong>The</strong> product portfolio<br />
To support the market strategy, it is essential to see a broadening of<br />
the product portfolio. In terms of accommodation, there is a need for:<br />
• More large, high quality hotel accommodation (150 rooms, 4-star);<br />
• Continual expansion of smaller properties – hotels, self-catering<br />
lodges, community facilities, rooms – in order to broaden the<br />
product portfolio and to support the independent traveller who will<br />
take advantage of the proposed ‘scheduled charters’.<br />
• All-inclusive packages and marketing of such packages, especially<br />
in the German market.<br />
Despite the absence of data on occupancy and yields it is fairly clear<br />
that many hotels in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> are not economically sustainable –<br />
yields do not permit the refurbishment of rooms. This means that a<br />
significant part of the industry is not sustainable.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is the need to devise practical strategies to get more hotels<br />
refurbished (such as the Wadner Beach and Fajara Hotel) and back<br />
into profitability before the bed stock is increased again and the<br />
competition from new hotels with recently decorated rooms forcing<br />
other hotels to loose business. <strong>The</strong> key challenge is to both increase<br />
volumes and to raise the average yield per room. This needs to be<br />
accompanied by a strengthening of the Quality Inspectorate Unit to a<br />
strong uniformed policing unit with the mandate to close premises of<br />
non-complying institutions.<br />
In terms of packages, there is a need to see a wider range of niche<br />
markets being tapped, including: -<br />
• eco-tourism, cultural tourism, bird watching, adventure tourism,<br />
water sports and twin centres with Senegal, especially in the<br />
German market;<br />
• sport and wildlife activities on land and sea, such as golf and diving,<br />
“soft adventure” and ‘wellness’, lifestyle related packages,<br />
especially in the UK market.<br />
Again, the concept of ‘scheduled charter’ would give this a substantial<br />
boost in both the German and UK markets.<br />
<strong>The</strong> tourism product is not limited to the actual accommodation or<br />
physical activities enjoyed. <strong>The</strong>re are aspects such as the timing, e.g.<br />
trying to introduce ten/eleven day packages, alternative pricing of<br />
packages, and also links with neighbouring destinations such as<br />
Senegal, and with Mali and into Timbuktu. Historically this was a very<br />
significant route up the River <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> general thrust of the strategy is to broaden the product portfolio of<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, making it look extremely interesting, even with small<br />
niche products, in order to get away from the perception that it is a<br />
35
highly limited destination offering just standard seven night winter sun<br />
packages.<br />
Broadening the product falls into line with broadening the markets and<br />
broadening the market segments.<br />
6.5 Destination Marketing<br />
General<br />
With few exceptions, all tour operators are keen to see some form of<br />
destination marketing to support their efforts. <strong>The</strong> following areas were<br />
identified:<br />
• Consumer advertising<br />
• Travel trade training and educationals<br />
• Joint promotion with tour operators and retailers<br />
• Joint marketing in resort<br />
• Press trips and PR<br />
<strong>The</strong>re were concerns expressed both about the low level of consumer<br />
awareness of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> and a lack of product knowledge amongst<br />
the travel trade.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Visitor Survey (See Figure 6.1) found that 65% of tourists coming<br />
each year are ‘first time visitors’ to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. Consequently the<br />
tourism industry has to find that number of new visitors each year – a<br />
far from inconsiderable marketing task and one that argues for more<br />
destination marketing to be carried out by GTA.<br />
Small and Medium business development is paramount if tourism is to<br />
contribute effectively to development and expansion in <strong>Gambia</strong>. If niche<br />
marketing and specialised tourism is to be encouraged the SME sector<br />
will also need equal marketing and promotion through tourism<br />
information centres and tourism authority support.<br />
GTA’s Role and Core Concepts<br />
<strong>The</strong> primary role of the GTA is to “market <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as an attractive<br />
tourist destination through the use of appropriate promotional and<br />
marketing activities”. <strong>The</strong> GTA also has product development,<br />
licensing and training responsibilities in relation to tourism. <strong>The</strong><br />
position of the GTA as of 2005 is described in Annex 3. <strong>The</strong> GTA, or a<br />
remodeled marketing and promotional organisation, has a key role to<br />
play in developing and implementing the destination marketing strategy<br />
for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. Working in partnership with the private sector the<br />
GTA should consider adopting the following core themes, which<br />
combine to underpin the marketing strategy:<br />
Branding: Establish a strong and sustainable brand positioning<br />
providing optimal yield and seasonality spread;<br />
36
With about 100,000 holidaymakers per year and high rates of repeat<br />
visiting <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> ought to be working to enable returning<br />
holidaymakers to attract back even higher levels of repeat visitors and<br />
referrals. Some sectors of the UK market have been barely touched –<br />
certainly some are deterred by the image of cheap dull 3S holidays.<br />
Further investment in an image that deters some of the growth sectors<br />
needs to be avoided. Rather a brand positioning should seek to<br />
accelerate and support the growth of alternative forms of tourism, which<br />
are beginning to grow in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> with little support.<br />
Target Markets: Focus on and aim to increase penetration of the core<br />
established markets in the short term (UK, Benelux and Scandinavia)<br />
and simultaneously address the issues of re-building a strong presence<br />
in the German speaking markets. In the medium term consider further<br />
actions to penetrate the growing Spanish market.<br />
Comments are regularly made by the private sector in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
about the lack of a proper strategy for promotional activities and also<br />
about the number of GTA officials that attend travel fairs (with little or<br />
no impact). <strong>The</strong> strong private sector involvement in the establishment<br />
of the <strong>Tourism</strong> Stakeholders Marketing and Promotion Group<br />
(TSMPG) and the good work this group did has demonstrated that<br />
there is a lot of expertise within the private sector as evident in the<br />
preparations of the Marketing Policy, Budget and Work <strong>Plan</strong> done by<br />
the TSMPG. A strong private sector involvement will make it easier for<br />
outside institutions to provide support to capacity building for the<br />
marketing of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
Distribution: Effectively exploit the benefits of new media<br />
communication and distribution systems to improve the speed,<br />
timeliness, depth and breadth of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s destination information.<br />
Promotion: Develop a portfolio of evocative promotional materials that<br />
communicates to the target audience a clear message that consistently<br />
enhances and capitalises on <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s qualities and advantages.<br />
One of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s key challenges is to reduce its dependency on a<br />
small number of tour operators. <strong>The</strong> strategy of diversifying the range<br />
of tour operators and originating markets attracted by <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> will<br />
contribute to this – but there is a lot of competition in the 3S market and<br />
it is increasing at a time which market trends are moving towards<br />
different kinds of holidays with more cultural content and a more<br />
experiential style. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is well placed to capitalise on this<br />
opportunity.<br />
Partnerships: Provide strong leadership to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>n travel trade<br />
and develop valuable strategic relationships with stakeholders and<br />
relevant non-tourism organisations to harness the collective resource<br />
and expertise;<br />
37
Organisation: Build a focussed organisational structure and culture to<br />
increase sector efficiency and effectiveness and increase the quality<br />
and delivery of customer research and market intelligence to the travel<br />
trade.<br />
Branding<br />
<strong>The</strong> GTA has struggled to effectively introduce the image re-positioning<br />
adopted in 2001 when a new brand name for the national tourism<br />
product was launched with a new logo and strap-line: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> –<br />
‘Your Haven in Africa’. Some 18 months after the launch the GTA<br />
commented that the new logo and strap-line had not been promoted<br />
even within <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, and that it was still common to hear tourist<br />
guides using the slogan ‘<strong>The</strong> Smiling Coast’.<br />
In 2006 the situation has not changed dramatically and it is not unusual<br />
to see much of the <strong>Gambia</strong>n tourism product still promoting on the<br />
Internet ‘<strong>The</strong> Smiling Coast’. <strong>The</strong> rationale for change at the time was<br />
based upon the opinion that a change was deemed necessary<br />
‘because the old ‘Smiling Coast’ logo and strap-line had for more than<br />
three and a half decades promoted <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as a Sun, Sea, Sand<br />
destination, largely ignoring other important attributes of our product<br />
including the culture, bird-life and the river’.<br />
<strong>The</strong> reason for change could be argued to be flawed on two counts.<br />
Firstly most NTOs would highly welcome the marketing opportunities<br />
created by a thoroughly established and embedded destination slogan.<br />
Precious few NTOs can claim to have slogans lasting longer than the<br />
tenure of the most recent chairman. <strong>The</strong> entire purpose of a<br />
communications strategy is to build marketplace awareness not of a<br />
strap-line but of the attributes and character or personality of the end<br />
product.<br />
What is clear, however, is that <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is a long established winter<br />
beach destination in need of rejuvenation. A re-branding exercise may<br />
support this rejuvenation, but only in so far as the implementing agency<br />
itself, the GTA, acknowledges that its core function is destination<br />
marketing and its key task is to take a holistic view of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
tourism product and effectively promote “<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> Brand” across<br />
the marketplace.<br />
<strong>The</strong> aim of a well-executed destination ‘brand’ is to support a<br />
comprehensive marketing strategy that seeks to attract the appropriate<br />
target audience to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> and make sure they have an enjoyable<br />
experience and consequently become ambassadors for the country.<br />
Importantly, in this regard the GTA acts as the cohesive agency<br />
between the public (funding arm) sector and <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s private<br />
tourism sector.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> brand must be one both supported by the tourism private<br />
sector and the community at large. It must have the attributes to<br />
generate pride of ownership and be a sufficiently attractive proposition<br />
so as to engender endorsement and incorporation into the marketing<br />
38
programmes of the <strong>Gambia</strong>n travel trade and business sector – hence<br />
creating a multiplier effect which expands the value of the GTA’s own<br />
marketing spend on the brand.<br />
Information Technology<br />
Information technology is having a dramatic effect on the means in<br />
which tourism products are being distributed. It is one of the forces that<br />
has enabled the growth of low cost airlines and of direct booking<br />
generally, with a consequent reduction in the level of commissions paid<br />
to travel agents in originating countries.<br />
<strong>The</strong> GTA has a web site, visitthegambia.gm, which contains a range of<br />
tourism information. However, it is only available in English - in<br />
contrast, Namibia’s tourism web site is available in five languages, and<br />
Spain’s in seven. <strong>The</strong> GTA site does not, for example, contain detailed<br />
information, web links or direct booking for hotels and other forms of<br />
accommodation, nor does it contain news or information on special<br />
events. Travel web sites, such as expedia.com, feature few hotels in<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. This pattern reinforces the dependence on foreign tour<br />
operators and does not encourage individual travel.<br />
This is of less significance while scheduled flights from Europe are so<br />
restricted, but will become important as scheduled flights are<br />
developed. At this stage the GTA should consider the development of<br />
its information technology operations to provide for the direct booking<br />
of a spread of accommodation. It could do this in conjunction with a<br />
specialist software provider or web booking engine.<br />
39
Table 6.2: Key European Target Markets- Segments and Strategies<br />
SOURCE<br />
MARKET<br />
KEY MARKET SEGMENTS<br />
UK • Middle to upper income<br />
group (28- 45yrs; couples,<br />
young professionals) for<br />
beach and activities<br />
• Over 50 years: couples/<br />
young retired for beach with<br />
soft adventure<br />
• Niche groups: adventure,<br />
special interest and sport<br />
(bird watching, big game<br />
fishing and golf)<br />
• Incentive market<br />
Benelux • Middle to upper income<br />
(young professionals,<br />
couples, and over 50s<br />
travellers) for beach and soft<br />
adventure.<br />
• Niche groups: ecotourism,<br />
adventure, hiking, golf, water<br />
sports, culture<br />
Germany • Up-market luxury market for<br />
safari (40+)<br />
• Middle to up market young<br />
professionals for soft<br />
adventure tours (25-45)<br />
• Middle market for beach<br />
holidays (30+)<br />
• Incentive market<br />
• Niche markets: hiking, biking,<br />
adventure, living culture, bird<br />
watching, golf<br />
Scandinavia • Higher income traveller<br />
(young professionals and<br />
couples 28-55 years)<br />
• Incentive market<br />
• Niche markets: adventure,<br />
living culture, and golf.<br />
Spain • Middle to up market families<br />
for sports (35-55)<br />
• Travel trade partners (tour<br />
operators, travel agencies,<br />
media and airline companies)<br />
• Incentive & special interest<br />
groups<br />
STRATEGIES / ACTIVITIES<br />
Strategies:<br />
Product strategy:<br />
• Diversification and extension from traditional<br />
beach towards more upmarket adventure<br />
and niche products of specific interest for<br />
UK market (adventure, bird watching, golf,<br />
big game fishing, etc.)<br />
Communication strategy<br />
• Improve and diversify the image of the<br />
destination and enhance brand awareness<br />
with travel trade and consumers through PR<br />
and joint marketing with trade partners<br />
Strategies:<br />
Product strategy:<br />
• Product diversification and development<br />
(adventure, active and culture)<br />
Communication strategy:<br />
• Improve the image of the destination as a<br />
value for money shoulder/green season<br />
destination through PR<br />
• Build brand awareness and confidence<br />
through positioning and joint marketing with<br />
travel trade and third party partners.<br />
Strategies:<br />
Product strategy:<br />
• Product diversification into luxury and<br />
adventure/niche products<br />
Communication strategy<br />
• Develop image of the destination as a quality<br />
and varied destination through PR<br />
• Build brand awareness through positioning<br />
and joint marketing<br />
• Image development through PR editorials<br />
Strategies:<br />
Product strategy<br />
• Product diversification into quality<br />
accommodation and adventure/active<br />
holidays<br />
Communication strategy<br />
• Brand development and awareness<br />
campaigns through joint marketing<br />
• Travel trade promotion<br />
Strategies:<br />
Product strategy<br />
• Increase of product availability for market<br />
including air access<br />
Communication strategy<br />
• Further develop brand awareness among<br />
trade and consumer and increase visibility of<br />
destination<br />
• Diversify image towards niche products<br />
availability towards trade through fams and<br />
PR (adventure, living culture)<br />
40
Figure 6.1 Number of Visits to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
THE SURVEY SHOWS THAT WHILST GAMBIA IS A<br />
REPEAT DESTINATION IT STILL HAS TO FIND 65%<br />
FIRST TIME TOURISTS EVERY YEAR<br />
Number of times visited <strong>Gambia</strong> (%)<br />
Four & more<br />
Third visit<br />
Second visit<br />
First time<br />
5.5<br />
15.1<br />
14.4<br />
65.1<br />
0 20 40 60 80<br />
First-time tourists as opposed to repeat tourists represent different<br />
market segments requiring different approaches to marketing to these<br />
segments and often different product attributes for the different<br />
segments.<br />
What holiday is this (%)<br />
50<br />
40<br />
30<br />
20<br />
10<br />
0<br />
Main<br />
holiday<br />
Second<br />
holiday<br />
Third<br />
holiday<br />
Other<br />
<strong>The</strong> market for <strong>Gambia</strong> can be perceived as dividing into a market for main holidays and a<br />
market for second holidays. <strong>The</strong>re are further niches for third holidays and others.<br />
41
7. SHORT TO MEDIUM TERM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY<br />
7.1 Background on the <strong>Gambia</strong>n <strong>Tourism</strong> Product<br />
Natural Assets<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>'s prime tourism assets are the beaches along the Atlantic<br />
coast of which the stretch from Bakau to Bijilo is the most developed<br />
area. Significant beach erosion has been countered by rehabilitation<br />
programmes. Undeveloped beach areas of very good quality exist<br />
south of Brufut to the Senegalese border.<br />
Another asset is the year-round warm climate, the prerequisite for<br />
(European) "winter sun" holidays, in particular in view of limited<br />
rainfalls. Temperatures and precipitation during the so-called rainy<br />
season allow for summer holidays comparable to Mediterranean<br />
destinations. However, there is a perception among tour operators that<br />
unfavourable conditions prevail during the period from May to<br />
September.<br />
<strong>The</strong> River <strong>Gambia</strong> is a potential natural tourist attraction, but it is used<br />
for tourism purposes only to a limited extent, mainly for day excursions<br />
from the tourist areas. Efforts to offer cruises up-river produced only<br />
limited results, partly because of an unattractive offer and subsequently<br />
lack of demand.<br />
Fauna and flora are of limited interest for tourists, as no wildlife exists<br />
which is comparable to that in East and Southern Africa. However, <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> has a good reputation among bird watchers, and is ranked as<br />
an attractive destination in Africa.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are a number of National Parks and Forest Reserves spread<br />
over the country, but with the exception of the reserves in Abuko and<br />
Bijilo, they are not opened up for tourism. Some are in a poor condition<br />
in terms of access, trail system, skills and equipment of personnel and<br />
visitor facilities.<br />
Historical and Cultural Attractions<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are a number of historical attractions of interest for tourists in<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, ranging from stone circles to remains of the colonial times<br />
along the River <strong>Gambia</strong> (e.g. Albreda; Fort Bullen; James Island;<br />
Georgetown) to the British period (Banjul town). Most of them are<br />
included in the traditional excursion itineraries, but access, physical<br />
conditions and presentation leave much room for improvement.<br />
All major hotels provide cultural entertainment in terms of music and<br />
dances, but often adjusted to Western tastes. Excursions to villages<br />
mostly include similar performances. But there are more aspects of<br />
cultural life in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> which are of interest for tourists, e.g. local<br />
festivals, daily-life and spiritual ceremonies, performing and creative<br />
arts. In many cases, the local population is not aware that tourists<br />
42
would like to experience these expressions of local culture, while on the<br />
other hand tourists are not aware of their existence.<br />
Accommodation Facilities<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are as of 2005 approximately 7,000 beds in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> in<br />
different types of accommodation (hotels, guesthouses, self-catering<br />
apartments) and different quality standards. Prior to the opening of the<br />
Sheraton, the five largest hotels accounted for some 25% of the overall<br />
capacity.<br />
Although there is a wide range in terms of quality, the value-for-money<br />
is generally regarded as good by present visitors. A number of hotels<br />
have been refurbished (e.g. Kairaba, Sunbeach), expanded (Bijilo<br />
Beach) or opened (Ocean Bay). Several new properties including the<br />
Sheraton were under construction in 2006, as indicated in Table 7.1.<br />
Figure 7.1 – Mix of Tourist Accommodation in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
5* 4* 3* 2* 1* S/C Rooms Lodges Other<br />
Source: GTA/consultants’ research. Data relates to 2005.<br />
Table 7.1: Resort Accommodation under construction, 2006<br />
Hotel<br />
Approx no.<br />
of rooms<br />
Kharaffi & Sons/Sheraton 196<br />
Liptis Hotel 40<br />
Jerma Hotel 40<br />
Wilmont Hotel 60<br />
Concorde Suites 60<br />
West African Resort & Dunes Casino 12<br />
Zamzam Hotel 48<br />
Cape Beach Resort 25<br />
Luigi’s/Kotu Apartments 21<br />
Total 502<br />
Source: GTA report on Anticipated Increase in Bed Capacity in the <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
<strong>Development</strong> Authority, 2006; <strong>Gambia</strong> Tours. Further information is given<br />
in Technical Report no 6, Product <strong>Development</strong>.<br />
43
With the exception of a few lodges in the interior (e.g. Sindola,<br />
Tendaba), the majority of the accommodation facilities are<br />
concentrated in the Banjul/Serrekunda area and operate with a strong<br />
focus on beach tourism. Depending on size and category, the hotels<br />
offer leisure facilities, e.g. pool, garden, sport and entertainment<br />
facilities.<br />
Most of the hotels operate a restaurant on their premises, but there is a<br />
range of restaurants in the tourist areas, mainly in and around the<br />
Senegambia strip. <strong>The</strong>y offer a variety of cuisines, e.g. <strong>Gambia</strong>n,<br />
international, Indian, Lebanese, Chinese and Thai.<br />
Service levels are generally satisfactory, and deficiencies in<br />
professional skills are compensated by the staff's friendliness and a<br />
helpful attitude. However, the need for training at all levels and in all<br />
categories is apparent.<br />
Because of the predominant package tourism hotels heavily depend on<br />
European tour operators leaving them with limited bargaining power.<br />
As room rates did not change over recent years, profit margins are<br />
shrinking as operational costs, e.g. electricity, are increasing.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are intentions to develop eco-tourism facilities, preferably in the<br />
interior and with community involvement. <strong>The</strong> lodge in Tumana-Tenda<br />
is already in operation. However, examples in Kiang West show that a<br />
careful approach has to be applied, in order to avoid too high<br />
expectations that are not met. Best practice from Southern Africa<br />
proves that joint ventures with a private sector partner seem to be the<br />
most successful ways of involving communities in the tourism business.<br />
ACCOMMODATION: A PERIOD OF CONSOLIDATION<br />
<strong>The</strong> provision of appropriate forms of accommodation is fundamental to the<br />
implementation of the <strong>Plan</strong>. As of 2006, accommodation quality is decidedly<br />
mixed, a reflection of the low revenues per room dictated by low average<br />
achieved room rates and a high degree of seasonality, limiting the amount of<br />
funding available for refurbishment. In 2006/7 it is anticipated that 500 new<br />
rooms will come on stream to add to the 3,000 already available (although<br />
only some 1,300 of these are suitable for use by foreign tour operators). For<br />
the Vision to be realised minimum quality standards need to be enforced, and<br />
coherent and transparent planning controls introduced (as described in<br />
Technical Report No 7). For this reason, a period of consolidation of three to<br />
five years will be adopted. During this period, the Department of State for<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> and Culture will encourage tourism operators to renovate\<br />
upgrade\rehabilitate their facilities and to bring them up to international<br />
standard. <strong>The</strong> consolidation period will allow Cabinet to digest and give<br />
approval and directives in respect of the technical report on the tourism<br />
development area to ensure proper planned development is in force as<br />
recommended in this <strong>Plan</strong> .To support the consolidation programme, a<br />
temporary ban on the allocation of land should be enforced, and<br />
consideration given to only unique projects. Consideration should also be<br />
given to an extension of the incentive regime to better cover refurbishment<br />
(as identified in Technical Report No 6, Product <strong>Development</strong>.<br />
44
Sports, Excursions, Entertainment<br />
Most of the hotels offer sport facilities and help to organise their use<br />
(e.g. sport fishing, sailing, wind surfing). It appears that the opening-up<br />
of new opportunities together with better organisation, presentation and<br />
marketing among tourists could lead to serious improvements of the<br />
product range.<br />
As most of the tourists from Europe travel on a package, the relevant<br />
tour operators in cooperation with the local ground operators offer a<br />
range of excursions, which evidently has not changed over the last two<br />
decades. This is due to the small number of attractions available, the<br />
tourists' interest confined to beach holidays and limited innovative ideas<br />
of the ground operators.<br />
<strong>The</strong> larger hotels offer evening entertainment, and there are a number<br />
of discos which are frequented by tourists. Bars operate in the tourist<br />
areas, sometimes without formal licensing.<br />
7.2 Strategic Focus<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> should focus future tourism development on its core<br />
tourism comparative advantage in providing a combination of<br />
convenient winter sun / beach / pool product that offers value for<br />
money. This should be linked with taking advantage of the<br />
opportunities for product diversification that take advantage of the<br />
special characteristics of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
