The Gambia Tourism Board says that they knew of Thomas Cook’s financial woes six months ago and have been working on mitigating the impact of a potential collapse on The Gambia tourism sector.

Abdoulie Hydara, director general of the Gambia Tourism Board, told Gambiana on Saturday, a day before the tour operator went burst, that they have been engaging Thomas Cook and other tour operators in the country.

Responding to the question of a Thomas Cook collapse, Mr. Hydara said : “It will have a serious negative impact on (Gambia) tourism. But Thomas Cook has not gone bankrupt yet, there are lots of modalities that we have been working on.

“But if Thomas Cook does go burst it will affect not only The Gambia, but any other destination Thomas Cook has a source market. Thomas Cook is a carrier and tour operator (company). It is the tour operator side that having the problem, but the carrier is still in operation.

“Yes we have started working since we received this information sometimes back, six months ago and we have been working with it. We have engaged the tour operators including Thomas Cook.

“Last week, we had a strategic meeting with the minister of Tourism and Culture at the ministry and it was to strategies the way forward (in the event the company ceased operations in the country).”

Meanwhile Thomas Cook has gone into administration on Sunday night after last-minute negotiations aimed at saving the 178-year-old holiday firm failed.

Peter Fankhauser, Thomas Cook’s chief executive, said the firm’s collapse was a “matter of profound regret”.

Commenting as the company entered compulsory liquidation, Mr Fankhauser also apologised to the firm’s “millions of customers, and thousands of employees”.

The tour operator’s failure puts 22,000 jobs at risk worldwide.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba