Nordic Travel Leisure Group has cancelled its winter flights to The Gambia two months before the start of the tourism season. 

The group blamed the current economic challenges in Europe brought about by the war in Ukraine which has battered European economies with rising inflation and a cost-of-living crisis.

Nordic Travel Leisure Group, is a leading Scandinavia tour operator that brings  visitors from Denmark, Sweden and Norway to The Gambia every winter. 

“Due to the current situation our charter operation to Gambia for upcoming winter season 2022 has been cancelled. We all had high expectations for this winter season.

“Unfortunately, the recovery for travelling after Covid-19 pandemic has not developed as we first expected, one of the main reasons is the effects of the situation in Ukraine since 24th February.

“We see a big impact on the global economy with mainly higher costs resulting in a difficult situation for travelling from Scandinavia,” the group said in a statement. 

“The above-mentioned uncertainties combined with higher costs and increase of passenger tax at Banjul airport have resulted in low demand and bookings for the destination and these are the main reasons for this decision,” it added. 

This is a huge blow to the Gambian tourism sector that has traditionally depended on Scandinavia tourists.

The flights cancellation comes a week after the Gambia government announced a clampdown on sex tourism in the country.

It warned European grannies looking for sex with beach boys in the country to look elsewhere.

The government said it will introduce laws that give police powers to arrest beach boys and older European women engaged in suspected relationships.