Product development has to be linked with vigorous marketing and<br />
promotion to encourage:<br />
(i) tour operators to return who have wholly or partially dropped <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>, both in the UK and in Germany;<br />
(ii) new tour operators to feature <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>;<br />
(iii) the gradual growth of independent travel and of direct booking<br />
and the re-introduction of scheduled services notably from the<br />
UK; and<br />
(iv) development of MICE business, focusing initially on<br />
neighbouring West African countries, extending further afield<br />
once flight frequencies rise.<br />
Resources should be concentrated on further developing those core<br />
value elements of the <strong>Gambia</strong>n tourism product which can be<br />
managed, namely.<br />
• Beach<br />
• Sun-bathing facilities<br />
• Bathing – pool, ocean, river<br />
• Fresh air<br />
• Walking / jogging<br />
• Cycling<br />
• Lack of stress<br />
• Relaxation<br />
• Culture and history<br />
45
• Informal entertainment<br />
• Food / drink<br />
• Comfort<br />
• Beauty<br />
• Luxury<br />
BUT none of these can be achieved and sustained without<br />
implementation of reliable assured quality of:<br />
• Health / hygiene<br />
• Safety<br />
• Security<br />
Only 30% of tourists take a formal 1 day excursion and only 5% venture<br />
into the interior. <strong>The</strong> low level of other activities and the short distance<br />
travelled is partly due to the lack of significant visitor attractions, natural<br />
or man-made and poor roads to the interior, but very largely because<br />
tourists who come as of 2005/6 specifically do so to relax and do very<br />
little. For developments up-country, and based on the distinct culture<br />
and heritage of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, new market segments have to be<br />
developed. <strong>The</strong>se are more likely to be independent travelers,<br />
dependent on access via scheduled airline services.<br />
As of 2005/6, tourists venture little outside their hotels. Mainly this is<br />
due to a lack of informal “entertainment” opportunities, such as<br />
shopping. This pattern is also due to the poor layout of tourism<br />
development in small isolated clusters along the coast and partly to the<br />
nuisance and perceived threat created by “bumsterism”. Methods of<br />
dealing with both are recommended.<br />
Major development will require major long-term commitment and<br />
investment by public and private sectors. But <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> lacks the<br />
financial resources of principal competitors such as Egypt, Canaries,<br />
Caribbean and Thailand. So, to maximise the effectiveness of the very<br />
limited people and financial resources allocated to the development of<br />
tourism by <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, and by supporting donor organisations, <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> should be focused entirely on selected projects critical to the<br />
achievement of the TDMP. It is recommended that non-critical projects,<br />
however apparently worthy, should be avoided to conserve resources.<br />
7.3 Redevelopment of Main Resort Area<br />
Clean-up<br />
Reducing very high levels of displeasure from “bumsterism” is the first<br />
major immediate priority. Drastically reducing complaints of “dumping of<br />
rubbish” and compliance with food handling hygiene and other health<br />
related quality issues are the next most critical priorities of immediate<br />
product development.<br />
46
Beaches<br />
Quality of Beaches and the ocean water are such an important part of<br />
the product that it is recommended that improvements to achieve the<br />
international “Blue Flag Beach” award are considered.<br />
Accommodation<br />
Renovation and New build<br />
Many existing hotels need refurbishment and a higher level of<br />
continuing maintenance to meet international competitive standards.<br />
New developments will require a strategic shift towards more large<br />
integrated resort hotel units which are more economic to market and in<br />
which a wider range of services can be provided on the spot.<br />
Tariffs<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> took a policy decision to exclude the offer of all-inclusive<br />
tariffs by hotels. This was to encourage tourists to spend money<br />
outside hotels and to broaden the economic benefit of visitor<br />
expenditure. <strong>The</strong> difficulty with this policy as tourism has since<br />
developed is twofold:<br />
• A number of hotels in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> are effectively already allinclusive,<br />
since customers are on full board packages and where<br />
there are few restaurant venues for them to patronise outside<br />
the hotel. Package tour customers at the Corinthia Atlantic Hotel<br />
are one example;<br />
• By denying all-inclusive product to be offered in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, the<br />
country is excluding itself from a growing component of the<br />
tourism market. This is at a time where destinations offering a<br />
more up-market product, such as Mauritius, have a considerable<br />
number of hotels that have switched to offering all-inclusive<br />
pricing. It is a particular constraint as far as re-entering the<br />
German market is concerned.<br />
Thus <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is missing out against other competitive destinations<br />
by failing to offer all-inclusive tariffs. In order to increase volumes, and<br />
thus encourage the expansion of air access – which in turn allows<br />
greater numbers of independent travellers – consideration should be<br />
given to allowing hotels to offer all-inclusive tariffs at their own<br />
commercial discretion. This would require a change in policy.<br />
Services<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is missing out against other competitive destinations by<br />
failing to offer full “spa”, wellness, beauty and other premium services<br />
within resort hotels.<br />
Licensing<br />
Hotels are subject to undercutting by unlicensed and unqualified<br />
competition which could be controlled by stricter license enforcement.<br />
47
Ambient Environment<br />
“Promenades”<br />
Safe and attractive walkways of every type [pavements, plazas,<br />
piazzas, squares, paseos, pathways, boardwalks, piers and<br />
promenades] are totally missing in the product offering. Since these<br />
should be used in the evening lighting is an essential component. Lack<br />
of these severely restricts informal activities.<br />
Parks and Gardens<br />
Public parks and gardens as a place for relaxation are also totally<br />
missing in the product offering. It is recommended that these be<br />
introduced as part of the soft re-landscaping of the tourism area. Bijilo<br />
Forest should be included in this concept and revenue opportunities<br />
from parks and gardens developed.<br />
Abuko National Park<br />
As the National Park located closest to the tourists and a former<br />
popular tourist attraction Abuko should be considered for major<br />
redevelopment.<br />
7.4 <strong>Development</strong> of New Resort Areas<br />
Physically, there is room for major potential growth opportunities for<br />
sun / beach /pool tourism in large resort / hotel development in <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> within the existing developed TDA.<br />
Land in the area from Brufut to Kartong offers further potential to easily<br />
more than double the current tourism capacity.<br />
Part of that new southern coastal area and the whole of the Western<br />
River south bank area offer potential between them for attractive but<br />
limited volume Beach and Mangrove based “eco” lodge development.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se would be focused on alternative ways of delivering sun / beach<br />
/pool products rather than alternatives to sun / beach /pool.<br />
7.5 Bird-watching and Fishing<br />
Bird-watching and fishing tour operators are both hesitant to invest<br />
heavily in further market development when they lose repeat business<br />
to unqualified local suppliers they see as “pirates” taking away<br />
customers they have expensively created. Insistence on quality<br />
standards enforced by licensing could allow substantial growth in these<br />
attractive market sectors which complement the sun /beach /pool<br />
product.<br />
7.6 Excursions and entertainment<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is well provided with experienced local ground tour<br />
operators well equipped with modern air conditioned transportation and<br />
48
vehicles suitable for off-road work. <strong>The</strong>y provide a wide range of tours<br />
and excursions given the limited tourism assets within the country.<br />
Investment by legitimate investors in these vital engines of tourism is<br />
often held back because of the activities of unlicensed, often<br />
unqualified, uninsured, unsafe and poor quality competition from<br />
bumsters, taxi-drivers and pirogues. Such activities ought to be<br />
controlled by stricter license enforcement.<br />
7.7 Management of Product <strong>Development</strong><br />
<strong>Plan</strong>ning control<br />
<strong>Plan</strong>ning issues within the TDA are complex. Land ownership and legal<br />
rights of communities need to be established, clarified and reconciled<br />
as many local people who have an interest in land, particularly in the<br />
south of the TDA, are not aware of recent tourism development<br />
initiatives and are still continuing to build on and sell ‘their’ land for<br />
development. This has serious implications not only for individuals but<br />
also for land use planning and the future tourism potential of the area.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a lack of coordination and control by different agencies – GTA;<br />
Department of Physical <strong>Plan</strong>ning and Housing; and Lands Department<br />
and Local Government. Currently, responsibilities of managing the TDA<br />
are scattered. For example the demarcation and delineation of the TDA<br />
boundaries is not clear between GTA and Local Government.<br />
Secondly, areas under protection such as green belts, forest parks,<br />
woodlands and fishing areas are still under the responsibility of the<br />
various institutions with different agendas and programmes for the<br />
TDA.<br />
Outside the TDA, lack of coordination still prevails with both the GTA<br />
and Physical <strong>Plan</strong>ning mandated by law to supervise and monitor<br />
tourism development. <strong>The</strong> agencies carry out these functions<br />
independent of other technical agencies such as the National<br />
Environmental Agency, GAMTEL and NAWEC.<br />
All the above contributes to an over complicated tourism development<br />
planning process. Many developers and investors therefore follow an<br />
‘informal’ process, purchasing land from individuals and customary<br />
landowners and then seek approval through the various Government<br />
agencies and GTA. Consequently, the process is not transparent and<br />
efficient and is often circumvented resulting in ad hoc development.<br />
Thus, although good planning and environmental legislation is in place,<br />
implementation and forward planning is lacking. This arises not only<br />
from lack of clarity of the system, but perhaps more significantly from<br />
managerial and human resource weaknesses, inadequate policy<br />
articulation, poor law/regulation enforcement and skill shortages in key<br />
areas. <strong>The</strong>se all need urgent attention.<br />
Enforceable planning and environmental controls must be<br />
implemented, to not only protect the environment, but also to protect<br />
the investments made by Government and developers, as well as<br />
49
international tourism marketing investments made by the GTA and<br />
overseas marketing partners.<br />
<strong>The</strong> entire tourism industry must be attuned to development and<br />
planning procedures. Future tourism growth will put additional<br />
pressures on the planning process. <strong>The</strong>se pressures will be<br />
compounded by:<br />
♦ further expansion of the tourism sector;<br />
♦ higher quality development sited along the coast and around<br />
environmentally sensitive areas;<br />
♦ growing environmental awareness;<br />
♦ increased local government responsibility; and<br />
♦ greater community participation in planning.<br />
In tomorrow’s <strong>Gambia</strong>, there will be a need for more flexibility in<br />
planning, to adapt to new circumstances quickly and to build on the<br />
opportunities offered by an increasingly global economy. <strong>The</strong> planning<br />
system will need to be open and transparent. <strong>The</strong>re is a need for<br />
simplification, for reducing the red tape involved in processing muchneeded<br />
development proposals and for providing clear and consistent<br />
planning guidance to both Government agencies and the private<br />
sector.<br />
Licensing control<br />
Licensing standards and controls need to be developed and enforced<br />
for all tourism accommodation, ground tour operations, guiding,<br />
restaurants and bars.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se standards and controls should be directed at ensuring minimum<br />
standards of operation are achieved. <strong>The</strong> GTA should be empowered<br />
to enforce specified minimum standards and to give establishments a<br />
time limit by which deficiencies must be rectified. Should this not be<br />
done, the GTA should have the powers to close an establishment<br />
temporarily or permanently. <strong>The</strong>se processes will need to be<br />
transparent, so that no question of corruption is raised.<br />
Hygiene<br />
As of 2005, tourism legislation does not cover hygiene. This makes it<br />
extremely difficult for the GTA to inspect, properly monitor, supervise<br />
tourist or close down establishments and ensure that they meet and<br />
maintain the standards required. <strong>The</strong>y have been unable, therefore, to<br />
serve notices on establishments that they believe ought not to be<br />
operating, for health or safety reasons.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a Public Health Act Cap 40:03 in force, which allows the<br />
Director of Medical Services or Health Officers to enter into any<br />
premises and to inspect such premises to ensure compliance with the<br />
Act. This Act requires businesses to operate only after having obtained<br />
a valid Health Certificate, and permits the Director to close non<br />
compliant businesses or business where sanitary conditions need to be<br />
50
estored and until such restoration. <strong>The</strong> Regulations that operate by<br />
virtue of this Act are old, and do not at all meet present needs. Some<br />
were first passed as long ago as 1923.<br />
<strong>The</strong> GTA recognises that the Health Authorities need to be called in<br />
where there is a need, because they do not have a power of inspection.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y do not always know about the hygiene problems in time.<br />
Additionally, the Health Authorities like many Government Departments<br />
are cash strapped and have neither the manpower nor the equipment<br />
to properly monitor the hotels etc., nor can they properly appreciate the<br />
type of standards the GTA wishes to put in place.<br />
In practice, foreign tour operators have carried out inspections prior to<br />
signing contracts, in order to ensure compliance with European Union<br />
Package Tour Directives or Health and Safety laws applicable in the<br />
countries from which their tourists come.<br />
It is recognised that this is an unsatisfactory state of affairs, and that<br />
the GTA Act should be amended to ensure that the GTA have the<br />
power to carry out periodic inspections to ensure compliance with<br />
health, safety, pollution, noise levels, after licenses have been issued,<br />
and whether they receive complaints or not. This will better ensure<br />
standards of cleanliness and safety within the sector.<br />
GTA demands, as part of its licensing application process, a certificate<br />
from the Fire Department certifying that the establishment to be<br />
licensed meets Fire regulations. It also asks for an Electricity<br />
Certificate, and evidence of First Aid training for staff. Depending on<br />
the particular license applied for, they also require a staff screening<br />
certificate and Fresh Food Certificate. <strong>The</strong>y conduct an inspection prior<br />
to the issue of the Licence.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Quality Control and Licensing Unit of the GTA has set out a list of<br />
the various requirements for each of the licences which it issues. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
have tried to ensure, that they are the last authority the applicant needs<br />
to come to. This is because the business registration, social security,<br />
income tax, expatriate quota, Health, Fire, Electricity and Police<br />
Authorities have to be visited first and only after producing evidence of<br />
clearance from these Authorities, will GTA if it is satisfied issue its<br />
licence.<br />
It has nevertheless been possible for operators in the industry to<br />
operate without any proper licensing despite the requirements of the<br />
GTA Act.<br />
It is vital that these issues are resolved. Adequate standards of<br />
hygiene are critical to the tourism product and <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is falling<br />
short in relation to its competition. <strong>The</strong> GTA must have the powers to<br />
ensure minimum standards are met, to close establishments when<br />
appropriate and to be transparent in its work to this end. This will need<br />
training of the relevant personnel.<br />
51
Accommodation classification<br />
Proposals have been made for the classification of accommodation in<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. This is distinct from licensing. Classification schemes<br />
can be beneficial in two ways:<br />
• Informing the consumer;<br />
• Encouraging accommodation providers to improve product<br />
quality in order to achieve a specific classification level.<br />
Challenges that arise can be:<br />
• <strong>The</strong> degree to which the classification system is dependent on<br />
quantitative physical measures and the extent to which quality of<br />
operation and service are reflected in the classification;<br />
• <strong>The</strong> need for the system to be kept up to date, with a trained<br />
inspection force that is objective and which is not subject to<br />
financial inducement in order to award a particular level of<br />
classification;<br />
• Confusion on the part of the consumer because the chosen<br />
classification system does not meet perceived international<br />
norms.<br />
<strong>The</strong> benefits attached to accommodation classification are unlikely to<br />
apply in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> because:<br />
• Accommodation is already classified by foreign tour operators,<br />
who apply the only internationally comparable accommodation<br />
classification systems;<br />
• Pressure on prices as applied by tour operators constrains<br />
product improvement irrespective of a classification system. A<br />
classification system would result in new costs being imposed on<br />
the industry.<br />
A number of stakeholders in the hotel industry believe that a<br />
classification system will ensure different standards which in turn will<br />
create different price levels and give them a better bargaining power.<br />
Given the present dominant position of tour operators in the industry<br />
this is likely to prove an illusion. Rather the introduction of a<br />
classification system would result in the mis-allocation of scarce human<br />
resources.<br />
Statistical monitoring<br />
<strong>Plan</strong>ning of tourism for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is severely handicapped by lack of<br />
accurate information on performance of accommodation providers.<br />
<strong>Development</strong> of a statistical monitoring system which can be<br />
crosschecked with arrivals data is recommended.<br />
Projects<br />
<strong>The</strong> way forward is indicated in the Ten Year Action <strong>Plan</strong>, described in<br />
Section 11.<br />
52
7.8 Cultural <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong><br />
Culture, simply stated is the way of life of a people. This is depicted by<br />
how one is housed, fed, educated and entertained. Technical Report<br />
No 12, Cultural <strong>Tourism</strong>, examined how tourism could be situated in the<br />
culture of the people, putting the indigenous people at the centre of all<br />
development activity and enriching their lives.<br />
However, most tourists are still attracted by the traditional marketing of<br />
the sun, sand and sea. Hence, an automatic shift into cultural tourism is<br />
unlikely. Most tourists who visit <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as of 2005/6 like to stay in<br />
five, four or three star hotels, travel with modern transportation, eat and<br />
drink their regular food and beverage. <strong>The</strong>y would simply like to have a<br />
day excursion to a historical, heritage or spiritual site and then retire to<br />
their hotels to live as near to home as possible.<br />
At the same time, <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s unique selling point is its people and<br />
its culture – at the core of the Responsible <strong>Tourism</strong> policy, marketing<br />
strategy and product offer. Given the lack of engagement from the<br />
traditional industry, and indeed government in the past, the offering in<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is remarkably rich. <strong>The</strong>re is considerable potential for<br />
further development of the cultural heritage (based on living culture)<br />
product, which is possible in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> in a way that it is not the case<br />
in many of the competitor destinations<br />
Recommendations are as follows:<br />
• <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> should declare and mark 2006-2015 as heritage<br />
decade.<br />
• <strong>The</strong> first 5 year period should be utilised to locate <strong>Gambia</strong>’s<br />
heritage sites as well as its historical, spiritual and camping<br />
sites. <strong>The</strong> mapping of these sites should be followed by a<br />
systematic plan for product development and the preparation of<br />
a visitor’s trail by matching camping sites to sites for excursions.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is also the need to develop the quality of existing camps<br />
as well as the cuisines, the creative and performing art products<br />
etc.<br />
• <strong>The</strong> development of the camping and heritage sites and the<br />
various products linked to them should be prioritised and<br />
implemented according to an annual programme.<br />
• <strong>The</strong> GTA working with the NCAC should strengthen its divisional<br />
headquarters (by appointing a tourism and culture desk officer)<br />
within the local councils and shall map out and develop heritage<br />
sites and centre for the integrated development and marketing of<br />
the creative and performing arts. Heritage <strong>Development</strong><br />
Committees shall be established at the village and divisional<br />
level to identify all the relevant sites for the development of the<br />
cultural attractions of the area and foster the creation of open air<br />
museums to complement those sites.<br />
53
• <strong>The</strong> GTA in collaboration with “<strong>Gambia</strong> is Good”, NANA,<br />
ASSET, the Hotel School and the Home Economics Association<br />
shall organise a <strong>Gambia</strong> cuisine day in order to prepare the<br />
model <strong>Gambia</strong>n cuisine for the travel and tourism trade. <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
stakeholders shall be invited to pass judgment on the various<br />
dishes. A cookbook shall be prepared to elaborate on the<br />
standard menu. Training shall be organized to prepare all chefs<br />
to integrate the menu in their own areas.<br />
• <strong>The</strong> development of the sites shall take a holistic approach,<br />
entailing the conservation of structures, the shaping and<br />
mapping of trails to the sites, the building of ideal resorts and<br />
infrastructure, the development of creative and performing arts,<br />
the establishment of the appropriate types of museums and the<br />
training of animators that would give authenticity, purpose and<br />
value to the sites. <strong>The</strong> training of cultural guides as oral<br />
historians, interpreters and animators and ensuring the linkage<br />
of their animation with relevant cultural products in the creative<br />
and performing arts can enhance the attractions of cultural<br />
tourism.<br />
• All festivals and types of ceremonies should be identified and<br />
documented. <strong>The</strong>ir nature and characteristics should be mapped<br />
out in brochures to be distributed in tourism information centres<br />
established by GTA. Guides to places where ceremonies are<br />
taking place can be based in the information centres to<br />
accompany visitors interested in witnessing such ceremonies<br />
and an overall strategy should be developed on how to integrate<br />
cultural tourism in the marketing strategies of GTA and the tour<br />
operators.<br />
• Sites for integrated development of the products of creative and<br />
performing arts shall be identified and their annual inauguration<br />
scheduled according to plan. This will go hand in hand with the<br />
registration of the skilled persons in the various performing and<br />
creative arts and the promotion of apprenticeship to ensure<br />
sustainability of knowledge and skills.<br />
• At the end of the heritage decade <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> should have<br />
developed historical, heritage, spiritual and camping sites, with<br />
the required animators or guides, interconnected trails, open air<br />
or other museums and other suitable tourism infrastructures to<br />
make the country an interesting place to visit. One envisages a<br />
time when a <strong>Gambia</strong>n in the urban area would invest in a fleet of<br />
cars, a motel and provide all the products of performing and<br />
creative arts that would enable a couple to come to perform their<br />
marital rites in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> or enjoy a honeymoon.<br />
7.9 <strong>Tourism</strong> and the National Parks<br />
During the period 1972 to 1988 the forest cover of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
declined from some 30% of total land area to just 6%. Much of the<br />
54
emaining natural heritage is protected in national parks and reserves<br />
that cover around 4% of the national land area. All of them are home<br />
to a wide range of animal and plant life that is of potential interest to<br />
tourists. Moreover, each contains a distinct assemblage of plant,<br />
animal and bird species and therefore presents a separate attraction to<br />
the visitor<br />
<strong>The</strong> table below summarises some of the features that determine the<br />
tourism potential of the parks and three of the forest reserves.<br />
National Park Area (ha) Type Travel Tourist Facilities<br />
Time *)<br />
Abuko Nature<br />
105 Forest 0.5 Visitor centre, toilet, trails, guides,<br />
Reserve<br />
Kiang West National<br />
Park<br />
11,000 Forest 3.0 Guides, trails, accommodation<br />
(Tendaba)<br />
Nuimi National Park 4,940 Coastal 2.0 None<br />
wetland<br />
Tanji River Bird<br />
612 Coastal 0.5 None<br />
Reserve<br />
wetland<br />
River <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
National Park<br />
570 Island<br />
Forest<br />
6.0 None (high-end eco-tourism facilities<br />
under construction in nearby<br />
Baobolon Wetland<br />
Reserve<br />
Tanji Wetland<br />
Complex<br />
Forest Reserve<br />
22,000 River<br />
Flood<br />
Plain<br />
6,000 Coastal<br />
Wetland<br />
community forest)<br />
6.0 None<br />
0.5 None<br />
Tumani Tenda<br />
Community Forest<br />
Pirang Forest<br />
<strong>Development</strong><br />
140 Forest & 1.0 Visitor centre, toilet, trails, guides,<br />
