Gambia govt plans to show Jammeh’s hometown right into a tourism hub
The Gambia authorities has unveiled plans to rework Kanilai, the house village of former president Yahya Jammeh, into a significant tourism vacation spot.
The transfer goals to spice up the nation’s tourism sector, which has confronted important challenges lately.
Kanilai, positioned within the southern a part of the nation close to the border with Senegal, is ready to turn into a key point of interest for the federal government’s efforts to rejuvenate the struggling tourism business.
With a inhabitants of roughly 2.7 million, The Gambia closely relies on tourism and agriculture for financial development.
However, these sectors have confronted setbacks on account of an absence of progressive insurance policies and international disruptions.
Tourism, which contributes round 20% of the nation’s GDP, has notably struggled. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the sector’s contribution to the economic system fell by 41% in 2021, following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, the Gambia’s tourism business misplaced an estimated $108 million, whereas tax income from the sector dropped by $57.9 million. The COVID-19 pandemic was adopted by the financial fallout from the warfare in Ukraine, each of which severely impacted international journey patterns.
The newest statistics from The Gambia Tourism Board (GTB) present a 41% decline in vacationer arrivals in 2021 in comparison with pre-pandemic ranges. This has resulted in diminished earnings from key tourism hubs, resulting in a shift in focus in the direction of home tourism and new initiatives, akin to the event of Kanilai.
Hamat Bah, who served as Minister of Tourism and Culture earlier than transitioning to the Ministry of Lands, reiterated the federal government’s dedication to remodeling Kanilai into a first-rate tourism vacation spot.
“We want to make this village a key tourism site,” Bah stated. “The Ministry of Arts and Culture will ensure these facilities become major attractions, generating substantial revenue for both the community and the government,” he added.
The authorities’s proposal to develop Kanilai right into a tourism hotspot comes as a part of broader efforts to spice up income and create jobs within the wake of the sector’s decline.
By Adama Makasuba
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