Tourists are heading to The Gambia in droves. A record number of 219,000 foreign tourists visited Gambia last year, according to the Tourism and Culture minister, Hamat Bah.

Bah told Turkey based newspaper Anadolu Agency at his office in Banjul that the country has recorded the highest number of foreign tourists’ arrival in 2018 that was “beyond our expectation.”

“The highest arrival we ever had in this country was 175,000 in 2013. But as of the end of December 2018, the country has recorded over 219,000 international tourists.”  

Bah added that in the near future, the country is looking for 350,000 to 500,000 foreign tourists.

“We have much more to offer to tourists such as food and beverage festival, educational tourism– students come in and they are exposed to village life — village tourism.” the minister went on to say.

On market diversification, Bah stated that his country is sharing the same tourism market with Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco.

“So, the market is very competitive for us […] But we are working to get tourists from Russia, China, the Middle East and Nigeria.”

Bah said the Tourism ministry along with the Gambian Tourism Board and all other agencies are marketing the country abroad with its limited resources as well as branding the country.

“If you are looking for quality guest, you must have quality service and standard products. And it has become a part of government policy to improve the hotel standards.”

When asked about inadequate accommodation facilities in different parts of the country, Bah said they are currently working to build five new facilities across the country.

The government is also encouraging village tourism and supporting Gambians to build three-star hotels in rural parts of the country, Bah said.

The Gambia receives most tourists during the winter months between October to February with a steady tailing off of visitors from March to May and most of the hotels remain closed after that period.

However, Bah claimed the tourism season has extended this year though many hotels in the country are preparing to close the season.

“From this month, [as it is the beginning of off-season] we are getting extra five flights in a week. In tropical season. That’s a history. We still have 20-30 per cent hotel room occupancy.”

He strongly rejected claims of child sex abuse in the country’s tourism sector stating that reports are “groundless.”

The tourism sector contributes 25-30 per cent of the country’s GDP, according to the minister who also added that the sector employs directly and indirectly almost 150,000 to 200,000 Gambians out of its roughly 2 million population.