farmland<br />
accommodation<br />
64 Forest 1.0 Under construction<br />
Bijilo Forest Park<br />
*) hrs from Hotel area<br />
50 Coastal<br />
Forest<br />
0.0 Guides, trails<br />
Recommendations<br />
<strong>Development</strong> of the national parks for tourism should be based on a<br />
realistic assessment of their attractiveness and accessibility. <strong>The</strong><br />
strategy for developing nature-based tourism should be to offer short<br />
tours that serve as supplementary activities for tourists whose primary<br />
interest lies elsewhere, as well as in catering for birdwatchers and other<br />
specialist interests. This implies planning for day-trippers and shortterm<br />
visitors. Local communities need to be involved and to gain from<br />
National Park development i.e. guides, community levy, park rangers,<br />
research, school trips and participation in how it is managed etc.<br />
Options are shown in the table on page 57.<br />
Actions to be developed as part of the <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Master</strong><br />
<strong>Plan</strong> (TDMP) implementation should include the following:<br />
Selection and <strong>Development</strong> of Priority Sites:<br />
55
<strong>Development</strong> should be phased both to make best use of limited<br />
capital and to test the effectiveness of various models for achieving<br />
both nature protection and income generation. Priority sites should be<br />
chosen based on criteria such as:<br />
• Accessibility from the <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Area (TDA)<br />
• Attractiveness of the site<br />
• Extent of community engagement<br />
• Extent to which the necessary management and facilities are<br />
already in place<br />
Physical Improvements:<br />
A minimum of basic infrastructure and services should be provided at<br />
priority sites including:<br />
• Paths and signed trails through the park<br />
• Toilet facilities<br />
• Opportunities to purchase refreshments<br />
• Interpretative material identifying the flora and fauna and<br />
providing some context.<br />
Availability of well-trained guides, photo-hides, places to sit and rest,<br />
transport around the larger parks, camp sites and lodge<br />
accommodation are other facilities that could be valuable depending<br />
on the site.<br />
Financing Arrangements:<br />
Priority parks should be allowed to become self-financing. Entry fees<br />
for the parks should be revised and park management allowed to<br />
retain the additional funds for development. A basic entry fee of D150<br />
(around US$ 5) would be reasonable, with an option to contributing<br />
more through a membership scheme.<br />
Clustering and <strong>The</strong>ming:<br />
Sites should be linked and themes developed that are likely to interest<br />
potential visitors. <strong>The</strong>mes might be based around bird life, for<br />
example, or habitat types (coastal – riverine – forest).<br />
<strong>Development</strong> of Park Management Capacity:<br />
In the longer term the organisation and institutional arrangements for<br />
managing the national parks need to be revised. Urgent needs for the<br />
short term include:<br />
• Research to assess the wildlife stocks of parks<br />
• <strong>Development</strong> of interpretative and guidance materials for the<br />
parks<br />
• Training of a cadre of officers to advise and train tourism<br />
service providers.<br />
Hunting:<br />
Assessment of the sustainability of hunting and development of a<br />
licensing scheme that prevents poaching and optimises revenue for<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
56
INCOME GENERATION OPTIONS AT NATIONAL PARKS<br />
INCOME OPTION OPERATION IMPACTS/ISSUES<br />
Park Entrance Fees<br />
State controlled, community controlled,<br />
joint partnerships<br />
Pricing, fees paid by visitors, percentages of distribution need to be<br />
addressed. Cost and Benefit analysis needed<br />
Community Controlled Guiding<br />
Externally managed by the community.<br />
Guides trained from using income<br />
generated from percentage of park<br />
entrance fees which go into “community<br />
pot”<br />
State support through technical<br />
assistance<br />
Distribution of funds and possibilities for conflict within community.<br />
Community access/ownership to national park resources and land?<br />
Guiding should coincide with eco tourism policy. Training required in<br />
languages, natural habitats, bio-diversity, visitor management.<br />
Possibilities of guiding fees separated from gate takings to encourage<br />
individual initiatives and avoid conflicts<br />
State controlled guiding<br />
State control. Ease of access to training<br />
and funds. Communities provide the<br />
guides.<br />
Possibilities of conflict with community, low wages. Training required<br />
as above<br />
Private Businesses<br />
Visitor Centre selling souvenirs, literature<br />
for park and nature trails, children’s<br />
treasure hunts, bird trails etc<br />
Café (s) for Park visitors<br />
Camping /Lodge Fees<br />
Indigenous and International tour<br />
operators using local guides, local shops<br />
and local businesses in the park vicinity.<br />
Making use of local knowledge of area or<br />
park. Developing boat trips, cycle hire,<br />
Overnight hiring of bird hides, fishing<br />
permits Offering concessions<br />
Local staff opportunities<br />
Opportunity to use local resources and<br />
linkages to local economy sourcing<br />
supplies and using local staff. Cooperatives<br />
or collectives<br />
Community owned lodges or state owned<br />
lodges: Opportunities for joint partnerships<br />
between public and private sector.<br />
Co-operatives or collectives<br />
Support local businesses and local economy in area<br />
Used to educate and inform visitors. Opportunities for participation<br />
with rural development associations<br />
Developing linkages<br />
Length of stay by visitors and impacts to surrounding area. Disposal of<br />
waste by tourists and users. Basic infrastructure required. Costs of<br />
maintaining sites need to be addressed. Access to parks needs to be<br />
addressed, signs.<br />
57
7.10 <strong>The</strong> River and <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
This subsection deals solely with the development concept of River<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> cruises along the length of the river between Banjul and<br />
Basse. This cruise takes several days and so requires overnight<br />
accommodation.<br />
Our research concludes that there are marketable opportunities for the<br />
development of such a product. It is recommended that for both quality<br />
and operational reasons that overnight accommodation should be on<br />
board the cruise ship/boat rather than in land-based lodges and that all<br />
voyages should start and finish in Banjul. (Use of land-based lodges<br />
may be possible as the cruise product develops and the quality and<br />
consistency of lodges improves.)<br />
Round trip river cruises Banjul / Georgetown / Banjul could then be<br />
offered as 7 night packages complete with air fare, or as part of a 14<br />
night package. Shorter 3/ 4 night packages could be sold as one-way<br />
up, or down river, either as part of 7 nights with airfare, or as locally<br />
sold excursions with the opposite journey by road.<br />
Introduction of a first ship/boat would require major private sector initial<br />
investment of around 750,000 Euro and experience of river-cruise<br />
marketing and operation. Success would also require strong support<br />
from international and local ground tour operators.<br />
Such cruises could provide significant opportunities for community<br />
involvement, with little community capital investment being required.<br />
Little or no infrastructure cost is required.<br />
7.11 All-inclusive Packages<br />
<strong>The</strong> all-inclusive package that was introduced into <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> faced<br />
resistance from many of the stakeholders. Concerns focused on the<br />
question of leakages, loss of government taxes, the dumping of prices<br />
and the inability of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> to attract other market segments once<br />
it is declared an all inclusive destination. <strong>The</strong> extremely unfortunate<br />
experience of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> - which lost the German market as a<br />
consequence of the activities of FTI including in relation to all-inclusives<br />
- has exacerbated the position.<br />
A contrary argument, as noted in Section 7.3, is that a number of<br />
properties – by offering conventional full board packages – are already<br />
effectively all-inclusive resorts. A further concern is that by excluding<br />
all-inclusive properties, <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is excluding itself from a<br />
substantial and growing market segment, a segment on which revival of<br />
the German market in particular is dependent. Competing destinations,<br />
even more up-market ones, have resorts that have adopted the allinclusive<br />
format. <strong>The</strong> advantages and disadvantages of all-inclusives<br />
are discussed further in Annex 2.<br />
58
Government is conscious that the possibilities of its intervening in the<br />
tourism industry are limited by its encouragement of a liberal economy<br />
and its possible membership to the General Agreement on Trade and<br />
Services (GATS). Under GATS terms <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> would commit itself<br />
to follow regulations which are meant to ensure a transparent and anti<br />
discriminatory ‘level playing field’ in the service sector.<br />
A potential response is for the TDA to be segmented and for an allinclusive<br />
product portfolio to be developed; isolated from present<br />
developments.<br />
It is recommended that Government institutes a review of the policy in<br />
relation to all-inclusives resorts, based on case studies from other<br />
countries where all-inclusives have been adopted. Aligned with this will<br />
need to be human resource development, particularly in the areas of<br />
health and safety. This can be done within the human resource<br />
development framework contained in this <strong>Plan</strong>.<br />
7.12 Access to Finance and the need for incentives<br />
What little investment has taken place in the tourism sector in recent<br />
years has been financed largely from internal sources without the need<br />
to borrow from the financial institutions at high rates of interest.<br />
However, in order to meet tourism expansion targets there will be a<br />
need for greatly increased investment in a range of facilities, attractions<br />
and services, and access to finance on reasonable terms could be an<br />
important constraint for some potential investors.<br />
For the small investor (including communities), the best route for<br />
accessing finance is via credit unions, village savings banks and other<br />
micro-finance institutions rather than through the commercial banking<br />
sector.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> Investment Promotion and Free Zone Agency (GIPFZA)<br />
should identify suitable tourism-related projects and prepare project<br />
profiles for presentation to potential investors as part of a concerted<br />
promotional plan. Otherwise, there is a danger that the <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
<strong>Development</strong> <strong>Master</strong> plan will not be implemented.<br />
Analysis of the economics of the larger properties indicates that a large<br />
hotel, say 150 rooms plus, with a substantial range of facilities, is not<br />
financially viable for the developer. This is even though the site is made<br />
available for a minimal amount of cash for the lease. (This is described<br />
in Technical Report No 6, Product <strong>Development</strong>.) Viability is improved<br />
if the developer can operate a mixed use site, with large hotel, some<br />
residential development and indeed some commercial development.<br />
So the main instrument for encouraging such investment is for GTA to<br />
identify sites which will allow multiple use (a combination of hotels,<br />
villas, residential and commercial) so increasing the rates of return on<br />
the overall investment.<br />
59
At the same time the GTA will embark upon a major programme of<br />
recovering sites where development has not been honoured according<br />
to the leases. In this way GTA can bring the supply of sites back under<br />
control, again improving the investment returns to large scale investors.<br />
It is recognised that there are considerable difficulties in both the site<br />
allocation process in the TDA and the legal processes in getting back<br />
the site from defaulting leaseholders (See Technical Report No 15,<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> Related Legislation). However, it is absolutely essential that<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> go ahead and do this for a range of reasons, including:<br />
• It is essential to try to sensibly control the supply of sites in the TDA<br />
(which are provided virtually free, in itself a large incentive for a<br />
developer) such that supply and demand are kept in a sensible<br />
balance. At present the supply of too many sites to too many<br />
developers, especially allocating sites to defaulting developers,<br />
means that the supply exceeds the demand and puts not only<br />
individual investments in jeopardy but indeed the whole <strong>Gambia</strong>n<br />
tourism industry in jeopardy;<br />
• Giving away too many sites to too many developers takes away the<br />
major incentive within the control of the Government, namely the<br />
site availability. It makes the incentive almost worthless and<br />
therefore makes the Government almost impotent in its negotiations<br />
with developers; and<br />
• <strong>The</strong> proliferation of non-performing leases, actually spoils the<br />
beauty of the coastline, reduces the enjoyment of tourists, thereby<br />
damaging the whole of the <strong>Gambia</strong>n tourism industry.<br />
<strong>The</strong> non-performing leases and sites have to be recovered by the GTA.<br />
<strong>The</strong> general thrust of this strategy is to replace ‘speculators’, of which<br />
there are many, with genuine and capable investors who can bring both<br />
capital and expertise to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
60
8. OTHER SHORT TERM IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES<br />
8.1 Introduction<br />
This section outlines other short-term measures that should be<br />
undertaken to complement the measures considered under air access,<br />
marketing and product development. <strong>The</strong>se measures concern: -<br />
• Infrastructure, essential for the tourism destination maintaining<br />
competitiveness;<br />
• Environmental Management, essential to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> maintaining<br />
its appeal;<br />
• Social Aspects, in particular ‘bumsters’ – the visitor surveys have<br />
shown that something has to be done about this issue;<br />
• Linkages, notably with Agriculture;<br />
• Human resources - a key opportunity with the friendly, intelligent<br />
and interesting <strong>Gambia</strong>n people – the visitor surveys highlighted the<br />
‘product plus’ that exists here, an interesting contradiction with the<br />
‘bumster’ issue.<br />
8.2 Infrastructure<br />
<strong>The</strong> main tourism area is adjacent to the Greater Banjul Area, which<br />
now contains around 50% of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s population. <strong>The</strong>refore,<br />
tourist infrastructure demands, even if they were to substantially<br />
increase, are still marginal compared to the overall resource demands<br />
of this rapidly growing urban area. <strong>The</strong> infrastructure challenge that the<br />
Government faces is to manage this urban growth while maintaining an<br />
environment suitable for tourism.<br />
<strong>The</strong> major challenges are electricity generation and, to a much lesser<br />
extent, waste management. Water resources, electricity transmission,<br />
roads and telecommunications are all adequate for an expanded<br />
tourism sector in the Greater Banjul Area.<br />
<strong>The</strong> main issue with inland tourism is providing reasonably quick and<br />
comfortable access for tourists. <strong>The</strong> ongoing roads programme will<br />
assist in resolving this issue, particularly along the South Bank of the<br />
River <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> lack of electricity generation has impacted adversely on the<br />
tourism sector, as well as on all other sectors of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s<br />
economy. In the longer-term it is essential that NAWEC (or whoever will<br />
be responsible) should be able to supply electricity reliably and much<br />
more efficiently using the huge economies of scale in generating plant.<br />
It is essential that electricity supply becomes both reliable and<br />
affordable.<br />
61
Table 8.1 - <strong>Tourism</strong> Related Infrastructure – Sector Summary<br />
Sector Proposals Recommendations<br />
Electricity • Privatisation proposed but<br />
needs legislation as NAWEC<br />
currently only authority to<br />
retail electricity. Draft<br />
Electricity bill under<br />
preparation (2004).<br />
• New power station at<br />
Brikama proposed in future.<br />
• Hotels to continue to provide own<br />
power.<br />
• Investigate potential Independent<br />
Power <strong>Plan</strong>t for TDA power.<br />
• Reduce demand through savings<br />
and solar power.<br />
• Reduce transmission losses and<br />
theft.<br />
• Prevent oil spills at Kotu Power<br />
<strong>Plan</strong>t.<br />
Water Supply<br />
Wastewater<br />
(Sanitation)<br />
• Ring main to supply TDA<br />
from Sanyang to Fajara; also<br />
smaller ring from Kotu.<br />
• 25-year Water and Sanitation<br />
<strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> under<br />
preparation by NAWEC to<br />
identify and prioritise<br />
projects.<br />
• Water and Sanitation <strong>Master</strong><br />
<strong>Plan</strong> will develop overall<br />
proposals.<br />
Solid Waste • Temporary upgrading of Mile<br />
2 and Bakoteh sites to<br />
landfill while new sanitary<br />
landfill is developed near<br />
Brikama. Eventual closure<br />
of Mile 2 and Bakoteh.<br />
• Improved recycling and<br />
composting.<br />
• Upgrading of main South<br />
Bank road.<br />
Roads and<br />
Transportation<br />
Telecommunications<br />
• <strong>Plan</strong>ned countrywide<br />
expansion for landlines.<br />
Source: Technical Report no 15, <strong>Tourism</strong> Related Infrastructure<br />
• Hotels need to continue to<br />
provide own supply.<br />
• Reduce demand as part of Green<br />
Hotel Program.<br />
• Investigate (pilot) the use of<br />
HDPE pipe.<br />
• Rehabilitate Kotu wastewater<br />
treatment plant and extend to<br />
other areas.<br />
• Possible plant operation by<br />
private sector.<br />
• Include stormwater drainage with<br />
sewerage planning in Serrekunda<br />
• Need to protect beach erosion<br />
from stormwater.<br />
• Waste minimisation programme<br />
for hotels.<br />
• Investigate potential for hotels to<br />
keep beach clean.<br />
• Access road between Bijilo and<br />
Brufut required.<br />
• Use concrete roads in coastal<br />
areas prone to flooding.<br />
• Improve international lines,<br />
particularly for internet access.<br />
62
<strong>The</strong> main tourism programmes identified for short-term measures are:<br />
• Kotu Stream Protection Programme which aims to prevent pollution<br />
in Kotu stream and to the sea. This comprises:<br />
o<br />
o<br />
o<br />
Clean-up and closure of Bakoteh solid waste dump. This is<br />
already designed and will be assisted through World Bank<br />
funding.<br />
Rehabilitation of Kotu Wastewater treatment <strong>Plan</strong>t (WWTP),<br />
possibly include this as a priority project under the Water Supply<br />
and Sanitation <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> being prepared by NAWEC.<br />
Prevention of oil spills from Kotu Power <strong>Plan</strong>t. A feasibility study<br />
is required to determine the optimal physical and operational<br />
interventions and costs.<br />
• A Green Hotel Programme to minimise tourism demands on<br />
resources and protect the tourism environment.<br />
• Other tourism infrastructure which will also benefit the local<br />
population, such as provision of back-up generators at NAWEC’s<br />
borewells and the construction of additional water storage tank at<br />
Kotu.<br />
8.3 Environment<br />
Environmental Impacts of the <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong><br />
Potential impacts depend on the location and type of development. At<br />
present most of the tourism accommodation, estimated to reach around<br />
10,000 beds in the next five years, is located within the existing<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Area (TDA). Future development will most likely<br />
build on the existing TDA with seafront and forest-based activities and<br />
recreational areas with additional accommodation in the form of resort<br />
hotels, villas, bungalows and apartments. It will also put emphasis on<br />
developing nature, heritage and community based tourism and further<br />
TDAs.<br />
<strong>The</strong> key environmental issues arising from the <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong>,<br />
i.e. those that are demands of some kind of policy response or<br />
investment in mitigation, include the following:<br />
• Tourist use of resources and services<br />
• Impact of development of hotels and tourist accommodation<br />
• Impact of tourism infrastructure development<br />
• Quality of the beach and sea<br />
• Quality of natural resources<br />
• Environmental quality of other potential tourist sites<br />
<strong>The</strong> challenge is to maintain <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s tourism potential by<br />
preserving and restoring key natural resources to as pristine a<br />
63
condition as possible. <strong>The</strong> opportunities lie in using tourism to leverage<br />
funds for environmental investment and management, not just for the<br />
industry, but for improved living conditions throughout the country.<br />
<strong>The</strong> basic legal and institutional instruments for effective environmental<br />
management are mostly in place. <strong>The</strong> same can be said of the laws<br />
and institutions that control forests and wildlife habitats. <strong>The</strong> need for<br />
action arises mainly from the inability of concerned institutions to carry<br />
out their assigned functions. <strong>The</strong> recommendations that follow address<br />
these areas.<br />
Environmental Management of the Sector<br />
Action should be taken to establish an environmental management<br />
capability in the <strong>Gambia</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> Authority (GTA), to act as the<br />
guardian of the environment for tourism-related activities, give<br />
environmental advice to the industry and to act as facilitator of the<br />
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and environmental clearance<br />
process.<br />
Detailed planning instructions for the TDAs based on a survey of the<br />
areas should be prepared. Areas for development should be physically<br />
demarcated and dialogue with local population should be initiated to<br />
avoid later land use conflicts<br />
A fast-track EIA procedure should be agreed with the National<br />
Environment Agency (NEA). It should include instructions on key issues<br />
identified in this report (source of building sand, proximity to the beach,<br />
disposal of wastes, visual appearance and any other issues arising<br />
from detailed survey).<br />
<strong>The</strong> international classifications available for labelling hotels and<br />
tourism service providers as “sustainable” or “green” operators should<br />
be investigated. In dialogue with hotels, a national code of practice that<br />
certifies practitioners of sound environmental management should be<br />
developed.<br />
All of these actions could be managed and financed under the umbrella<br />
of a full Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA).<br />
Hotels should be encouraged to adopt either a “green code” or cleaner<br />
production techniques. Consultants should investigate the costs and<br />
benefits of introducing cleaner production into pilot hotels in <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>. If results are positive, the services should be made available<br />
to the entire industry.<br />
It is recommended that prices for local services (water resources,<br />
wastewater disposal and solid waste disposal) be adjusted to a rate<br />
that reflects (at least) the true cost of provision.<br />
An environment working group should be formed within <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
Hotel Association as a focal point for raising awareness and<br />
disseminating information. It would also provide a forum for hotels to<br />
collaborate on environmental investments such as:<br />
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• Beach cleaning programme<br />
• Bathing water monitoring programme<br />
• Joint wastewater treatment initiatives<br />
• Partnerships with community tourism schemes<br />
Priority Pollution Control Investments<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are a small number of acute pollution problems that present a<br />
significant threat to tourist health and amenity and require investment in<br />
engineering solutions. Priorities for immediate action include the<br />
following:<br />
• Repair and renovation of the sewerage system and wastewater<br />
treatment plant around Kotu.<br />
• Construction of storm water drainage and control of runoff from<br />
developments adjacent to the beach to a standard that safeguards<br />
the beach from erosion and the bathing water from contamination.<br />
• Installation of a drainage system and interceptors at Kotu power<br />
plant to prevent spilled oil reaching the ocean via Kotu stream,<br />
together with action to improve oil handling and waste oil storage at<br />
the plant.<br />
• Management to prevent fire and speedy closure of the Bakoteh<br />
waste dump.<br />
• Control of waste burning in and around the TDA, followed by better<br />
management of domestic solid waste collection and treatment.<br />
Monitoring and Consultation<br />
Monitoring of the vulnerable environmental assets should be part of the<br />
implementation programme of the <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong>.<br />
To take proper account of the environmental and social effects of<br />
development and to be able to develop effective remediation<br />
measures, the views of affected groups must be fully taken into<br />
consideration. <strong>The</strong> GTA should instigate a consultation process to start<br />
before final approval of the master plan and run through the<br />
implementation phase.<br />
8.4 Social Aspects<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> occurred at the same time as the country<br />
gained independence in 1965. Growth and development of the nation<br />
is inextricably linked to this industry which has impacted on the country<br />
in so many ways both positively, negatively and with some grey areas.<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> shunted <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> from a traditional, laid back society with<br />
simple standards of living to an economic system that required goods<br />
and services that had to be provided immediately.<br />
<strong>The</strong> concentration of tourism in the Greater Banjul Area with only<br />
limited sojourns to other LGAs has in some way contributed to the<br />
rural-urban drift. Inter-cultural exchanges between tourists and<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>ns are desirable. <strong>The</strong> Intercultural Training School at Njawara<br />
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and the ECCO are examples of best practices that can be emulated.<br />
<strong>The</strong> richness of the culture of the different ethnic groups in marriages,<br />
naming ceremonies, celebrations associated with festivities and food<br />
