05/07/2025
๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐
Dear What's On-Gambia,
I read with interest your recent post proposing ideas to boost tourism in The Gambia. It's always encouraging to see Gambians engaging actively in national development dialogue. Tourism is indeed central to our economic and cultural identity, and your passion is commendable.
However, I would like to offer some important clarifications in response to your post-particularly on issues where it might appear as though little or no work is being done. In fact, several of the points you raised are already being systematically addressed under the World Bank-funded Tourism Diversification and Resilience in The Gambia Project (TDRGP), a US$68 million national initiative implemented by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture .
Hereโs a brief overview of ongoing efforts:
๐. ๐๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ & ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
The TDR project has developed a comprehensive 5-year Tourism Marketing, Branding and Investment Promotion l Strategy over an eight month period that was preceded by broad-based consultation with tourism stakeholders in and out of the country. The two comprehensive situational analyses on marketing and branding, and on investment promotion are available for download on our website. The new brand, logo and positioning statement will be rolled out with the strategy for implementation from August following Cabinet approval. I am pleased to inform you that the marketing strategy includes a strong digital marketing component using platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. The strategy was validated in May 2025 and is due for roll out.
๐. ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ ๐ & ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ
The Demand and Destination Site Assessment commissioned by the project in 2024 assessed 64 tourism sites across the country. Ten were shortlisted based on potential for developmentโ including Kunta Kinteh Island, Wassu Stone Circles, and Albreda/Juffureh. Each site is being guided by tailored thematic concepts (e.g., โReshaping Heritage Tourismโ at Albreda, โCelebrating 1000 Years of Cultureโ at Wassu). The Government of the Gambia through effective collaboration between Ministry of Environment, Climate Change & Natural Resources (MECCNAR), Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC), Ministry of Finance & Economic Affairs (MoFEA) and Ministry of Justice is building on the investment proposal on Kiang West National Park from the Demand and Destination Assessment Shortlist report to develop a Public Private Partnership proposal that will be subjected to competitive bidding.
๐. ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฒ & ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐ก๐๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ
Weโve conducted a full Jetty Assessment Study of 10 potential river tourism hubs along the River Gambia. This includes hydrodynamic, economic, and engineering assessments with costed recommendations to improve riverine access, enabling sites like Janjanbureh, Bintang Bolong, and Albreda to become more accessible and appealing to tourists.
๐. ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ก ๐๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
The revitalisation of Kunta Kinteh Island is a flagship project under the TDRGP. Plans include coastal erosion protection through offshore wave dampeners, flood walls, construction of two new jetties at Albreda and the Island, and a total redesign of the tourist experience, including museum and market upgrades. Preliminary designs are completed, with the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment now underway.
๐. ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง (๐
๐๐ฃ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐)
The project will also protect The Gambiaโs most prized coastline from erosionโfrom Fajara to Senegambiaโthrough beach nourishment and construction of offshore breakwaters. The feasibility study has been completed, preliminary design and modeling finalised. Stakeholder consultations and technical design reviews are already ongoing.
๐. ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ
We agree that empowering local businesses is essential. The project has trained and
supported 57 tourism-related MSMEs (including many women- and youth-led businesses) through a capacity-building and matching grant scheme. These MSMEs are now set to receive $1.4 million in grants. A second cohort of 65 MSMEs has also been onboarded, with a goal of supporting up to 200 MSMEs by 2027.
We appreciate your ideas and encourage continued civic engagement. However, itโs equally important to ground our conversations in the context of existing national effortsโmany of which directly align with your aspirations for the sector.
Thank you again for contributing to the public discourse. If you or your audience would like to learn more about the projectโs ongoing work, weโd be happy to engage further and please check our website where we regularly upload final reports and tag or follow our social media feeds on Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter.
You can contact the Project Director, Mr. Momodou Ceesay at [email protected], or the communication specialist [email protected]
Rohey Samba
๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ท๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ & ๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก
๐ต๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐โ๐ค๐๐ฆ
๐พ๐๐ก๐ข, ๐โ๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐: ๐ค๐ค๐ค.๐ก๐๐๐๐.๐๐
๐ธ๐๐๐๐: ๐๐๐๐@๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐.๐๐
โโโโ-
Thank you for the clarification.