production processes offer interesting possibilities for people who want<br />
to visit a country and gain from its rich cultural experiences. Historical<br />
and cultural sites and monuments are many and spread all over the<br />
country. <strong>The</strong>y have not yet been fully exploited.<br />
Coordination<br />
Several agencies are working in areas that are relevant to the tourism<br />
industry. <strong>The</strong> compartmentalization and the sectoral nature of work<br />
does not lend itself easily to information sharing and joint planning and<br />
management. A tremendous amount of work is being done at the level<br />
of Government, NGOs, Civil Society Organisations and by donors in<br />
the areas of skills training, agriculture and HIV/AIDS prevention.<br />
Organisations such as the Responsible <strong>Tourism</strong> Partnership, <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
Concern and ASSET are desirous to bring about positive changes in<br />
tourism and to ensure that the benefits reach the people. An effective<br />
coordination mechanism needs to be in place to ensure the harnessing<br />
of all these interventions to bring about a quality tourism product.<br />
Child Sex <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a high level of commitment from the GTA to fight Child Sex<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. This is manifested in the establishment of the<br />
Child Protection Unit under the <strong>Tourism</strong> Security Unit within the TDA;<br />
the formulation of a <strong>Tourism</strong> Code of Conduct for the tourism and travel<br />
industry in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> and the designation of a desk officer for Child<br />
Sex <strong>Tourism</strong> within the <strong>Gambia</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> Authority. <strong>The</strong> promulgation<br />
of the <strong>Tourism</strong> Offences Act, 2003, enhances the protection of children<br />
from sexual abuse and exploitation, in particular within the tourism<br />
industry. <strong>The</strong> level of awareness and interest on the sexual exploitation<br />
of children in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> generated both nationally and internationally<br />
by Study On Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation is an opportunity to<br />
mobilise resources and build new partnerships for child protection in<br />
tourism.<br />
Gender Issues<br />
Women can suffer specific discrimination within the tourism sector.<br />
Women are consistently denied positions of leadership and<br />
responsibility within the industry, they are concentrated in low skilled<br />
and low paid occupations, and they are also most adversely affected by<br />
decline in the tourism performance.<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> can violate women's rights, but it can also be used to<br />
challenge traditional roles and to empower women, in economic, social,<br />
cultural and political terms.<br />
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Bumsters<br />
<strong>The</strong> bumster problem is an enigma. If it should assume a human face<br />
it will be one with many faces, contradictory at some point, complex at<br />
every turn and difficult to fathom or comprehend. Bumsters take their<br />
role seriously. <strong>The</strong> assiduity, steadfastness, commitment which they<br />
display in staking out the beaches from sunrise to sunset on a daily<br />
basis indicates an inner resourcefulness which can be tapped to the<br />
benefit of all in a more positive way.<br />
A needs assessment exercise must be conducted to find out the needs<br />
of these young people; the UK Travel Foundation is providing financial<br />
support in this direction. <strong>The</strong> findings of this needs assessment survey<br />
should form the basis of any action concerning the bumsters. Attempts<br />
to use military force to get them off the beaches are not the answer.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y will resurface somewhere else and the security personnel cannot<br />
be everywhere at the same time. What is more enduring and lasting is<br />
to embody them with self-esteem.<br />
Activities that promote their human dignity and self worth based on<br />
income earning opportunities should be implemented as soon as the<br />
needs assessment exercise is complete and the findings made public.<br />
Representatives of the bumsters should be part of the planning<br />
processes.<br />
In Kuta, Bali, sections of the beach are licensed by the municipality to<br />
individual traders. <strong>The</strong>se traders have a direct incentive to control their<br />
section of beach, while earning an income from their activities.<br />
Although they seek to attract customers, if there is no interest they will<br />
leave tourists alone, knowing that undue hassling could lead to the loss<br />
of their license.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Visitor Surveys (Airport and Hotels, detailed in Technical Reports 3<br />
and 4) have shown that the ‘bumster’ issue will have to be tackled<br />
because it is putting off far too many tourists, and so losing economic<br />
benefits for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. Whilst solutions have to be handled very<br />
sensitively, the authorities should not step away from being firm. For<br />
example, ensuring that ‘bumsters’ cannot go into the airport is a<br />
measure that many countries have implemented with great success. It<br />
is particularly important at the airport because this is both the ‘first and<br />
last’ impression for a tourist.<br />
Unfortunately, the design of the Banjul airport terminal makes it difficult<br />
to exclude bumsters from the terminal in a way that is common in other<br />
countries, i.e. by restricting key areas of the terminal to arriving and<br />
departing passengers only. This could only be done if the public<br />
facilities, notably the downstairs café and the upstairs restaurant, were<br />
to be re-located in order for them to be separately accessed. If this<br />
were done, the arrivals and departures areas should be limited to<br />
passengers only, with appropriate controls.<br />
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Criminal behaviour on the part of bumsters should be dealt with by the<br />
criminal law and courts should sit everyday if necessary to permit the<br />
trial of those accused before the tourist leaves. <strong>The</strong>ir behaviour needs<br />
to be kept within bounds; the criminals need to be dealt with, rather<br />
than all bumsters being criminalised. Work is going on by the GTA and<br />
stakeholders developing curriculum on tourism for schools as well as<br />
the interest from the UK Travel Foundation in funding some projects on<br />
the bumsters. This should be pursued.<br />
8.5 Agricultural Linkages<br />
By strengthening the tourist sector and its affiliated industries, <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> seeks to spread the benefits of tourism into broader segments<br />
of the domestic labour force. Agricultural linkages are a critical element<br />
in this benefit spread.<br />
Horticulture Subsector<br />
<strong>The</strong> horticulture sector is emerging as a growth sector in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain to the tourist market is<br />
characterised by: numerous small producers in Western <strong>Gambia</strong>,<br />
producing largely undifferentiated fruit and vegetables; extremely weak<br />
intermediaries lacking a formal wholesale market; an absence of<br />
packaging/labelling businesses, expensive transportation and<br />
distribution; and a stratified market, selling high-end produce to the<br />
export market via vertically-integrated businesses moving fresh fruit<br />
and vegetables to a tourist market of hotels and restaurants.<br />
Meat & Dairy Subsector<br />
<strong>The</strong> supply chain structure for fresh meat and poultry delivers<br />
reasonable shares of product to tourist hotels and restaurants. A<br />
possible crisis looms in the future, however, insofar as the national<br />
abattoir will not meet EU standards for hygiene and health.<br />
Commercial meat processors are doing a fair business providing<br />
supermarkets, restaurants and hotels with needed processed meat and<br />
dairy products. Local products routinely beat imported product on price,<br />
and are nearly competitive in quality. <strong>The</strong>re remains, however, a highend<br />
segment of the market not reached by local producers. High<br />
market niche hotels import significant values of frozen meats in high<br />
season. <strong>The</strong> greatest value category among imported perishables for<br />
high-end hotels is reportedly meat, followed by dairy products. Fresh<br />
milk is just establishing a presence in the market.<br />
Fish Subsector<br />
<strong>The</strong> fisheries sector of the <strong>Gambia</strong>n economy has enjoyed perhaps the<br />
best success to date of all of the food sub sectors examined, thanks in<br />
part to refrigeration facilities located at key fish landing areas. <strong>The</strong> fish<br />
supply chain to the tourist market works with reasonable success,<br />
through the artisanal sub-sector, characterized by small vessels, is<br />
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using a set of capable intermediaries links to supply the tourism market.<br />
Three public commercial facilities operate at key artisanal fishing<br />
points, offering ice sales and cold storage rental. Hotels and<br />
restaurants offer an attractive variety of local fishery products. Very little<br />
fish and seafood product is imported for tourists.<br />
Recommendations<br />
Among the specific near-term product promotion ideas are:<br />
• Fresh squeezed local tropical fruit & juices sold to tourist hotels for<br />
use in upscale breakfast buffets, promoted with folded information<br />
cards explaining provenance and special features, such as “Freshlysqueezed<br />
juice,” “Local, fresh fruit juice”;<br />
• Fresh local fruit available on those same upscale tourist breakfast<br />
buffets, including mango (in season), pineapple, papaya and<br />
banana;<br />
• Homemade local jams, jellies and honey made by small businesses<br />
for those same breakfast buffets and restaurants, promoted with<br />
point of consumption cards referencing freshness, health and purity<br />
of product;<br />
• Fresh “catch of the day” fish specials and promotions in tourist<br />
restaurants, including informed servers who can praise the<br />
freshness and wholesomeness of <strong>Gambia</strong>n fish and seafood<br />
products, referring to “caught today” or “was swimming off our coast<br />
yesterday”;<br />
• Roasted and salted peanuts and cashews (cleaned/shelled to<br />
minimize mess) available free at upscale bars or sold at nominal<br />
cost in mid-market bars;<br />
• Local hot sauce as a standard condiment on restaurant and buffet<br />
tables, labelled as “locally-made,” and “natural product”; and<br />
• Local processed products sourced from fair trade outlets benefiting<br />
small producers or women's groups to inform tourists of this<br />
information.<br />
Medium-term promotional opportunities for commercial sales to<br />
hotels/restaurants include:<br />
• To improve the functioning of the horticulture supply-chain to the<br />
food service industry, a designated wholesale market is a key need<br />
for small peri-urban producers, largely women’s groups, attempting<br />
to access the hotel market.<br />
• <strong>The</strong> peri-urban women’s gardens would make excellent destinations<br />
for sun-sand-beach tourists seeking to view agricultural work.<br />
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GAMBIA IS GOOD (Business Linkages Challenge Fund – DFID)<br />
‘<strong>Gambia</strong> is Good’ (GiG) is a for profit company that trades fresh produce in<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> linking small scale farmers in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> with markets in the<br />
tourism sector. A Fair Trade horticultural marketing company, GiG provides<br />
tangible economic and social benefits to poor rural <strong>Gambia</strong>n communities.<br />
<strong>The</strong> project responds to a clear market opportunity, namely the supply of<br />
good quality produce to the tourist sector in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, and builds on<br />
existing production based initiatives at the farmer level.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company started trading in 2004 with modest ambitions for the first year.<br />
However, activities were scaled up and cumulative sales to March 2006<br />
reached 106.8 tonnes with some daily sales at 1 tonne. As of 2006, GiG offer<br />
a minimum of 15 different produce items in all seasons, including tomato,<br />
onion, cabbage, cucumber, carrot, white radish, lettuce, sweet pepper, hot<br />
pepper and Irish potato. Distribution is mainly through direct contracts with<br />
hotels and restaurants, supplemented by a wholesale market. <strong>The</strong> project has<br />
been so successful that GiG also started exporting radishes to Senegal and<br />
there has been a new linkage created with Tropicasem, for the procurement<br />
of quality seeds.<br />
Initially GiG worked with 30 growers, this has increased to 270, of which 85%<br />
are women. <strong>The</strong> project has greatly improved farming methods and the<br />
modified irrigation has reduced women’s water collection from 66% of their<br />
time to 22%, with knock on effects for yield and safety.<br />
<strong>The</strong> project firmly demonstrates the potential for much greater links between<br />
the tourism sector and the local economies and producers.<br />
Institutional Support<br />
Institutional support programmes to strengthen producer associations<br />
are desperately needed. Best practice suggests that organizing<br />
product-specific cooperatives work best such as vegetable, fruit, dairy<br />
or meat product associations versus general commerce organizations.<br />
This supply evolution will require a substantial donor-supported<br />
institutional strengthening programme involving multi-year funding to<br />
source expertise and commercial counselling. Technical areas of focus<br />
for the support programme should include institutional strengthening;<br />
management and marketing, advocacy; and technology transfer and<br />
training in quality programmes for production, post-harvest handling,<br />
sorting and grading.<br />
For strategic development and to realise sustainable commercial<br />
success, peri-urban horticulture producers need self-managed<br />
cooperatives to initially target supermarkets, restaurants and smaller<br />
hotels for sales, while improving production systems, post-harvest<br />
handling, grading standards, pack house management, marketing and<br />
sales. As they develop capacity and produce consistent quality output,<br />
they can shift market focus and increasingly target high-end hotels and<br />
restaurants.<br />
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8.6 Human Resources<br />
Whilst ‘bumsters’ are seen as an issue that has to be solved, the<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>n people are seen as a ‘product plus’ for the <strong>Gambia</strong>n<br />
destination. <strong>The</strong> people are friendly, intelligent, interesting and keen to<br />
interact with tourists. Clearly there is an opportunity to make more of<br />
this asset.<br />
Human Resource development needs to cover both the formal and<br />
informal sectors, the latter to be covered by working with ASSET.<br />
Certain elements of an institutional framework are already in place,<br />
particularly the National Training Authority. A <strong>Tourism</strong> Training Policy<br />
Department (TTPD) could be established, with responsibilities that<br />
include the following:<br />
• Formulation of a tourism training policy;<br />
• Liaison on curriculum development, occupational standards,<br />
accreditation of training institutes with the NTA;<br />
• Manpower planning – conducting surveys of employment,<br />
training needs etc.;<br />
• Co-ordinating the delivery of short courses and trainer training<br />
programmes;<br />
• Co-ordination of tour guide training;<br />
• Co-ordination of tourism awareness programmes;<br />
• Monitoring the administration of tourism training funding.<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> Training Resources<br />
<strong>The</strong> primary training resource for new entrants to the hospitality sector<br />
is the <strong>Gambia</strong> Hotel School. A number of private sector representatives<br />
also reported that they hired students from the <strong>Gambia</strong> Home<br />
Economics Skills Centre and the Girl Guides Skills Training Centre.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Management <strong>Development</strong> Institute (MDI) and the <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
Technical Training Institute (GTTI), whilst not specifically training for the<br />
tourism sector, are also potential training resources.<br />
<strong>The</strong> tourism sector in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is primarily made up of individually<br />
owned and managed enterprises. As they are not part of international<br />
chains, they are unable to access a ready supply of training materials<br />
and trainers, so training expenses are a heavy burden. Often, levels of<br />
professional skills of persons working in the sector do not meet<br />
international norms.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a need for national occupational skill standards and curriculum<br />
to provide a common platform for tourism education and training. <strong>The</strong><br />
lack of nationally recognised tourism qualifications is leading to<br />
different institutes issuing different awards, both local and international.<br />
<strong>The</strong> industry has little faith in the awards and often discounts them<br />
when hiring staff. <strong>The</strong>re is no mechanism in place to provide funding for<br />
tourism training in a co-ordinated and sustainable way. Output of<br />
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educational institutes will be insufficient to meet expected growth in the<br />
sector.<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> Sector Training Needs<br />
<strong>The</strong> greatest training requirements are at the supervisory and craft<br />
levels, although the need for business skills for owner/operators was<br />
also mentioned. Most urgent areas highlighted are as follows:<br />
• Supervisory management skills, particularly in food & beverage<br />
• Food preparation<br />
• Tour guide training<br />
• Language skills<br />
• Business skills for SMEs and the informal sector<br />
• Customer care and customer relations<br />
• Training of trainers<br />
• Hygiene, health & safety<br />
• Food & beverage service<br />
• Maintenance<br />
• <strong>Tourism</strong> awareness<br />
• Industry Training<br />
• IT : Data base and computerization of the tourism industry<br />
• Internet and website design<br />
• Community <strong>Tourism</strong> Training<br />
• <strong>Plan</strong>ning and management at senior level<br />
• Sustainable <strong>Tourism</strong> and Cooperate Social Responsibility<br />
Financing of <strong>Tourism</strong> Training Activities<br />
Consideration has to be given to the precise composition of the funding<br />
of the training system, being shared by the Government (subventions),<br />
the industry (payroll levy or other form of contribution) and the trainees<br />
(tuition fees).<br />
External support is likely to be required in the following areas:<br />
• Upgrading and development of the <strong>Gambia</strong> Hotel School (GHS) to a<br />
National <strong>Tourism</strong> Training Institute (NTTI), including technical<br />
assistance to train teachers;<br />
• <strong>Development</strong> of the national curriculum in the various disciplines at<br />
entry and intermediate levels and associated training of trainers;<br />
• Establishment of a <strong>Tourism</strong> Training Unit (attached to the<br />
GHS/NTTI), development of training programmes and learning<br />
materials and support to deliver initial programmes;<br />
• Further development of tourism awareness campaigns.<br />
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9. THE LONGER TERM PROGRAMME<br />
9.1 <strong>The</strong> Longer Term<br />
Whereas the short and medium term strategies in Sections Five to<br />
Eight have been concerned with tackling the large challenges that face<br />
the tourism industry in a ten year period, the <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong><br />
<strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> is concerned with building upon this catalytic process to<br />
achieve the Vision for tourism described in Section 4. In this Section,<br />
this Vision is elaborated into a series of physical developments towards<br />
which the Government and the tourism industry could move in the<br />
longer term having solved the more immediate issues.<br />
9.2 <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Framework (TDAs and <strong>Tourism</strong> Sites)<br />
Based on the preferred development scenario the approach to tourism<br />
planning has to consider the widest range of tourism markets possible,<br />
so as to enable <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> to provide the widest range of appropriate<br />
products. <strong>The</strong> development framework is therefore presented as a<br />
‘menu of opportunities’, providing the basis for further research and<br />
planning, promoting both extensive resort development within the<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Area together with ecotourism development<br />
along the River <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Framework focuses on:<br />
• Building on the strengths of the existing TDA with emphasis on<br />
‘branding’ according to development, type of experience etc. <strong>The</strong><br />
intention is that the TDA (including the tourism area from Fajara to<br />
Cape Point) is to have a series of differentiated products and will be<br />
much more in keeping with sustainable development and with the<br />
future demands of the markets;<br />
• Developing the nature, heritage and community based tourism<br />
product along the River <strong>Gambia</strong> (Oyster Creek to Brefet) in a more<br />
intensive and commercial manner, offering an ‘experience’, but not<br />
compromising the integrity of the resource;<br />
• Opening up and promoting Kiang West National Park and<br />
surrounding areas only when management is in place and<br />
developing the nature and river products as the ‘adventure theme’<br />
of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>;<br />
• Emphasising the River <strong>Gambia</strong> in the product portfolio, initially as a<br />
river cruise from Tendaba to George Town with stops along the<br />
way. In the longer term, the Upper River section may be developed<br />
for high end ‘get away from it all’ tourism, but only when there is an<br />
interest from resorts willing to provide their own local air access.<br />
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In addition to the existing TDA (Banjul to Allahein), a further nine TDAs<br />
have been identified, making ten in all:<br />
1. West Coast (existing, with extension to the north)<br />
2. Brikama<br />
3. Western River<br />
4. Jufureh<br />
5. Banjul<br />
6. North Coast<br />
7. Kiang West<br />
8. Baobolong Wetland<br />
9. Central River<br />
10. Upper River<br />
In determining these TDAs, the following factors were taken into<br />
consideration:<br />
• existing development of hotels, lodges, etc;<br />
• proposed areas for tourism development;<br />
• location of parks, protected areas, etc;<br />
• location and possible integration of local communities;<br />
• natural and man-made tourist attractions and their spatial<br />
relationships;<br />
• range of tourism products that could be developed;<br />
• the logic of their geographical grouping or ‘clustering’;<br />
• access in respect of time, distance and cost from the main West<br />
Coast TDA;<br />
• the existing and planned level of infrastructure, particularly roads<br />
and utilities; and<br />
• the potential to create a composite product for marketing and image<br />
building purposes.<br />
Within these TDAs, a number of <strong>Tourism</strong> Sites are to be identified.<br />
Designated <strong>Tourism</strong> Sites comprise significant natural and cultural<br />
heritage sites, areas of attractive landscape, other attractions where<br />
activities take place and key sites for tourism development.<br />
Up Country identified TDAs and those identified for eco-tourism<br />
development must be developed in consultation with communities and<br />
their active participation.<br />
A Local Government Reform and Decentralisation programme has<br />
been initiated which seeks to move socio-economic development<br />
planning processes to the local level. <strong>The</strong> process is putting in place<br />
both institutional and legal frameworks necessary for the effective<br />
participation of local communities in the sustainable management of<br />
the environment. This will also involve much of the local management<br />
of tourism.<br />
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Figure 9.1 – <strong>The</strong> Ten <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Areas (TDAs)<br />
It is therefore suggested that consideration is given to the designation<br />
of some or all of the new TDAs as Community <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong><br />
Areas; placed under the communities and their local area councils, if<br />
this can be encompassed within the legal framework. A consultation<br />
process would be established with a view to identifying agricultural and<br />
tourism land uses.<br />
Thus, the GTA should concentrate on the consolidation and<br />
development of West Coast, Western River and Banjul TDAs with the<br />
remainder to involve communities and their local governments.<br />
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9.3 Anchoring and Linking TDAs and <strong>Tourism</strong> Sites<br />
Clustering<br />
In order to attract more tourists to the TDAs, induce them to stay longer<br />
and be convenient for tour operators, various sites and attractions<br />
should be combined or linked in one area. It is very important to<br />
develop a product that effectively integrates sites, attractions, events,<br />
activities, and associated accommodation. This clustering of sites is<br />
particularly applicable to the Western River, where each attraction<br />
should be developed and packaged showcasing authentic products<br />
(crafts, services, products, experiences) and given a place on an<br />
itinerary to achieve a strong appeal.<br />
<strong>The</strong>ming<br />
Clusters may be made more attractive by developing and building on<br />
themes likely to interest potential visitors. <strong>The</strong>mes enable product<br />
differentiation. Using the example of the Central River, one might be<br />
part of a themed tour, focusing on the river environment, coastal life<br />
and community interactions with, and use of, natural and cultural<br />
heritage resources.<br />
<strong>The</strong>med Visitor Centres<br />
<strong>The</strong>med visitor centres are identified for each TDA. <strong>The</strong> purpose of the<br />
visitor centre would be to provide structured environmental education<br />
and a concentration of facilities, services and information for tourists.<br />
Possible themes are:<br />
• West Coast – “family fun by the sea”; Senegambia is the main<br />
visitor centre for the northern area; further smaller centres will<br />
be developed with bird, forest and turtle nesting themes.<br />
• Brikama – crafts, eco-agro (jam making, bee keeping) market<br />
• Jufureh – cultural heritage<br />
• Western River – mangroves, bird watching, nature and cultural<br />
heritage<br />
• Banjul – cultural heritage activities<br />
• North Coast – conservation, wildlife observation<br />
• Kiang West – conservation, camping, adventure, bird watching<br />
• Baobolong Wetland – conservation, wildlife observation<br />
• Central River – cruising, bird watching, cultural heritage<br />
• Upper River – relaxation, nature and cultural heritage<br />
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Figure 9.2 – <strong>The</strong>med Visitor Centres<br />
Initially, the visitor centres may be a series of well-coordinated<br />
information panels and associated service shops.<br />
<strong>The</strong>med Routes and Trails<br />
Speciality routes enable visitors to focus on themes. This allows them<br />
to choose a particular experience (nature interpretation, heritage, the<br />
river, eco/agro production etc.). Within this framework, a trail system<br />
can be developed to offer a mix of recreational settings from remote to<br />
urban. <strong>The</strong>se could include the ‘River Trail’, which may be a<br />
combination of road, track and creek, and has the opportunity of linking<br />
the <strong>Tourism</strong> Sites within the Western River TDA. <strong>The</strong> ‘Wilderness Trail’<br />
in Kiang West may combine the offerings of the Park and surrounding<br />
area with the tourism ‘aura’ or lure of the destination. A coastal trail<br />
may be developed along the West Coast TDA.<br />
9.4 Integrating TDAs, <strong>Tourism</strong> Sites, Links and <strong>The</strong>mes<br />
<strong>The</strong> overall concept aims to establish and promote a network of<br />
designated tourism circuits (by road, river or air), scenic routes and<br />
trails, with appropriate signage and interpretive information that forms<br />
strong linkages with tourism sites and attractions, protected areas,<br />
visitor centres, community projects, events, and related experiences.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a need to integrate all these elements, in terms of:<br />
• delivering product experiences;<br />
• raising awareness about exploring and discovering <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>;<br />
and<br />
• marketing and promoting the product.<br />
Investments made in the existing and proposed tourism sites probably<br />
cannot be justified on an individual basis alone. <strong>The</strong> real value of the<br />
investment will be achieved through integration strategies that<br />
present the sites in the context of an overall product experience. In this<br />
respect, well-organised tour routes and excursions, escorted by welltrained,<br />
knowledgeable and friendly guides, can make a significant<br />
difference to a visit.<br />
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Figure 9.3 - <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Characteristics<br />
9.5 Carrying Capacity<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> carrying capacity is a technique that is used to define the<br />
capability of an area to endure the maximum level of development.<br />
Carrying capacity revolves around physical/ecological considerations,<br />
socio/demographic ones and political/economic issues. Physical<br />
considerations relate to both to natural systems and to flexible ones<br />
such as infrastructure systems including water supply and sewerage.<br />
<strong>The</strong> social dimension refers to those social aspects which are of<br />
importance to local communities; social capacity thresholds being<br />
particularly difficult to evaluate. Political/economic issues relate to the<br />
impacts of tourism on the local economy, including impact on<br />
demand/supply patterns for goods and services.<br />
In <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> carrying capacity issues relate primarily to infrastructure<br />
and social considerations. Ecological damage such as from sand<br />
mining relates more to the growth of the resident population in the<br />
urban area (Banjul and Kanifing) than to tourism directly – although this<br />
population growth is to some degree encouraged by tourism. In the<br />
future development of TDA’s it is imperative that visitor management<br />
measures are taken to minimise any local impact of visitor numbers, as<br />
well as infrastructure needs and, in particular, the involvement of local<br />
communities in their management and operation.<br />
Defining physical carrying capacities are in any event challenging,<br />
since impact monitoring has indicated that environmental resilience<br />
ebbs and flows with factors such as seasonality, intensity of use and<br />
recovery periods between use. Physical carrying capacity tends to be<br />
a blunt instrument that is not designed to accommodate these<br />
variables. Visitor management will be needed within specific areas,<br />
particularly National Parks and Reserves, which will need to be based<br />
on clear management objectives.<br />
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10. DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH TO 2025<br />
10.1 General<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Framework seeks to unify and strengthen<br />
the tourism product by providing a framework to integrate development<br />
into a cohesive plan rather than allowing development to occur<br />
piecemeal, thus enhancing the value of future opportunities.<br />
It is within this context that Action Areas have been identified and it is<br />
recommended that Action Area <strong>Plan</strong>s be prepared for all ten areas, integrating<br />
park management plans, Government plans and infrastructure programmes.<br />
<strong>The</strong> level of planning will present the tourism opportunities as a whole and set<br />
out an overall strategic approach and development guidelines for all major<br />
aspects of physical tourism development.<br />
10.2 West Coast TDA<br />
This TDA will need to be redefined through further investigation of<br />
boundaries, land ownership and status of proposed projects.<br />
<strong>Development</strong> briefs will need to be prepared for future resort<br />
development.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re will be a presumption in favour of development clustering in<br />
existing settlements and tourism sites. In tourism sites not designated<br />
for conservation, most forms of mixed use tourism-related<br />
developments, including hotels, resorts, housing, commercial and<br />
tourism facilities would be generally applicable. In this way it is<br />
expected that sufficient critical mass will be created to make more<br />
efficient use of costly Government infrastructure investments such as<br />
new sewage treatment plants, whilst providing the range of support<br />
services and facilities to help stimulate the conditions for private sector<br />
involvement and initiative.<br />
Five Action Areas are identified:<br />
Action Area 1 – Cape Point to Kololi<br />
Action Area 2 – Bijilo Forest Reserve to Tanji Bird Reserve<br />
Action Area 3 – Tanji Fishing Village to Sanyang<br />
Action Area 4 – Sanyang to Gunjur<br />
Action Area 5 – Gunjur to Kartung<br />
Action Area 1 – Cape Point to Kololi<br />
This area includes the concentration of hotel development, varying in<br />
size and quality. Around 6,000 beds are available and a further 2,000<br />
beds are planned. However, the status of some of these projects is in<br />
doubt. <strong>Tourism</strong> attractions include Fajara Golf Club (18 holes) and the<br />
tourism centre at Senegambia.<br />
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<strong>The</strong> overall aim of the TDA should be one of consolidation,<br />
encouraging development of vacant sites and upgrading the public<br />
realm around the existing hotels.<br />
Although the main theme of the TDA will be the beach/water<br />
sports/activities, there are opportunities for more passive pursuits such<br />
as bird watching. Besides the existing hotels, birds are to be found at<br />
various sites, e.g. the casino cycle track, Kotu ponds and creek and at<br />
Cape Point.<br />
Possible projects include:<br />
• development briefs for vacant hotel sites;<br />
• further development and extension of the ‘cycle track’ into an<br />
interpretative bird walk/ parkway which links and gives access to all<br />
hotels;<br />
• townscape and landscape improvements for the ‘tourism centre’ at<br />
Senegambia;<br />
• ‘Green’ hotel improvement programme (energy conservation and<br />
waste management) for existing hotels;<br />
• Koto stream environmental management programme to include<br />
product improvements (trails, street furniture etc);<br />
• beach improvement programme (clean up, landscaping and<br />
facilities);<br />
• road improvement programme including the rehabilitation of Atlantic<br />
Road between Fajara and Cape Point; and<br />
• overall tourism signage and information programme for the TDA.<br />
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Action Area 2 – Bijilo Forest Reserve to Tanji Bird Reserve<br />
Much of the area is committed for development with new quality hotels<br />
and housing currently being constructed.<br />
<strong>The</strong> theme is one of coastal ecology. Two significant nature sites are<br />
located at each end of the TDA – Bijilo Forest and Tanji Wetland.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se elements point to the opportunity for partnerships in tourism.<br />
Partnerships between the private sector and natural resource<br />
managers will strengthen the effectiveness of projects, and create<br />
leverage, and opportunities.<br />
Possible projects include:<br />
• Bijilo Forest rehabilitation with self guided trails and visitor<br />
information;<br />
• Tanji Wetland visitor centre, trails, observation points and hides;<br />
• coastal trail linking the forest and wetland area;<br />
• potential themed recreational park;<br />
• improved facilities at fish smoking site;<br />
• new access road serving housing development; and<br />
• commercial/tourism centre.<br />
Action Area 3 – Tanji Fishing Village to Sanyang<br />
A mixed use/resort development area to accommodate future<br />
expansion of the residential market. Sites have already been released<br />
for housing within the TDA but the area lacks planning.<br />
Possible projects include:<br />
• survey and redefinition of TDA;<br />
• consolidation of existing villages and settlements to prevent sprawl<br />
and retain rural character of area;<br />
• development brief for harbour/mixed use villa/apartment scheme<br />
(150 hectares);<br />
• development brief for integrated resort scheme (500 hectares); and<br />
• site for sewage treatment plant.<br />
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Action Area 4 – Sanyang to Gunjur<br />
<strong>The</strong> TDA represents a tremendous opportunity for a large integrated<br />
resort. <strong>The</strong> zoning and consolidation of land for future tourism<br />
development/conservation are sensitive issues. Land ownership<br />
information is required and an integrated plan prepared to ensure the<br />
long term potential and sustainability of this area.<br />
Possible project components include:<br />
• three themed resort hotels;<br />
• conference facilities;<br />
• sports academy;<br />
• beach facilities with turtle management programme;<br />
• stables, equestrian centre and trails;<br />
• country lodge and 27 hole golf course;<br />
• range of villas, bungalows and apartments;<br />
85
• forest management programme, trails and interpretation;<br />
• wetland/bird sanctuary visitor centre, trails, hides and lookouts etc;<br />
and<br />
• community development programmes with adjoining villages of<br />
Sanyang and Gunjur.<br />
Action Area 5 – Gunjur to Kartung<br />
<strong>The</strong> area presents an attractive proposition for the development of<br />
special interest tourism – health, nature and culture. Large plots are<br />
envisaged allowing generous buffer zones between developments with<br />
the back land forest areas jointly managed by the resorts/lodges/camps<br />
and local communities.<br />
Possible projects include:<br />
• survey and redefinition of TDA;<br />
86
• consolidation of existing villages and settlements to prevent sprawl<br />
and retain rural character of area;<br />
• development brief for tourism sites/forest areas;<br />
• tourism visitor centre in Kartung; and<br />
• wetland management programme<br />
10.3 Brikama TDA<br />
Brikama is at the crossroads of many routes and is a hub for taxis and<br />
public transport within <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> and for travellers to Senegal. It is<br />
en route from the West Coast TDA to the Western River TDA.<br />
To encourage tourists to visit, stay longer and spend more, emphasis<br />
will be given to developing and exploiting local community skills –<br />
crafts, jam making, bee keeping etc. A new craft market is currently<br />
being built to house existing craftsmen. Opportunities exist to embellish<br />
the project further with additional facilities and programmes for display,<br />
87
events, music and eco-agro sales etc. <strong>The</strong> facility will become the focus<br />
for tourism and community activity.<br />
10.4 Western River TDA<br />
<strong>The</strong> TDA stretches from Denton Bridge to Brefet/Bulok Bolong and<br />
includes Oyster Creek, Lamin Lodge, Abuko Nature Reserve,<br />
Mandinari village, Makasutu and Tumani Tenda. <strong>The</strong> area presents an<br />
interesting product including a broad range of activities combining a<br />
number of different interests – historical, wildlife, bird watching, nature<br />
trails, river and creek trails, local customs etc.<br />
<strong>The</strong> TDA will be developed as an ‘introduction’ to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s<br />
ecotourism product with the objectives to promote the area and help<br />
visitors find their way to the variety of interesting <strong>Tourism</strong> Sites,<br />
enabling them to learn more about and fully appreciate the country’s<br />
natural, historic and cultural resources.<br />
Action Areas will need to be identified and plans prepared to include<br />
product improvements (presentation and interpretation of sites) and<br />
activities – guided and unguided walks, kayaking, canoeing, fishing,<br />
swimming. <strong>The</strong> various Action Areas – Abuko (interpretation), Oyster<br />
Creek (boat access and moorings), Mandinari (tourism awareness)<br />
etc., may be ‘stitched’ together by the ‘River Trail’ using a combination<br />
of road/track/water/trails, thereby emphasising this continuous<br />
ecological corridor.<br />
88
Fig 10.7 Western TDA’s<br />
89
10.5 Juffureh TDA<br />
<strong>The</strong> concept envisages consolidating and building upon the historical<br />
assets of Juffureh and further expanding and developing the area into a<br />
highly educational destination, incorporating nearby Fort James Island.<br />
Creating better road access and wharfing, improving the product and<br />
developing better partnerships between the private sector and local<br />
communities in the management and promotion of the area are all key<br />
in increasing visitor numbers to the area.<br />
A Community Action Area <strong>Plan</strong> is required. A ‘bottom-up’ approach to<br />
community-based tourism is vital, allowing the local villages the<br />
opportunity to make their feelings and fears, hopes and aspirations<br />
known. A programme of community participation with the aim of<br />
increasing community awareness about the importance of tourism and<br />
their area will need to be established.<br />
10.6 Banjul TDA<br />
To improve Banjul’s tourism appeal, it will be important to upgrade the<br />
city’s image by improving some of the heritage buildings, its streets,<br />
public spaces and infrastructure through an urban regeneration<br />
programme.<br />
This is an ambitious proposal and will take years to complete and<br />
straddle several market cycles. However, whilst the Government’s aim<br />
is to increase the numbers of visitors to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, it also has a role<br />
to play in improving the product and helping to provide the recreational,<br />
social and living environment that will not only encourage new and<br />
improved development, but will also be for the benefit of the local<br />
community.<br />
<strong>The</strong> problems of the city centre cannot be solved just by ‘cleaning up’<br />
the area. Urban design is a critical ingredient for the process of urban<br />
regeneration and therefore any proposed townscape improvements will<br />
have to be seen in the context of an overall, long-term development<br />
strategy.<br />
10.7 North Coast TDA<br />
This is a unique area "where the bush meets the beach". It includes<br />
Niumi National Park with potential to create linkages with neighbouring<br />
Senegal’s wildlife reserve. <strong>The</strong> coast should be protected and reserved<br />
for long term high-end quality resorts, developed sensitively and in<br />
synergy with the Park.<br />
<strong>The</strong> upgrading of the ferry service between Banjul and Barra will be<br />
required as well as rehabilitation of Fort Bullen to serve as the<br />
‘gateway’ to the TDA.<br />
90
10.8 Kiang West TDA<br />
<strong>The</strong> TDA includes Kiang West National Park and surrounding areas of<br />
Tendaba, Manduar, Kemoto and across the river including Jowara<br />
Bolong and Kerewan. <strong>The</strong> TDA will focus on integrating tourism<br />
development with the National Park and surrounds. <strong>The</strong> intention will<br />
be to maximise the carrying capacity of the area by creative marketing<br />
(the adventure capital of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>), educational packages and<br />
providing visitor facilities, imaginative presentation and lots of<br />
interpretation.<br />
Action <strong>Plan</strong>s will need to be drawn up for specific areas and include:<br />
• tourism/visitor centre at Tendaba which will become the main<br />
service area and transition stage from fast Banjul boat traffic to<br />
smaller, slower boats travelling the Central River and Upper River;<br />
• Park access road from the main south bank road;<br />
• Park entrance/main gate and second information centre;<br />
• transport system/circuits and tracks within and outside the Park;<br />
• zoning of the area to include passive and active areas;<br />
• nature trails, observation towers, lookouts, hides and adventure<br />
activities etc;<br />
• signage and interpretation throughout the area; and<br />
• in the longer term, the development of an airstrip close to Tendaba.<br />
It will be important to encourage widespread community participation in<br />
the development process. Assistance will be given to local communities<br />
to develop tourism initiatives including river activities, camping facilities<br />
and possible small-scale accommodation.<br />
10.9 Baobolong Wetland TDA<br />
This TDA is a long-term project with potential for wildlife viewing. <strong>The</strong><br />
area is environmentally and culturally sensitive and therefore the future<br />
tourism role needs to be very carefully planned and managed.<br />
10.10 Central River TDA<br />
<strong>The</strong> TDA follows the river from Tendaba to Georgetown. <strong>The</strong> area<br />
offers a special river experience. <strong>The</strong> river biodiversity is excellent and<br />
will certainly appeal to the bird watchers and the visitors who view river<br />
cruising as an ‘add on’ to the holiday experience. <strong>The</strong> true potential of<br />
the area lies in exploiting the river’s character and developing small<br />
scale, inexpensive but stylish accommodation, offering excellent<br />
service and guiding. Activities will include bird watching, kayaking,<br />
fishing, hiking and interacting with the local communities. <strong>The</strong> Central<br />
River will present a model of low impact – high value tourism.<br />
91
Figure 10.8 - Central and Upper River<br />
Action <strong>Plan</strong>s will include identification of further tourism sites, jetties at<br />
key landing sites, conservation areas and provision of trails and lowkey<br />
visitor facilities. Georgetown will also require visitor facilities.<br />
Community-based tourism development programmes including micro<br />
financing opportunities will be established. While in general<br />
communities want the benefits of tourism, it is acknowledged that some<br />
residents may lack a realistic understanding of what is involved and<br />
what the potential impacts may be.<br />
10.11 Upper River TDA<br />
This TDA is a long-term project and will involve a better understanding<br />
of what the area can offer in terms of interest to the visitor (nature,<br />
wildlife, culture etc). <strong>The</strong>re is potential for quality resort development<br />
spread out along the river to emphasise the remoteness of the area.<br />
Resort development here will certainly benefit local communities,<br />
however, access is key and the provision of a landing strip close to<br />
Basse will be a necessity.<br />
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11. TEN YEAR ACTION PLAN<br />
11.1 Introduction<br />
<strong>The</strong> previous sections have outlined the short and medium term<br />
strategies and the long-term vision and development opportunities<br />
(through to 2025). In this section, short-term initiatives have been<br />
drawn together into the Ten Year Action <strong>Plan</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> following Action <strong>Plan</strong> is the key output of the TDMP in that it:<br />
• sets out a co-ordinated work programme;<br />
• identifies the priorities and timetable for action within that period;<br />
• identifies key management and partners in implementation; and<br />
• provides an outline indication of the likely budget implications.<br />
In addition it is the means by which progress in the implementation of<br />
the TDMP can be monitored.<br />
11.2 Measures and Targets of the Action <strong>Plan</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> Action <strong>Plan</strong> is set within the context of the initiatives that have to<br />
be undertaken in order to ensure that tourism can make progress in<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. Of the various options considered by the Government<br />
and the <strong>Gambia</strong>n tourism industry, the decision was taken to adopt the<br />
‘Double Income’ option through to 2025, and therefore we are seeking<br />
to increase the level of tourism and income for the country.<br />
Investigations of the many facets of this complex industry indicate that<br />
initiatives have to be undertaken on a whole range of fronts. Without<br />
doubt, these initiatives will require assistance from outside of <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
Highlights of the measures and targets that can be achieved over the<br />
short term, an initial five year period, are presented in the Figure on the<br />
next page.<br />
93
Figure 11.1 – Main Measures and Targets for Ten Years<br />
MAIN MEASURE<br />
NEW TARGETS – HIGHLIGHTS<br />
Growth in tourist arrivals Reach 150,000 tourist arrivals by 2015<br />
Increase in air connections • Annual daily scheduled flight from London<br />
• At least two new originating airports from UK for<br />
charters (seasonal)<br />
• At least four ‘scheduled charters’ weekly frequency<br />
from Germany (seasonal)<br />
• Maintenance of direct air access from North America<br />
and from key points in West Africa<br />
Lengthen season into<br />
September, October, April and<br />
May<br />
50% plus uplift in current low occupancy factors in hotels<br />
in these months<br />
Accommodation Capacity • Three to five new large hotels (say 150 - 200 rooms<br />
each) operational by 2015<br />
• Increase in self-catering and small hotel<br />
accommodation (say, up 75%)<br />
• At least three new small scale community related<br />
accommodation developments<br />
Human Resources: Upgrading<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> Hotel School<br />
National <strong>Tourism</strong> Training Institute running at full<br />
capacity, building upon the outstanding asset of the<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>n people, giving them the needed professional<br />
and technical skills<br />
11.3 Institutional <strong>Development</strong><br />
A crucial element in the whole process of getting <strong>Gambia</strong>n tourism<br />
back onto a growth path, and indeed a ‘surge growth path’, is to<br />
strengthen the two key institutions that can provide the right business<br />
environment for the private sector to flourish. <strong>The</strong>se institutions are:<br />
• <strong>The</strong> Department of State for <strong>Tourism</strong> and Culture (DOSTC); and<br />
• <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>n <strong>Tourism</strong> Authority (GTA).<br />
<strong>The</strong> current status and future development of both organisations is<br />
discussed, in relation to international best practice, in Annex 3.<br />
<strong>The</strong> DOSTC is to continue as the main tourism policy and planning arm<br />
of Government whilst the GTA continues to be the implementation and<br />
operational agency. <strong>The</strong>re needs nonetheless to be significant<br />
capacity building within these bodies if the <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong><br />
<strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> is to be implemented.<br />
<strong>The</strong> principal tasks for these two Government arms are:<br />
• To market the destination in the targeted market segments, in<br />
order to supplement the activities of the tour operators (creating<br />
a <strong>Gambia</strong>n brand) and also to open up those market segments<br />
that are independent of the tour operators;<br />
94
• To provide the management information which the <strong>Gambia</strong>n<br />
tourism industry needs in order to improve its operational<br />
performance;<br />
• To bring back order into the balance between demand for, and<br />
supply of, sites for tourism development in the TDA ;<br />
• To put in place the whole series of initiatives that are required in<br />
this <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong>.<br />
Institutional Strengthening and Capacity building for DOSTC<br />
DOSTC will need to play a lead role, including in monitoring the<br />
performance of the GTA. It will be called upon to carry out many<br />
detailed policy analyses in the period of the Action <strong>Plan</strong>. It is proposed<br />
that Technical Assistance is sought for some three years both to assist<br />
with carrying out these analyses and to help in the training of local<br />
personnel.<br />
Institutional Strengthening and Capacity building for GTA<br />
As previously stated, the organisation of the tourism industry is one of<br />
the main pre-conditions of a successful tourism sector. <strong>The</strong> GTA is to<br />
be responsible for guiding and facilitating the tourism sector. Technical<br />
assistance has an important role to play in assisting the GTA to<br />
develop its institutional capacity.<br />
<strong>The</strong> main areas for such technical assistance are in:<br />
• preparation of an overall strategy and a programme of activities<br />
for a 3-5 year period;<br />
• marketing planning, for initiatives dovetailed to the market<br />
strategy and to the marketing strategy, especially the operation<br />
of tour operator incentives and marketing support schemes, and<br />
any assistance that the GCAA may need in implementing the<br />
route and frequency incentive schemes for airlines;<br />
• statistics – collection and analysis of tourism statistics working<br />
with the CSO, leading eventually to TSAs for the tourism<br />
industry;<br />
• site recovery from non-performing leaseholders. This will require<br />
considerable political courage on the part of the <strong>Gambia</strong>n<br />
Government, and not a little technical skill in recovering these<br />
sites. <strong>The</strong> GTA has substantial regulatory and land distribution<br />
powers in the TDA;<br />
• capacity building in licensing and regulation with the GTA<br />
acquiring the ability to enforce minimum standards in<br />
accommodation and restaurants and to close down those<br />
facilities that do not meet these standards.<br />
95
Key components of the Action <strong>Plan</strong> will be to build capacity at the GTA,<br />
and to establish and strengthen the capacity of the GTA to play a full<br />
role in <strong>Plan</strong> implementation under the overall leadership of the<br />
Department of State for <strong>Tourism</strong> and Culture.<br />
11.4 <strong>Plan</strong> implementation process<br />
<strong>The</strong> aim of the TDMP is to present an overall framework for future<br />
development, identifying key projects for short and medium term<br />
implementation. <strong>The</strong> successful realisation of the <strong>Plan</strong> is therefore<br />
dependent upon the implementation of specific actions. <strong>The</strong>se actions<br />
are outlined below in the form of an action strategy covering:<br />
i. Destination Marketing<br />
ii. Product <strong>Development</strong><br />
iii. Quality in <strong>Tourism</strong> Establishments<br />
iv. Social Issues<br />
v. Human Resources<br />
vi. Responsible <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
vii. Linkages<br />
viii. Infrastructure<br />
ix. Environmental Management<br />
i) Destination Marketing<br />
<strong>The</strong> marketing of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is done mainly by the tour operators.<br />
More destination marketing has to be done by GTA in order to support:<br />
• <strong>The</strong> efforts to secure more air services<br />
• <strong>The</strong> tour operators, who do a good job in marketing <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
• <strong>The</strong> independent travel sector, which will grow significantly with<br />
more ‘scheduled operations’, and is a sector, very small, but with<br />
growth prospects<br />
<strong>The</strong> principal marketing recommendations are that:<br />
• a re-branding exercise is undertaken<br />
• destination marketing is undertaken through a private/public sector<br />
marketing team/partnership<br />
• a drive is made to continue to improve air access including the<br />
continued expansion of scheduled services<br />
• the Roots market is researched in the north-eastern USA<br />
ii) Product development<br />
<strong>The</strong> aims of the product development strategy are to develop a range<br />
of land and water based products:<br />
96
• to conserve, interpret and exploit the natural and cultural heritage<br />
sites and areas;<br />
• to promote community-based tourism development;<br />
• to conserve, enhance and market the product; and<br />
• to encourage revitalisation of hotels and diversification of the<br />
accommodation product through introduction of integrated resorts,<br />
vacation villages, quality lodges; and<br />
• promoting a variety of things to see and do.<br />
A series of pilot/demonstration projects were identified to kick-start the<br />
product development strategy and include:<br />
• natural resource development – beach, forest and park<br />
improvements, National Park regeneration;<br />
• cultural heritage resource development - historic sites, buildings,<br />
reuse and interpretation;<br />
• community development – promotion of soft culture, arts and crafts,<br />
small business enterprises and guiding;<br />
• product promotion – discovery routes, nature and heritage trails and<br />
information dissemination; and<br />
• integrated planning – resort and recreational developments;<br />
Projects have been identified for each of the TDAs. For each project<br />
there will need to be a detailed project definition and Terms of<br />
Reference (TOR). Project profiles for selected projects are given in the<br />
annexes to Technical Report 7, Physical <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Plan</strong>ning. <strong>The</strong>re may<br />
be many more projects identified as detailed plans are prepared for<br />
each TDA. As regards the Ten Year Action <strong>Plan</strong> emphasis should be<br />
on creating a more attractive environment in the existing TDA.<br />
Other key projects are:<br />
• Training local tour guides with pilot programmes, potentially at<br />
James Island and/or Jufereh;<br />
• Research of product improvements required to attract higher<br />
spending customers from the EU.<br />
iii) Quality in tourism establishments, including the establishment of<br />
minimum standards for ‘tourist hotels’, the review of investment<br />
incentives and of Government policy on all-inclusive resorts, and the<br />
institution of annual <strong>Gambia</strong> tourism awards that encourage product<br />
enhancement and enable quality of provision and operation to be<br />
recognised in a way that will also assist their own marketing;<br />
iv) Social issues, including addressing the issue of bumsters, seeking<br />
to establish revenue earning opportunities for them in a way that brings<br />
about a change in their behaviour. <strong>The</strong> UK Travel Foundation is<br />
assisting beach boys to find alternative means of employment, with an initial<br />
‘needs assessment’ followed by a training and skills development plan. This<br />
initiative will need to be followed through. Bumster free areas must also be<br />
97
achieved, including at the airport (although this will require a change to<br />
the design and layout of the terminal building);<br />
v) Human Resource <strong>Development</strong>, aimed at improving both job<br />
opportunities for <strong>Gambia</strong>ns and improved levels of customer care in<br />
line with the Vision for tourism. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>n people represent a real<br />
opportunity for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> to differentiate itself from other tourist<br />
destinations, and so offer something special for tourists that supports<br />
the implementation of the Vision for tourism. Training programmes in<br />
their widest sense will be the key drivers in this process.<br />
Upgrading <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> Hotel School into a National <strong>Tourism</strong> Training<br />
Institute is the key instrument for achieving this. It is a major project to<br />
be undertaken in the Ten Year <strong>Plan</strong> (excluding the major investments<br />
to be undertaken by the private sector).<br />
vi) Responsible <strong>Tourism</strong> with the furtherance of the Responsible<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> Policy for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> and the linkage of the mainstream<br />
travel industry with community development and poverty alleviation;<br />
vii) Linkages: Spreading the benefits of tourism is critical to <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>, and the main instrument in terms of linkages is seen to be<br />
institutional support to the various agricultural producer associations.<br />
<strong>The</strong> ‘<strong>Gambia</strong> is Good’ project needs to be maintained; this project is an<br />
outstanding one against international comparison and the concept<br />
should be further developed. Efforts on agricultural linkages are being<br />
supported by the Travel Foundation.<br />
TOURISM AND AGRICULTURE<br />
Initiatives such as ‘<strong>Gambia</strong> is Good’, which received start-up support from the<br />
UK Department for International <strong>Development</strong>, and tours by visitors to see<br />
vegetables being grown and harvested, as supported by the UK Travel<br />
Foundation, provide a basis for the linkage of agriculture with tourism, and for<br />
new agricultural related attractions to develop. In future these should aim to<br />
extend to areas such as flower cultivation, with visitors being able to take fresh<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>n produced flowers home at the end of their holidays. <strong>The</strong>se kind of<br />
initiatives are also likely to need donor assistance during the start-up phase, but<br />
they need to be both commercially sustainable in the longer term and<br />
supported by the <strong>Gambia</strong>n tourism industry as a whole.<br />
viii) Specific infrastructure developments aimed at improving<br />
environmental conditions in key areas for tourism. <strong>The</strong> main tourism<br />
programmes identified are:<br />
i. Rehabilitation of the Kotu Wastewater Treatment <strong>Plan</strong>t;<br />
ii. Measures at the Kotu Power <strong>Plan</strong> to prevent oil spills;<br />
iii. Clean-up and closure of Bakoteh solid waste dump. This is<br />
already designed and will be assisted through World Bank<br />
funding.<br />
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<strong>The</strong> reliable supply of electricity is very important to the long<br />
term sustainable future for tourism as it is important for other<br />
sectors of the economy.<br />
ix) Environmental Management: Some of the environmental issues<br />
are handled under the infrastructure improvements but an additional<br />
programme of environmental improvements under the auspices of the<br />
NEA is included in the overall Action <strong>Plan</strong>.<br />
11.5 Ten Year Time Frame<br />
A number of projects have been considered for inclusion in the Ten<br />
Year Action <strong>Plan</strong>. <strong>The</strong>se projects cover a number of fields including<br />
those that will:<br />
• most effectively build capacity to implement the <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Master</strong><br />
<strong>Plan</strong>;<br />
• provide a number of projects for funding by the African<br />
<strong>Development</strong> Bank and/or different agencies;<br />
<strong>The</strong> costs of these projects will be modest compared with any of the<br />
private sector investments in new facilities. But, whilst small, these will<br />
be the initiatives that will provide the right business environment for the<br />
private sector such that economic benefits spin off from the private<br />
sector investments to the <strong>Gambia</strong>n people.<br />
11.6 First Rank Projects<br />
<strong>The</strong> Action <strong>Plan</strong> covers a series of projects as well as a number of key<br />
strategies. Of these arguably the most important are:<br />
• Strengthening the GTA (with technical assistance and capacity<br />
training) so that it is capable of undertaking the substantial range<br />
of management tasks with which it is entrusted;<br />
• <strong>The</strong> market strategy – developing new markets and new market<br />
niches using the instruments of (1) airline and tour operator<br />
support combined with (2) new destination marketing by GTA;<br />
• <strong>The</strong> product development strategy for large hotels – allowing<br />
multiple use property development, plus overtly bringing site<br />
supply in the TDA under control;<br />
• Broadening the product portfolio, building on the opening of a<br />
Sheraton, with new forms of mixed development and community<br />
based projects together with consideration of ‘all-inclusives’;<br />
• Building on the key asset of the <strong>Gambia</strong>n people with, on the<br />
one hand, measures to bring the bumster issue into a positive<br />
force rather than a negative force, plus, on the other hand,<br />
substantial training of <strong>Gambia</strong>ns through the metamorphosis of<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> Hotel School into the National <strong>Tourism</strong> Training<br />
Institute.<br />
99
Second rank projects relate to product development, the<br />
implementation of a tourism awareness programme, institutional<br />
support to producer associations and further infrastructure and<br />
environmental improvements.<br />
11.7 Sources of Financial Support<br />
<strong>The</strong>re a number of sources of support for financial and technical<br />
assistance on which <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> can draw. As of 2006, financial<br />
assistance has come from the African <strong>Development</strong> Bank for the<br />
preparation of the <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> and from the UK<br />
Department of International <strong>Development</strong>, who through the <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
Challenge Fund and the Business Linkages Challenge Fund, have<br />
supported two tourism related initiatives in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. This has been<br />
followed by the initiatives supported by the UK Travel Foundation,<br />
drawing on funding from major UK tour operators.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic <strong>Development</strong> has played a<br />
particularly significant role in the support of infrastructure, including<br />
airport and road development that supports the development of tourism<br />
as well as of other economic activities. Also relevant is the work of the<br />
Bill Gates Foundation in supporting efforts to tackle malaria including in<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
Other multi-lateral agencies, apart from the African <strong>Development</strong> Bank,<br />
who are supporting the development of tourism are:<br />
Assistance to government<br />
• <strong>The</strong> European Union, via the European <strong>Development</strong> Fund.<br />
EDF supported interventions in the tourism sector in Africa<br />
include Kenya, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania and Uganda;<br />
• <strong>The</strong> World Bank, which, inter alia, is supporting the development<br />
of the tourism sector in Zambia via infrastructure and municipal<br />
development and which has financed privatisation activities in<br />
the sector including in Kenya and Tanzania;<br />
• UNDP, which has provided financial support to the sector, and<br />
UNWTO which implements technical assistance, for example, in<br />
tourism statistics and the development of tourism satellite<br />
accounts.<br />
Support to the private sector<br />
• African Project <strong>Development</strong> Facility, whose regional sponsor is<br />
the African <strong>Development</strong> Bank, and whose executing agency is<br />
the International Finance Corporation;<br />
• International Finance Corporation itself, providing loan and<br />
equity funding for major hotel and resort projects;<br />
• European Investment Bank, again focusing on major projects<br />
100
<strong>The</strong> challenge for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> in taking advantage of these sources of<br />
financial support for the private sector is for government to provide an<br />
appropriate environment, including a vigorous tourism marketing<br />
organisation that is engendering confidence and an appropriate<br />
backdrop for investment.<br />
Bi-lateral assistance<br />
Sources of assistance to the tourism sector elsewhere include:<br />
• EU bi-lateral donors, notably SNV Netherlands <strong>Development</strong><br />
Organisation, albeit focusing on specific countries, German<br />
Agency for Technical Co-operation (GTZ) and France, who are<br />
funding the construction of a tourism training school in Tanzania;<br />
• Japan Agency for International Cooperation (JICA), who funded<br />
a tourism master plan for Kenya;<br />
• United States Agency for International <strong>Development</strong> (USAID),<br />
who are supporting tourism development in a number of<br />
countries including Mozambique.<br />
Other agencies<br />
• <strong>The</strong> Aga Khan <strong>Development</strong> Network incorporates <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
Promotion Services which, through its Serena brand, has<br />
supported tourism development in Asia and East Africa<br />
<strong>The</strong> Department of State for <strong>Tourism</strong> and Culture will need to maintain<br />
co-ordination with other arms of government, including the Ministry of<br />
Finance, to ensure that the interests of tourism are fully considered<br />
when development priorities are being established with foreign donor<br />
agencies.<br />
101
TEN YEAR PLAN – PRIORITY PROJECTS<br />
First Rank<br />
<strong>The</strong> following projects are key to the implementation of the <strong>Plan</strong> and have greatest priority. <strong>The</strong>y require technical assistance that<br />
can potentially be supported initially by the African <strong>Development</strong> Bank while packages of support are negotiated with other donors<br />
such as the EU and UNDP/UNWTO. Overall responsibility for implementation will lie with the Department of State for <strong>Tourism</strong> and<br />
Culture. It would benefit if the private sector were to form an umbrella tourism association or federation along the lines found<br />
elsewhere in Africa to work with the Department of State.<br />
Project / Action Year Lead Partners Budget in<br />
US$<br />
1. Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building<br />
Department of State for <strong>Tourism</strong> and Culture<br />
1.1 Establishment of a <strong>Tourism</strong> Policy and <strong>Plan</strong>ning Unit within<br />
the Department of State with Technical Co-operation<br />
Support<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> Authority<br />
1.2.1 <strong>Tourism</strong> marketing leadership and actions for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>:<br />
• Capacity Building with long and/or short term TA,<br />
including 3-5 year strategic plan<br />
• Enhancement of the role of the private sector in<br />
tourism marketing with an enhanced and transparent<br />
role in the operations of the GTA<br />
1.2.2 Pilot marketing programme aimed at attracting new higher<br />
level business: TA and financial assistance<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />
• •<br />
•<br />
• •<br />
•<br />
1.2.3 Capacity building in tourism market data so <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s<br />
tourism sector has measures of performance • •<br />
1.2.4 Capacity building in reorganisation of TDA land, with site<br />
re-allocation for approved development projects and<br />
Dept of State<br />
for <strong>Tourism</strong> &<br />
Culture<br />
GTA, supported<br />
by Dept of State<br />
for <strong>Tourism</strong> &<br />
Culture<br />
GTA<br />
GTA<br />
GTA<br />
Source of TA support<br />
to be identified<br />
Source of TA support<br />
to be identified;<br />
Agreement on modus<br />
operandi between<br />
Dept of State and<br />
private sector<br />
associations<br />
Source of donor<br />
financial support to be<br />
identified<br />
CSO<br />
Approach to<br />
UNDP/UNWTO<br />
Dept of State for<br />
Local Government<br />
75,000<br />
100,000<br />
250,000<br />
50,000<br />
50,000<br />
102
Project / Action Year Lead Partners Budget in<br />
US$<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />
development briefs for key sites • • and Lands, with TA to<br />
be identified<br />
1.2.5 Capacity building in classification/licensing and regulation<br />
as a basis for a quality drive for hygiene in hotels and<br />
restaurants<br />
2. Destination Marketing<br />
2.1 Rebranding initiative: research in key originating markets,<br />
preparation of comprehensive branding programme and<br />
branding toolkit for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
2.2 Air Access programme:<br />
• Scheduled airline promotion<br />
• GCAA airline incentive schemes (dependent on<br />
outcome of scheduled airline promotion)<br />
•<br />
• •<br />
•<br />
• • • • • • • •<br />
GTA<br />
GTA<br />
GTA<br />
GCAA<br />
Director of Medical<br />
Services<br />
Source of TA support<br />
to be identified<br />
TA support<br />
GTA, Airlines<br />
50,000<br />
125,000<br />
30,000<br />
1,500,000<br />
(income<br />
rebate)<br />
2.3 Tour operator incentive schemes<br />
• • • • • • GTA Tour Operators 1,500,000<br />
2.4 Market research of further potential in US ‘roots’ market:<br />
GTA <strong>Tourism</strong> industry 30,000<br />
contact with identified tour operators by phone/email<br />
•<br />
3. Product <strong>Development</strong><br />
3.1 Research with EU tour operators on required product<br />
GTA Industry 50,000<br />
improvements in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> for them to bring their<br />
•<br />
higher spending customers, leading to an expansion of<br />
visitor attractions<br />
3.2 Create attractive environment in existing TDA – seek to<br />
GTA Kanifing LGA 100,000<br />
eliminate sand mining, eliminate deforestation, stop<br />
unapproved development and eliminate existing<br />
unapproved development<br />
• • • •<br />
3.3 Prepare action plans for Senegambia <strong>Tourism</strong> Centre and<br />
GTA Kanifing LGA Industry 500,000<br />
clean, secure and maintain undeveloped areas of TDA 1 • • • •<br />
3.4 Training of local tour guides with pilot programme at a<br />
location to be decided (potentially James Island and/or<br />
Jufereh)<br />
• • • • • •<br />
GTA<br />
Community<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> Industry<br />
50,000<br />
103
Project / Action Year Lead Partners Budget in<br />
US$<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />
3.5 Ninki Nanka Trail along the River <strong>Gambia</strong> – Local<br />
Accommodation, Traditional Crafts, River Transport • • • •<br />
3.6 Festival Programme for <strong>Gambia</strong> to enhance tourism –<br />
music, entertainment and culture • • • • • • • •<br />
4. Quality in tourism establishments<br />
4.1 Establishment of minimum standards for ‘tourist hotels’<br />
and enforcement by licensing control; advise tour<br />
operators of properties that are no longer licensed; review<br />
of investment incentives for refurbishment<br />
4.2 Review of all-inclusive policy via policy research and study<br />
tour<br />
•<br />
• •<br />
GTA<br />
GTA<br />
GTA<br />
Dept of State<br />
for <strong>Tourism</strong> &<br />
Culture<br />
GTA<br />
ASSET members<br />
Village Communities<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> Industry<br />
ASSET, NCAC<br />
Local Associations<br />
Technical assistance<br />
to be identified<br />
4.3 Institute annual <strong>Gambia</strong> tourism awards<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> industry Sponsorship<br />
•<br />
associations<br />
5. Social issues<br />
5.1 ‘Bumsters’:<br />
GTA LGAs and NGOs 300,000<br />
• Devise and implement bumsterism action<br />
• • • • • • • •<br />
programme including revenue earning activities for<br />
bumsters e.g. beach allocations for retailing and<br />
assistance with products for sale.<br />
• <strong>Plan</strong> and implement bumster free areas especially at<br />
the airport<br />
6. Human Resource <strong>Development</strong><br />
6.1 Improved customer service and opportunities for young<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> Hotel GTA 4,000,000<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>ns by upgrading <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> Hotel School to<br />
• • • • • • • • School<br />
National <strong>Tourism</strong> Training Institute: plan and develop to<br />
include hotel, cultural guides and bird watching guides<br />
6.2 Training of trainers • • • • • • • GHS GTA 400,000<br />
7. Responsible <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
7.1 Linkage of mainstream travel industry with community<br />
ASSET<br />
GTA<br />
200,000<br />
development and poverty alleviation • • • • • • • •<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong><br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> Foundation<br />
100,000<br />
175,000<br />
150,000<br />
40,000<br />
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Project / Action Year Lead Partners Budget in<br />
US$<br />
8. Linkages<br />
8.1 Secure the future of ‘<strong>Gambia</strong> is Good’ and develop other<br />
similar programmes<br />
9. Infrastructure<br />
9.1 Management to prevent fire and speedy closure of<br />
Bakoteh Solid Waste Dump<br />
9.2 Rehabilitation of Kotu Wastewater Treatment <strong>Plan</strong>t,<br />
including extension of the sewage system<br />
9.3 Installation of a drainage system and interceptors at Kotu<br />
power plant to prevent oil spills and waste oil storage;<br />
initial one month study required<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />
Concern<br />
• • • • • • • • Concern<br />
Universal/other<br />
NGO’s<br />
(UK)<br />
100,000<br />
• • • NAWEC LGAs 250,000<br />
• • NAWEC LGAs 150,000<br />
• • NEA NAWEC 30,000 (for<br />
TA to assess<br />
main causes<br />
of pollution<br />
and provide<br />
solutions)<br />
9.4 Resolve reliable provision of electricity • • • • National<br />
Agenda<br />
9.5 Support and encouragement for construction and<br />
operation of a private health clinic available to tourists as<br />
well as <strong>Gambia</strong>ns<br />
• • • • • • Private sector DOSTC, Ministry of<br />
Health<br />
To be defined<br />
105
Second Rank<br />
<strong>The</strong> following projects are highly desirable in terms of product improvement, aimed at linking with private sector development in<br />
improving product quality in order to secure higher spending visitors, with a more diversified clientele that can form a basis for the<br />
progressive expansion of tourism into new areas and activities.<br />
Project / Action Year Lead Partners Budget in<br />
US$<br />
3. Product <strong>Development</strong><br />
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />
3.7 Information Centres • • • • GTA Industry 200,000<br />
3.8 Beach Quality: ‘Blue Flag’ beach project employing<br />
bumster labour<br />
• • • • GTA Kanifing LGA<br />
Environment<br />
3.9 Prepare plans and implement Kololi Beach Park • • GTA Kanifing LGA<br />
Industry<br />
3.10 Prepare plans and implement Kololi Parkway and Bird<br />
Watching Centre<br />
• GTA LGA, Min of Agric,<br />
Bird-watching Assoc.<br />
3.11 Prepare plans and implement Bijilo Forest • GT A<br />
3.12 Prepare plans and implement Western River Trail • • • • GTA LGAs 50,000<br />
3.13 Prepare and implement <strong>Tourism</strong> Signage Programme • • • • GTA LGAs 50,000<br />
3.14 Prepare plans for other areas, as necessary • • • • • • • • GTA LGAs 125,000<br />
3.15 <strong>Development</strong> of visitor centres at one or more heritage<br />
• • National<br />
Community<br />
100,000<br />
sites, to include revenue earning activities (retail, food &<br />
Council for Arts<br />
beverage), working with communities – initially in Jufureh,<br />
and Culture<br />
Banjul Heritage Trail and Fort Bullen<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> industry<br />
6. Human Resource <strong>Development</strong><br />
6.3 <strong>Tourism</strong> awareness programme • • • • • • • GHS GTA 500,000<br />
LG A<br />
DOSTC<br />
100,000<br />
150,000<br />
100,000<br />
50,000<br />
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Project / Action Year Lead Partners Budget in<br />
US$<br />
7. Responsible <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
7.2 Encourage development of eco-beach and eco-‘bolong’<br />
lodges in South Coast and Western River Areas<br />
8. Linkages<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />
• • • • • • • • • GTA<br />
8.1 Institutional support to producer associations • • • • • • • • • Min. of Agric. GTA 200,000<br />
9. Infrastructure<br />
9.5 Construction of storm water drainage and control of runoff • •<br />
from developments adjacent to the beach to a standard<br />
that safeguards the beach from erosion and the bathing<br />
water from contamination<br />
9.6 Control of waste burning in and around the TDA, followed • • • •<br />
by better management of domestic solid waste collection<br />
and treatment<br />
9.7 Green Hotel Programme • • GTA Industry<br />
9.8 Back-up generators at NAWEC’s borewells • NAWEC<br />
10. Environmental Management<br />
10.1 Environmental Improvements • • • • • • • • • NEA DPWM<br />
100,000<br />
National<br />
Agenda<br />
National<br />
Agenda<br />
100,000<br />
250,000<br />
500,000<br />
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11.8 Monitoring and Control<br />
<strong>The</strong> projects and the strategies have to be regularly monitored and we<br />
propose that key measures of the success of the <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> should<br />
include those presented in Figure 11.1.<br />
Figure 11.1 – Monitoring the Five Year Action <strong>Plan</strong><br />
MEASURES OF SUCCESS<br />
<strong>Gambia</strong>n views<br />
from annual<br />
resident survey<br />
Visitor satisfaction<br />
from annual visitor<br />
survey<br />
Tourist arrivals<br />
but in WTO format<br />
Hotel O/F and<br />
RevPAR from<br />
special analysis<br />
To put this monitoring in place it will be necessary for GTA (working with the<br />
Central Statistical Office - CSO) to establish:<br />
• Tourist arrival statistics but in accord with World <strong>Tourism</strong> Organisation<br />
(WTO) definitions and procedures; and<br />
• Annual returns from the local hotel industry giving key performance<br />
measures such as room occupancies, and revenue per available room.<br />
It should also seek to put in place in due course an annual survey of visitors,<br />
although there needs to be a mechanism in place to follow up the findings<br />
where action is necessary to solve problems that are identified.<br />
Such measures with key performance indicators will allow the TDMP to keep<br />
on track or to be refined accordingly in the light of new information.<br />
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11.9 Commitment<br />
For the Vision articulated in this <strong>Plan</strong> to be brought to fruition requires<br />
political commitment, co-operation within Government and between<br />
Government and the private sector. It requires change on the part of<br />
institutions, both in terms of their technical capacity and in terms of an<br />
increased recognition of how essential it is for them to work together<br />
towards a common goal. It requires <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s tourism industry as<br />
a whole to work together, including working with their existing foreign<br />
partners, and to develop new partnerships and alliances.<br />
Working in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>’s favour is the relatively small size of the<br />
country and its tourism industry. While such co-ordinated action is<br />
particularly difficult to achieve in larger countries with higher<br />
populations, it should be easier to bring about in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. Smaller<br />
countries such as Singapore and Mauritius have shown how much can<br />
be achieved by having a clear vision for tourism development that is<br />
widely shared, and by a determination to bring change about to the<br />
benefit of wider civil society and the population overall.<br />
Given co-operation and co-ordination, with regular reviews of the progress<br />
being achieved with adjustments to the action plan as required, <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
should be able to see a new step forward in its tourism that makes it a<br />
distinctive 21 st century African destination, rather than one that is a copy of a<br />
Mediterranean tourism destination of the last century.<br />
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ANNEXES<br />
1 List of Technical Reports for the TDMP<br />
2 Impact Assessment of All-Inclusive <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
3 Institutions<br />
4 Indicators from Other <strong>Tourism</strong> Destinations<br />
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ANNEX 1 – LIST OF TECHNICAL REPORTS<br />
Sector<br />
Expert<br />
1 <strong>The</strong> Economic Impact of <strong>Tourism</strong> Victor Curtin<br />
2 Air Access John Dawson<br />
3 Visitor Survey (at the airport) David McEwen<br />
4 Visitor Survey (at hotels) David McEwen<br />
5 Marketing and Promotion John Pritchard<br />
6 Product <strong>Development</strong> Brian Gurnett/Oliver Bennett<br />
with Deloitte <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong><br />
7 Physical <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Plan</strong>ning John Robinson<br />
8 River Cruise Product Abou Jallow/Brian Gurnett<br />
9 Agricultural Linkages Paul Guenette<br />
10 Human Resource <strong>Development</strong> Larry Bowman<br />
11 <strong>Tourism</strong> Related Social Factors Adelaide Sosseh<br />
12 Cultural <strong>Tourism</strong> Adama Bah<br />
13 Environmental Issues Raymond Colley<br />
14 Parks Management Raymond Colley<br />
15 <strong>Tourism</strong> Related Infrastructure Bruce Pollock<br />
16 <strong>Tourism</strong> Legislation Ida Drameh<br />
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ANNEX 2 - IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF ALL-INCLUSIVE TOURISM<br />
1. Introduction<br />
<strong>The</strong> all-inclusive holiday concept refers to vacations where virtually everything<br />
is included in a pre-paid price – from airport transfers, baggage handling,<br />
government taxes, room, all meals, snacks, drinks and cigarettes, to the use of<br />
all facilities, equipment and certified instructors. Even gratuities (tips and<br />
service charges) and nightly entertainment can be included in the price. <strong>The</strong><br />
result is that visitors know in advance the cost of the majority of elements of<br />
their holiday.<br />
For the consumer, the all-inclusive holiday has brought financial certainty to<br />
vacation planning, eliminating the risk (common with pre-paid bed and<br />
breakfast packages) that the price of additional “extras” (airport transfers,<br />
meals, cigarettes, drink, service charge, value-added tax, energy surcharges<br />
and petrol) might turn out to be more than budgeted. With an all-inclusive<br />
vacation, all financial decisions are largely pre-paid and pre-made. <strong>The</strong>refore,<br />
any extra spending on the holiday (for example on telephone calls, laundry<br />
and shopping) is because guests want to, rather than because they need to.<br />
2. Advantages and Disadvantages<br />
<strong>The</strong> attraction of the all-inclusive concept lies in its value-for-money appeal to<br />
consumers and the simplification of procedures and control that it offers<br />
management. Travel agents also like to sell all-inclusives as they can earn<br />
commissions on the whole package.<br />
All-inclusive resorts also offer advantages to their employees. With higher year<br />
round occupancy rates, the all-inclusive package ensures greater job stability<br />
and security, and more tax revenue for Government.<br />
<strong>The</strong> main criticisms of the all-inclusive concept have been directed at the<br />
“enclave” type of tourism it engenders (more suited to the Caribbean where<br />
the concept is most highly developed largely because of security concerns);<br />
the lower potential for spending and linkages outside the hotel; and the<br />
oftentimes poor quality of food (all-day buffets) that is available. Some critics<br />
feel that, if widely adopted – especially by 4* and 5* hotels – the all-inclusive<br />
product could further cheapen the image of the district as the quality of the<br />
product, especially food and service standards, would inevitably deteriorate.<br />
3. Government Policy<br />
Following the introduction of all-inclusive packages in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, particularly<br />
at the Sunwing Hotel and Palma Rima and subsequent comments from local<br />
restaurant owners, tourist guides, and beach bar owners as well as from the<br />
general public about discrimination against local people about the economic<br />
and social impact of this new phenomenon type, the National Tourist Office<br />
conducted a survey of the general public as well as tourism industry<br />
stakeholders in order to assess whether or not the negative impacts of allinclusives<br />
outweighed the positive ones so as to enable the Secretary of State<br />
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for <strong>Tourism</strong> and Culture to make an informed decision on the policy to be<br />
adopted vis-à-vis this new trend in tourism and international travel.<br />
<strong>The</strong> question posed somewhat rhetorically was “what is the real income<br />
retained in the national economy when a large proportion of earnings are<br />
funnelled back to the multi national corporations, airlines, tour operators<br />
themselves and the foreign-owned hotels offshore account in foreign<br />
exchange”.<br />
<strong>The</strong> study concluded that “the National Tourist Office cannot at this stage lend<br />
its support to the introduction and operation of AI in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as practised<br />
at the Sunwing hotel” 1 . <strong>The</strong> main objections appeared to be<br />
• loss in sales tax<br />
• zero multiplier effect<br />
• the entrance fee charged for local residents (this appeared to be the most<br />
controversial factor)<br />
Following publication of the report, it is understood that the Government is now<br />
opposed to the adoption of the all-inclusive concept in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>.<br />
“If the introduction of the all-inclusives in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> had been preceded by proper<br />
and forward planning and proper sensitisation of all stakeholders then it would not<br />
have faced that resistance that it did. <strong>The</strong> public would have been made to<br />
understand that the package is only an option among a broad range of alternatives<br />
open to tourists some of whom would not have come to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> if this “bargain<br />
package” was not offered to them. Attracting this new type of tourists into the country<br />
would have meant bringing more money into the country if hotels and tour operators<br />
offering the package are locally owned and managed.” Technical Report 15, <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
Related Social Factors<br />
4. Market Demand<br />
Throughout the world, there is a growing move by hoteliers in resort<br />
destinations in favour of the all-inclusive concept. This proportion is expected<br />
to grow, partly because the market likes it and partly because hotels like it.<br />
For <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> (which is heavily dependent on the British market), it is highly<br />
significant that this market has warmed to all-inclusives more than any other<br />
global market, perhaps with the exception of the USA. <strong>The</strong> number of allinclusive<br />
holidays taken by UK tourists rose from 170,000 in 1995 to 820,000<br />
in 1998 and over one million in 2003, and now represents close to 10 percent<br />
of all holidays taken by UK tourists. <strong>The</strong>se numbers are expected to continue<br />
to increase. According to a recent Mintel survey, value for money is the most<br />
important factor in deciding to take an all-inclusive holiday. <strong>The</strong> next most<br />
important reasons for choosing all-inclusives were that they allow people to<br />
know how much they are going to spend in advance; they are good for<br />
families; and they offer a wide range of facilities and entertainment.<br />
1 Report on the Survey of the All-inclusive (A1) Phenomenon in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> (<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> National<br />
Tourist Office, December 1998),<br />
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5. Conclusions and Recommendations<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a risk involved in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> turning its back on what is now a<br />
clearly established market preference (and not so fundamentally different from<br />
the half-board – or even full-board – packages already offered by many of the<br />
country’s tourist hotels and lodges). This could mean offering an important<br />
advantage to its competitors. Consideration should be given to embracing this<br />
and other new demand-driven developments while at the same time seeking<br />
to mitigate negative impacts of all-inclusive tourism.<br />
For example, it is possible using charge cards (as many hotels in the<br />
Caribbean and elsewhere already do) to operate an all-inclusive system mixed<br />
with the traditional half and full board packages which will also allow nonresidents<br />
to visit the hotel and enjoy and pay for whatever meals, drinks or<br />
other facilities they choose to use (rather than be charged a fixed entrance fee<br />
which proved the most contentious issue when previously adopted at the<br />
Sunwing Hotel).<br />
However, the all-inclusive product would not be suitable for all properties as a<br />
minimum size of around 150 rooms seems to be necessary. This means that<br />
bars and restaurants which have developed in the vicinity of hotels would still<br />
be able to draw business from guests staying at smaller hotels or in<br />
apartments, as well as guests from all-inclusive resorts wishing to sample<br />
something different. All-inclusive resorts are only too ready to see their guests<br />
going out for meals and drinks which have already been included in the<br />
package price.<br />
In addition, in some holiday destinations (for example Barbados) all-inclusive<br />
resorts as well as conventional hotels offer their guests a ‘dine around’<br />
package as part of the pre-paid price which enables them to dine out once<br />
during their vacation a week at no extra cost.<br />
Also, as already happens at some of the larger hotels in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, vendors<br />
can be permitted to display and sell their craft on the hotel premises. Hotels<br />
can go even a step farther by not themselves operating craft shops in<br />
competition with local vendors.<br />
<strong>The</strong> concept of the all-inclusive holiday adds another type of vacation, brings<br />
more diversity to a destination and possibly opens up new markets.<br />
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ANNEX 3 - INSTITUTIONS<br />
Overall Structure<br />
Successful tourism development tends to require collaboration between<br />
government and the private sector and collaboration within government, given<br />
that tourism development is a cross departmental issue. It involves aspects<br />
such as education, health, community development, physical planning,<br />
transport and infrastructure.<br />
Within <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> specific responsibility for tourism lies with the Department<br />
of State for <strong>Tourism</strong> and Culture. <strong>The</strong> principal agency for the execution of<br />
policy is <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> Authority.<br />
Department of State for <strong>Tourism</strong> and Culture<br />
<strong>The</strong> role of the Department of State, in relation to tourism, is primarily to<br />
determine and promulgate policy in relation to the sector, to ensure that the<br />
interests of the sector are represented within government and to promote<br />
collaboration between all the stakeholders concerned. <strong>The</strong> Department is<br />
thinly resourced for the tasks it has to undertake, given that they also<br />
embrace a supervisory role in relation to the National Council for Arts and<br />
Culture as well as <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> Authority.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> Authority (GTA)<br />
GTA Powers<br />
<strong>The</strong> GTA was established under the <strong>Gambia</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> Authority Act, 2001.<br />
<strong>The</strong> GTA took over a number of responsibilities previously held by the<br />
Department of State for <strong>Tourism</strong> and Culture<br />
<strong>The</strong> primary function of the GTA is to “market <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as an attractive<br />
tourist destination through the use of appropriate promotional and marketing<br />
activities” Among the prescribed responsibilities in support of this primary<br />
function are:<br />
• promotion of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as a tourism destination<br />
• declaration, development and upgrade of the <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong><br />
Areas<br />
• tourism research including tourism statistics<br />
• hotel classification<br />
• licensing of tourism enterprises<br />
• tourism training<br />
• tourism awareness<br />
<strong>The</strong> GTA has powers to establish outlet offices and, with the permission of the<br />
Secretary of State, to impose levies for its services. It can appoint<br />
committees to carry out specified functions on its behalf.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Board of the GTA comprises eight people, a Chairperson from the private<br />
sector, the Permanent Secretary of the Department of State, the Managing<br />
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Director of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> International Airlines, three persons from the private<br />
sector with experience in tourism and the Director General of the GTA. Ex<br />
officio Board members are appointed by the President on the<br />
recommendation of the Secretary of State. <strong>The</strong> Director General is appointed<br />
by the President on the recommendation of the Secretary of State after<br />
consultation with the Board.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re appears to be conflict in the exercise of the GTA’s powers in relation to<br />
other legislation. Whilst its responsibilities have not been reduced its powers<br />
and its revenue collection to carry these out have been curtailed as follows:<br />
• powers to collect the tourism levy, actually being collected by the<br />
Ministry of Finance;<br />
• powers to collect revenue from rates in the TDA, where subsequent<br />
legislation has returned rates to the local authority;<br />
• powers to license tourism attractions, where power has again been<br />
transferred to local government.<br />
Structure<br />
<strong>The</strong> GTA has five divisions under the Director General. <strong>The</strong>se cover:<br />
• Marketing<br />
• <strong>Tourism</strong> Human Resource <strong>Development</strong><br />
• <strong>Development</strong> and Investment<br />
• Quality and Licensing<br />
• Finance and Administration<br />
Total staff complement totals approximately 40 personnel.<br />
<strong>The</strong> GTA has an office in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> High Commission in London and<br />
representation in Germany, Norway, Spain and Sweden.<br />
Capacity<br />
<strong>The</strong> GTA suffers from limited resources both in terms of human capacity and<br />
in terms of financial resources. It appears to have been the intention at the<br />
time of the Authority’s formation that funding would come at least to a degree<br />
from the dedicated tourism levy. In the event, the GTA is dependent on<br />
financing from the Ministry of Finance. It is also subject to public sector salary<br />
constraints, which has the unfortunate effect of undue numbers of personnel<br />
wishing to travel – for example, to attend travel trade fairs – in order to claim<br />
per diems, effectively as a salary supplement. Such attendance may be a<br />
mis-allocation of limited resources.<br />
Role of the Private Sector<br />
<strong>The</strong> private sector in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> is represented via a varied range of<br />
organizations. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> Hotel Association plays a prominent role as does<br />
the Association of Small Enterprises in Tourist (ASSET). That said, there is<br />
no overall umbrella organisation for the tourism sector as exists in a number<br />
of other African countries - for example, Kenya has the Kenya <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
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Federation which brings together individual tourism sector associations to<br />
provide a single voice on key issues, while Namibia has the Federation of<br />
Namibia <strong>Tourism</strong> Associations (FENATA).<br />
However, in 2005, a <strong>Tourism</strong> Stakeholders Marketing and Promotion Group<br />
(TSMPG) was established, with sub-groups on product development, target<br />
markets, advertising, trade and consumer fairs, investor incentives and<br />
funding.<br />
Tourist Board Best Practice<br />
<strong>The</strong> establishment of an all-embracing <strong>Tourism</strong> Authority was ambitious. <strong>The</strong><br />
most common role of a national tourism organization is to focus on destination<br />
marketing, with product development, licensing and human resource<br />
development dealt with by other bodies. This has the clear advantage of<br />
focusing the organisation on a single strand of activity.<br />
That <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> has an organisation for tourism marketing and promotion<br />
separate from the Ministry of <strong>Tourism</strong> and Culture in itself reflects industry<br />
best practice. A number of countries still depend on Government Ministries to<br />
undertake this task, an arrangement which has been widely demonstrated as<br />
sub-optimal. <strong>The</strong> challenge is whether it is possible for the GTA to be<br />
effective in marketing and promotion for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> at the same time as<br />
undertaking product development, licensing and human resource<br />
development tasks.<br />
Industry best practice can be demonstrated by a number of countries.<br />
Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore are widely regarded as leading tourist<br />
boards in the way they operate. In the UK the British Tourist Authority also<br />
overlaps in foreign marketing with Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland<br />
Tourist Boards, all of which market abroad with their own budgets, which<br />
brings about confusion of roles. While these are all much larger and better<br />
funded organizations than is the case in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, they illustrate some<br />
general rules about national tourism organisations.<br />
Australia: While Australia as a federal country exhibits special<br />
characteristics, the lead body, the Australian Tourist Commission (ATC) is<br />
widely recognised as a world leader in tourism marketing and promotion. It<br />
has ten board members, eight of whom are drawn from the private sector, and<br />
about 100 staff. <strong>The</strong> ATC takes primary responsibility for marketing Brand<br />
Australia abroad. In 2000/2001 the ATC spent A$118.6 million (US$ 61<br />
million) on its global activities, of which approximately A$89 million (75%) was<br />
spent on marketing and promotion. While the majority of ATC’s funding<br />
comes from government, industry and state/territorial governments contribute<br />
matching funds to ATC co-operative campaigns; amounts vary from year to<br />
year.<br />
<strong>The</strong> ATC produces an annual report which details its activities and audit<br />
report from the Auditor-General. <strong>The</strong> ATC prepares objectives, outcome<br />
indicators and output indicators which allow its overall performance to be<br />
measured. This is public information.<br />
Key objectives are:<br />
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•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
to increase the number of visitors to Australia from overseas and<br />
Australia’s share of international tourism;<br />
to maximise the benefits to Australia from overseas visitors through<br />
increased inbound tourist expenditure, number of visitor nights and<br />
geographic dispersal;<br />
to ensure that Australia is protected from adverse environmental and<br />
social impacts of international tourism.<br />
For each objective there is a series of outcome indicators and of output<br />
indicators. An outcome indicator can be increase market share and an output<br />
indicator can relate to consumer and/or trade marketing. For example an<br />
output indicator can be a minimum number of appropriate media visits to<br />
Australia as part of a Visiting Journalists Programme.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Plan</strong>ning and Evaluation process used by the ATC is illustrated in the<br />
diagram below.<br />
Corporate <strong>Plan</strong><br />
- States corporate<br />
objectives over a fiveyear<br />
period, linked to<br />
statutory objectives<br />
- Outlines strategies:<br />
global and regional<br />
- Includes outlook for<br />
international tourism into<br />
Australia<br />
Outcome<br />
Indicators<br />
Operational <strong>Plan</strong><br />
- Details specific plans<br />
and activities for a 1-<br />
year period based on<br />
corporate objectives and<br />
strategies<br />
- Specifies and allocates<br />
resources<br />
Output Indicators<br />
Project <strong>Plan</strong>s<br />
Details specific activities and<br />
resources and performance<br />
measures linked to overall<br />
objectives<br />
Evaluation<br />
Criteria and<br />
Milestones<br />
Performance<br />
Management<br />
System<br />
Identifies, monitors and<br />
reviews individual<br />
performance through the<br />
ATC’s performance<br />
management system<br />
Individual<br />
Objectives<br />
This shows how the 5-year plan for the ATC links into the annual plan, to<br />
specific projects and to the performance management of individuals within the<br />
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organisation, as well as to the outcome indicators. <strong>The</strong>se latter in turn relate<br />
directly to the objectives.<br />
Hong Kong: <strong>The</strong> Hong Kong Tourist Association has as its principal role the<br />
marketing of Hong Kong abroad. Set up in 1957 by Government Ordinance, it<br />
also acts as a conduit between the industry it represents and the government.<br />
It has a Board of Management of 11 which is being expanded to 20 to provide<br />
a broad representation of tourism industry interests. <strong>The</strong> Association is also<br />
being re-named the Hong Kong <strong>Tourism</strong> Board, following a decision to phase<br />
out its membership scheme. <strong>The</strong> staff is headed by an Executive Director<br />
and her deputy, with a Finance and Administration Director and four General<br />
Managers.<br />
It publishes five year marketing plans to set out the HKTA’s global and<br />
regional objectives and strategies, and also the key performance indicators<br />
that the HKTA will use in evaluating the progress of the plan. <strong>The</strong> focus of the<br />
last plan was on boosting tourism receipts through capturing the high-yield<br />
segments of Hong Kong’s markets and on promoting new market segments<br />
including new geographic markets such as the Middle East and India. <strong>The</strong><br />
dominant part of the budget of the HKTA comes from a Government<br />
subvention derived from a hotel tax. <strong>The</strong> organisation publishes an annual<br />
report which details its activities and provides full details of its audited<br />
accounts.<br />
Singapore: <strong>The</strong> Singapore <strong>Tourism</strong> Board (STB) has a 12 person board of<br />
directors, the Chairman and Chief Executive and 10 others, all but one of<br />
whom come from the private sector. Three senior directors report to the CEO<br />
and the audit function direct to the Chairman. <strong>The</strong> STB has adopted a vision<br />
for the destination and also established an International Advisory Council<br />
which comprises eight leading tourism figures from outside the Republic,<br />
aimed at bringing international expertise to Singapore to interact with the local<br />
industry leaders. <strong>The</strong> STB, as in Hong Kong, gains its income from a<br />
dedicated tax on hotels, i.e. the more business it generates for Singapore the<br />
more revenue it generates for itself. However, the STB is somewhat secretive<br />
in relation to its financial picture; its accounts are not included in its annual<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> Year Book (which describes the Board’s activities) and the STB<br />
declined to make even basic figures available to us for this report.<br />
STB Mission Statement: Our purpose is to establish Singapore as a leading<br />
force in global tourism and a unique and attractive destination, offering an<br />
integrated tourism experience linked to regional development. We are valued<br />
partners and pioneers of new frontiers of total tourism business. We promote<br />
economic prosperity and enhance the quality of life in Singapore. We are an<br />
organisation that makes a difference.<br />
United Kingdom: <strong>The</strong> British Tourist Authority, like Singapore, has a 12<br />
person board; five represent national tourist boards and the remainder are all<br />
from the private sector. <strong>The</strong> Chief Executive is supported by a Deputy and six<br />
separate departments. Unlike Singapore and Hong Kong, the BTA obtains its<br />
prime source of funding from the government. <strong>The</strong>re has been a long standing<br />
struggle for the BTA to obtain what it regards as adequate funding. <strong>The</strong> BTA<br />
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sets specific performance targets annually; the results are published in its<br />
annual report and accounts.<br />
Other EU countries: National tourism organisations in the majority of EU<br />
countries have government as their primary source of income. <strong>The</strong>re are<br />
some instances of revenues from dedicated taxation, such as in Portugal<br />
where funding comes largely from a tax on gambling. Some obtain a<br />
significant portion of their income from trading activities (as in Belgium,<br />
Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland and Luxembourg). Income from<br />
the private sector is also important in Netherlands and Ireland. Most typically<br />
around a third of expenditure is on administrative overheads with the<br />
remainder being spent on marketing & promotion or associated activities.<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> Authorities: In the majority of countries, the national tourism<br />
organisation focused on marketing, with other activities such as product<br />
development and training the responsibility of different organizations. In<br />
Africa, for example, the responsibility of the Kenya Tourist Board is limited to<br />
marketing and promotion; product development is the responsibility of the<br />
Ministry of <strong>Tourism</strong> and Wildlife and of the Kenya Tourist <strong>Development</strong><br />
Corporation. <strong>The</strong>re is also an EU financed <strong>Tourism</strong> Trust Fund, seeking to<br />
support the development of community and smaller scale enterprises in<br />
tourism. In Namibia, the newly established Namibia <strong>Tourism</strong> Board is<br />
responsible for marketing, licensing and human resource development in<br />
tourism, but not for other aspects of product development.<br />
In Malta, a <strong>Tourism</strong> Authority was established in 1999 with the view of<br />
bringing all tourism related activities under one roof under the overall aegis of<br />
the Ministry of <strong>Tourism</strong>. Its functions cover marketing and promotion, human<br />
resource development, product planning and development and enforcement<br />
(including licensing). In 2004 an organizational review was undertaken as the<br />
Authority was not perceived by government to be operating effectively.<br />
During this review serious consideration was given to splitting up the Authority<br />
into separate bodies with clear responsibilities for each body. In the event, it<br />
was decided to undertake a major re-structuring, including the simplification of<br />
the organisational structure and closure of most of the Authority’s foreign<br />
offices, to achieve better effectiveness and value for money.<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Corporations<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Corporations are, in some countries, used as a vehicle<br />
for the delivery of the development of specific areas of land for tourism. A<br />
classic example is the Bali <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Corporation (BTDC). BTDC<br />
was set up in 1973 as a state-owned company to develop and manage 350<br />
hectares of previously non-productive land as a <strong>Tourism</strong> Zone on the<br />
southern tip of Bali, Indonesia. <strong>The</strong> BTDC has had total control over the<br />
development of the <strong>Tourism</strong> Zone, without the kind of mixed responsibilities<br />
that arise with the TDA’s in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. Resort sites were defined under an<br />
overall master plan and infrastructure was built under a soft loan from the<br />
World Bank. Design guidelines were established to ensure that all buildings<br />
would be low rise, low density and in harmony with Balinese architectural<br />
practices. An allied development was the establishment of a Hotel and<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> Management Training Centre to train staff for the resorts.<br />
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“Nusa Dua is the result of an innovative idea first applied in Indonesia: the<br />
development and management of a resort complex by one supervisory body.<br />
This makes the building procedure simpler and more cost-effective and it also<br />
makes it easier to carry out policies protecting the local culture and<br />
environment, to enforce standards of quality, and to ensure a coherent design<br />
concept.” Nusa Dua, a template for success, BTDC<br />
<strong>Development</strong> was slow to start, with the first resort not being opened until<br />
1983 but then the momentum grew and the last of the ten resort properties<br />
was opened in 1991 along with the Bali Golf and Country Club. <strong>The</strong> BTDC’s<br />
role is now to manage the site, financed by its rental incomes, with activities<br />
that include prevention of beach erosion, nature conservation, landscaping,<br />
pest control and the strict supervision of every building project within the<br />
resort to ensure that construction is on the basis of approved plans and<br />
adheres to the BTDC’s design criteria, building code and local government<br />
regulations. It is in the process of progressively obtaining Green Globe 21<br />
certification.<br />
<strong>The</strong> BTDC collaborates with the Nusa Dua Community Forum and also has a<br />
programme of providing grant financing to small-scale entrepreneurs and<br />
cooperatives elsewhere in Indonesia.<br />
Other <strong>Tourism</strong> Zones have subsequently been established in Indonesia. In<br />
general these have been less successful. <strong>The</strong> Lombok <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong><br />
Corporation, set up on a similar model on an island close to Bali, has been<br />
dormant since 1999, with only one 4-star tenant hotel actually completed.<br />
<strong>The</strong> BTDC has taken over the management and development of three other<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> Zones in Indonesia. <strong>The</strong>se are in pioneering areas of the country<br />
from a tourism point of view, without the established commercial success of<br />
Bali, which formed the basis for the success of Nusa Dua itself.<br />
Aspects of Best Practice<br />
Aspects of international best practice in relation to national tourism boards<br />
can be summarised as follows:<br />
• A dedicated tourism marketing organisation with a Board which is<br />
dominated by the private sector;<br />
• A marketing plan which is discussed with the travel industry which the<br />
Board is aiming to support;<br />
• Operation to performance targets, which can be monitored by the<br />
sponsoring ministry;<br />
• A substantial budget which takes account of the particular<br />
circumstances of each destination;<br />
• Transparency in its operation, with as a minimum an annual report<br />
which should contain information on the moneys received and<br />
expended.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re also appears to be a link between the funding of tourism marketing via<br />
dedicated taxation and success in tourism marketing. <strong>The</strong> Australian Tourist<br />
Commission has received a part of its revenues through a component of the<br />
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airport departure charge, and in Hong Kong and Singapore funding comes via<br />
dedicated hotel taxes. This gives the tourism board a direct incentive to<br />
perform, i.e. the better it does the more money it gets. Of course, if tourism<br />
receipts fall then so does the board’s income. A contrasting situation is in the<br />
UK, where the British Tourist Authority seems to be in an incessant struggle to<br />
secure government funds which arise from general taxation.<br />
For each market there should be a clearly defined annual strategy with<br />
performance indicators which show how the effort will be measured. This<br />
should be a coherent component of an overall marketing strategy. IBest<br />
practice is the kind of planning process that is implemented by the Australian<br />
Tourist Commission, with clearly defined objectives and performance<br />
measures. <strong>The</strong>se form a coherent whole both for the organisation and for the<br />
individuals within it.<br />
As regards land development for tourism, the Bali <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong><br />
Corporation has shown the merits of a single authority having unambiguous<br />
and unchallenged control over a <strong>Tourism</strong> Zone and over the allocation of land<br />
within that zone, as well as of development control within a previously agreed<br />
master plan and within clearly defined design guidelines. This model is<br />
effectively the same as for urban development corporations elsewhere, tasked<br />
with the development of specific areas of land, and earning revenues from the<br />
rentals of developed land.<br />
Options of the future for the GTA<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are four broad options for the future of the GTA:<br />
• For the Authority to continue as prescribed under the 2001 Act, but with<br />
a strengthened capability and stronger financial support;<br />
• For the marketing and promotional activities to be divided from the<br />
product development, licensing and human resource development<br />
activities. An independent tourism marketing and promotion body<br />
could be financed jointly by the public and private sectors;<br />
• For the activities of the GTA to be returned to the Ministry of <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
and Culture;<br />
• For an umbrella organisation to be established covering the private<br />
sector and for marketing and promotional activities to be formally<br />
transferred to this new body.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ministry of <strong>Tourism</strong> and Culture is short of human and financial resources<br />
and it is not considered that any benefit would be achieved by returning the<br />
functions of the GTA to the Ministry. Rather, the Ministry needs to be<br />
strengthened so as to be in a better position to monitor and support the<br />
activities of the GTA.<br />
Transfer of marketing activities to a private sector organisation has appeal in<br />
that the <strong>Tourism</strong> Stakeholders Marketing and Promotion Group has<br />
demonstrated the capabilities that exist in the private sector. However, there<br />
are few examples outside the USA of private sector run tourism organizations,<br />
principally a reflection of a need for funding from general taxation or via<br />
government from a dedicated tax.<br />
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On the business of international best practice, serious consideration should<br />
be given to the option of dividing the marketing responsibilities of the GTA<br />
from its other activities. <strong>The</strong> pros and cons of this option as against<br />
maintaining these activities within the GTA are summarised below:<br />
Continuation of GTA as an all<br />
embracing tourism<br />
organisation<br />
Separation of GTA into two<br />
different organisations<br />
Advantages<br />
• Potential for coordination<br />
of activities<br />
• Potential for private<br />
sector drive and funding<br />
for tourism marketing<br />
Disadvantages<br />
• Lack of focus<br />
• Weak private sector<br />
influence<br />
• Requirement for new<br />
legislation<br />
• May result in product and<br />
human resource<br />
development receiving<br />
inadequate attention<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is little doubt that while the GTA has been a step forward it has failed to<br />
fulfill its potential. This appears to be a result of:<br />
• Weaknesses in human capacity, in part a reflection of relatively low<br />
public sector salaries;<br />
• A role of the Board that fails to meet the standards of international best<br />
practice, with insufficient independence of action and insufficient<br />
independent private sector representation;<br />
• Legislative confusion, including in relation to the GTA’s responsibilities<br />
for the TDA and to the collection of the tourism levy;<br />
• Inadequate financing and inappropriate overseas representation.<br />
International best practice suggests that the Board must be representative of<br />
the different interests of the private sector and accountable to its<br />
stakeholders, both government and the private sector. This latter<br />
accountability is most commonly achieved by the different tourism industry<br />
associations being able to decide on their representation independent of<br />
political influence. Equally on the basis of international best practice the<br />
Director General should be appointed by the Board.<br />
Conclusion and Recommendations<br />
A successful tourism organisation is fundamental to the future of tourism in<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. Continuation of the GTA as it is of 2005 will not meet the<br />
country’s needs.<br />
<strong>The</strong> choice is whether to seek to strengthen the GTA on the basis of the<br />
structure that exists as of 2005 or whether to divide it into a marketing<br />
organisation and one that deals with the TDA, licensing and human resource<br />
development. A possible variant is to return the latter functions to a<br />
strengthened Department of State for <strong>Tourism</strong> and Culture.<br />
Creative and positive marketing does not mix well with physical development<br />
and licensing enforcement in the same organisation. Each require very<br />
different skills. Third parties and staff are confused by the combination of<br />
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police /legal controls with marketing promotion. Enforcement sits better in a<br />
Ministry and promotion in a private sector body.<br />
If <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> was starting from a clean slate, there is much to recommend a<br />
tourism organisation that focuses on marketing in line with international best<br />
practice, and a <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Corporation responsible for the TDAs<br />
and for other functions including licensing. This would allow the GTA or<br />
whatever the reformed organisation is called to focus on its prime<br />
responsibility of marketing <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as an attractive tourist destination and<br />
in doing so to forge a strong partnership with the private sector, with the<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Corporation given full control over the planning and<br />
management of the TDAs.<br />
However, the GTA exists and has had only a short history. To re-structure the<br />
whole system after such a short time is bound to be disruptive. This argues<br />
for an effort to strengthen the capacity of the GTA. If this course is pursued it<br />
does need to be accompanied by a series of measures:<br />
• Capacity building for GTA personnel, including training that relates to<br />
best practice in national tourism organizations;<br />
• Reform of the financing of the GTA so that it has the financial<br />
resources with which to function effectively;<br />
• Clarification of the legal position of the GTA, particularly in relation to<br />
<strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Areas;<br />
• Independence of operation whereby the GTA is able to pay sufficient<br />
salaries to be able to attract high level personnel with strong<br />
commercial experience who are able to act within a politically<br />
influenced environment.<br />
At the same time, the Department of State for <strong>Tourism</strong> and Culture should be<br />
strengthened so that it has the capacity to define performance targets jointly<br />
with the GTA, and to monitor performance against these targets. <strong>The</strong> GTA<br />
should have complete freedom of action in achieving the agreed targets. It is<br />
particularly critical that the Board is independent and properly represents the<br />
interests of the private sector. To this end the Secretary of State should<br />
ensure that the Board members that are appointed should be representative<br />
of the private sector and it is the Board who effectively appoints the Director<br />
General. Should the <strong>Gambia</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> Authority Act require amendment to<br />
achieve these ends, then this should be done. Should any donor or soft loan<br />
organisation decide to support capacity building within the GTA, then its<br />
independence of action should be a pre-requisite for any such financial and<br />
technical support.<br />
<strong>The</strong> GTA should be assisted to develop a 3-5 year strategic plan with a route<br />
map of how it should go about achieving its objectives. To implement this it<br />
needs to have a modestly sized staff who are clear about what it is to be<br />
achieved and how this will be done. As many as possible of its activities<br />
should be outsourced on the basis of transparent tendering procedures where<br />
the outsourcing is to commercial enterprises.<br />
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To place the GTA on a sounder financial basis it is vital that the tourism levy is<br />
collected by, or allocated to, the GTA in its entirety (less reasonable collection<br />
costs if collected on its behalf). In turn the GTA needs to demonstrate to<br />
Government and private sector stakeholders that the funds are being<br />
collected transparently and that these funds are being effectively utilized.<br />
Prompt public annual reporting is a key element of this. This committed<br />
allocation gives the GTA a direct incentive to perform, in line with international<br />
best practice.<br />
If this is achieved, then (and only then) the levy could be increased from £5<br />
per person to £10 per person or €15 (at 2005 prices). If this is done, it is<br />
essential that 100% of this additional revenue goes to the GTA without any<br />
reduction in its financial resources from other sources. Sufficient notice<br />
should be given to foreign tour operators to allow them to inform customers<br />
accordingly.<br />
<strong>The</strong> non-collection of the levy during the summer season should be dropped<br />
as it serves no useful purpose in relation to encouraging visits, not least as<br />
most customers do not know either that there is any levy, or that it is not<br />
collected, since standard tour operator literature does not mention this.<br />
‘One-Stop Shops’<br />
A considerable number of countries offer ‘one-stop shops’ to encourage<br />
investment in the tourism sector, or to encourage foreign direct investment in<br />
tourism in general. <strong>The</strong>se institutions offer support to the investor once his<br />
project has been approved. <strong>The</strong>y organise a swift approval process on behalf<br />
of the investor and also obtain all necessary permits working with the investor.<br />
<strong>The</strong> investor deals with only one agency, rather than having to deal with<br />
different Ministries and other approval agencies direct.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> Investment Promotion And Free Zones Agency (GIPFZA)<br />
administers <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> Investment Promotion Act, signed into law in 2001.<br />
<strong>The</strong> act sets out the administrative and legal requirements for investing in <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong> and makes provisions for business incentives, protection against<br />
compulsory acquisition, settlement of disputes and the transfer of funds. <strong>The</strong><br />
ultimate objective is to promote <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> as an investment haven by:<br />
• providing an attractive business environment and incentives for<br />
business activities in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>;<br />
• establishing a "one-stop shop" for investors, where every government<br />
department, agency, or other relevant body, cooperates<br />
• to provide permits, exemptions, authorizations, licenses, land, or other<br />
accommodation required to establish a business enterprise;<br />
• attracting, promoting, and increasing the manufacture of goods and<br />
trade in goods and services;<br />
• coordinating, promoting, and facilitating investment in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>; and<br />
• advising government on investment policy and related matters.<br />
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As the capacity of the GTA is strengthened, it will need to work with GIPFZA<br />
to ensure that a strong and effective one-stop capacity for appropriate tourism<br />
investment is in consistent operation.<br />
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ANNEX 4 - INDICATORS FROM OTHER TOURISM DESTINATIONS<br />
<strong>The</strong> destinations in mind before choosing <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, as identified in the<br />
Airport Survey undertaken for the <strong>Plan</strong>, are shown in the table below:<br />
Other destinations in mind<br />
before choosing <strong>Gambia</strong> (Main Winter Season)<br />
%<br />
Canary Islands 25.5<br />
Goa 15.7<br />
Egypt 19.2<br />
Caribbean 12.3<br />
Thailand 8.9<br />
South America 8.3<br />
East Africa 7.6<br />
Spain 4.9<br />
Source: Airport Visitor Survey, 2004<br />
<strong>The</strong>se destinations are where package tours plan a particularly strong role<br />
and are likely to be featured by similar foreign tour operators as operate to<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>. <strong>The</strong>y are also strong winter sun destinations. <strong>The</strong> majority offer<br />
a wider range of accommodation than <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, including quality selfcatering<br />
accommodation and all-inclusives. For the most part this<br />
accommodation is more modern than that to be found in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, with a<br />
greater presence of internationally branded hotels – especially in the case of<br />
the Egyptian Red Sea resorts.<br />
More up market destinations such as those in the Indian Ocean are offer a<br />
higher quality product at considerably higher prices. Nonetheless, there are<br />
lessons to be learnt.<br />
Mauritius<br />
Key characteristics of Mauritius are:<br />
• Population of a smaller size but with a smaller territorial area than <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Gambia</strong><br />
• Flying time from Europe is twice as long to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> (about 12 hours)<br />
• Total of 718,000 tourists in 2004; two thirds from Europe with low seasonality<br />
• Average length of stay 10 nights, US$1,000 spend per visitor<br />
• France provides 210,000 visitors and the UK 93,000 (or about twice as many<br />
as to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, mainly on packages)<br />
• Scheduled service only policy, supported by demand from business travellers<br />
and from those visiting friends and relatives<br />
• Range of accommodation from the luxury to self catering, including a growing<br />
number of hotels offering an all-inclusive product<br />
• High margins with no conflict with foreign tour operators (some are owned by<br />
Mauritian companies)<br />
• Tourists ‘relax’, average about 1 excursion each<br />
• In the UK market, Mauritius is an aspirational destination that attracts<br />
celebrities and sports stars, encouraging others to travel especially for<br />
honeymoons (and weddings)<br />
• High product quality – some of the best in the world<br />
• High quality supporting infrastructure e.g. airport<br />
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• High levels of marketing spend and activity by Mauritius <strong>Tourism</strong> Promotion<br />
Authority, by principal hotel groups and by ground handlers<br />
• Vigorous product development e.g. <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>Plan</strong>; new <strong>Tourism</strong> Authority<br />
• First class Hotel School<br />
• Not chasing ‘eco-tourism’ or community operated tourism<br />
Among the lessons that can be learnt from Mauritius are that:<br />
• A high level of product quality enables relatively high prices to be<br />
charged, which enables investment to be made in maintaining that<br />
product quality;<br />
• This quality is supported by investment in highly trained staff, via both<br />
the private and public sectors;<br />
• <strong>The</strong>re is recognition of why people come to Mauritius (essentially to<br />
relax) and the focus is on meeting this need, including via added value<br />
services such as spa facilities;<br />
• Destination marketing is the responsibility of a separate organisation<br />
from product development and training;<br />
• Despite the emphasis on product quality, there is a trend for conversion<br />
to all-inclusive resorts;<br />
• Accommodation, including self-catering, can be reserved direct via the<br />
web.<br />
Kenya Coast<br />
<strong>The</strong> Kenya coast is, like <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong>, primarily a charter package holiday<br />
destination. While it is able to offer safaris as an add-on, the emphasis is on<br />
relaxing accommodation in catered hotels. Rates paid by foreign tour<br />
operators to hotel owners are often very low. As a result, maintenance and<br />
refurbishment have tended to be neglected in some hotels, resulting in a<br />
spiral of decline. This has been exacerbated by terrorist activities that led to<br />
negative travel advisories. Vigorous marketing, led by the Kenya <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
Board and supported by the EU, has encouraged a recovery and the<br />
introduction of direct scheduled air services from the UK to Mombasa.<br />
Kenya has demonstrated the benefits to be derived from a Tourist Board that<br />
is focused on marketing and which is part funded by a dedicated levy on all<br />
hotel and catering establishments. Its web-site is an award-winning one, and<br />
is substantially self-financed via advertising. It has also shown the benefit of<br />
investment in tourism training, with Utalii College being one of the best<br />
dedicated tourism training institutions in Africa.<br />
Kenya is seeking to achieve a gradual change from mass to ‘premier’ tourism<br />
at the Coast by increasing demand through marketing recovery plans;<br />
assessment of hotel properties to see which would benefit from refurbishment;<br />
facilitating the provision of soft loans for re-furbishment to threestar<br />
standard or higher; and introducing a moratorium on new development<br />
unless high standard and conformity with planning policy are assured. As one<br />
of the few other tour operator-driven tourism destinations in sub-Saharan<br />
Africa, <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gambia</strong> can learn from this Kenyan experience.<br />
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Namibia<br />
Among the characteristics of Namibia from a tourism point of view are:<br />
• Although the country has a 3,000 mile coastline, climatic features result in it<br />
being primarily a touring destination with a variety of product;<br />
• Small scale enterprises are being encouraged, with the development in 2005<br />
of the country’s first community owned tourism lodge (managed by the private<br />
sector);<br />
• It has benefited from an EU funded tourism development programme from<br />
1992 to 2005 that has included both capacity building and facility<br />
development;<br />
• <strong>The</strong> newly established Namibia <strong>Tourism</strong> Board covers marketing, licensing<br />
and tourism human resource development (but not product development) and<br />
is part funded by a dedicated levy on tourism enterprises;<br />
• A hotel school operates as part of the Polytechnic of Namibia, with new<br />
facilities funded as part of the EU funded tourism development programme;<br />
• <strong>The</strong> Federation of Namibia <strong>Tourism</strong> Associations (FENATA) works actively<br />
with the Ministry of Environment and <strong>Tourism</strong> and with the Tourist Board.<br />
Among the lessons that can be learnt are:<br />
• <strong>The</strong> benefits to be derived from public-private sector co-operation, and<br />
of an umbrella organisation that represents the interests of the private<br />
sector to government;<br />
• Benefits from donor support in capacity building and in investment<br />
support to the tourism sector;<br />
• Effective tourism destination marketing including via tour operator<br />
partnership schemes, professional foreign representation and coherent<br />
destination branding.<br />
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