Karamba and Sidi,
Thanks for your comments on the sector which is in deep crizes but hopefully we will be deliberating on the
major issues affecting the sector and do hope that this time we will move forward.
The major problems with the sector is as follows;
1; The inadequate infrastructure resulting to constant power cuts.--
2. Seasonally constrains
3 Lack of positive thinking technical Director within the Department of State for Tourism
4. Lack of government commitment in plowing back part of the receipts from tourism for the promotion of the
sector.
5. The need for a new image different from The smiling coast which was adopted as a slogan since  1981.
6. Insecurity in hotels, rule of hire and fire, remuneration's and incentives.
7. Drainage of foreign exchange earnings for importation of items for tourism consumption.
8. Lack of attention on the social problems of the sector i.e. Increase or accelerated rate of prostitution,
homosexuality, bumster problems  etc
9.Lack of further training  facilities overseas for Gambians.

10. Lack of tax incentives to investors especially Tour operator.
With due respect Karamba ,  the new Secretary of State for Tourism Yankuba Touray has made a good start since
he took over. HE  has commissioned a study for the creation of a tourism authority and has also commission
the classification of hotel all which will be adopted at the conference. These two areas are of great
importance to the sector.You will be sup rise to learn that these were part of our tourism policy adopted
for 1995-2000 and never implemented. My rating for the policy is 10 over 100. Does this give you an idea how
badly the industry needed action ?

I hope to bring you an update after the workshop.
Chi Jamma
Bro. Sheikh Tejan Nyang
[log in to unmask] wrote:

> As reported in the Daily Observer today, the tourism industry is facing an
> unmitigating disaster this season. They are expecting the lowest number of
> visitors ever, continuing a downward spiral that if unchecked might doom the
> industry entirely. The thousands of people who make their living either
> directly or through associated services catering to tourism would sadly be
> consigned to what this government wrought on the larger Gambian community be
> it farmers, civil servants and small businesspeople. A sector as crucial and
> full of potential as Tourism is left to literally wither in the vines through
> lack of funding, poor management and utter callousness. What Yahya Jammeh has
> done is to allocate a few million Dalasis (about D6million the last time I
> checked) and appoint  a political hatchetman who doesn't even know how to
> fold a napkin much less improve the hospitality industry. The few talented
> people in the ministry who can actually craft  ideas lack the clout to see
> their work through. As a result while Tourism officials from other countries
> use valuable time and effort courting business and persuading operators to
> come to Cape verde or Senegal, Yankuba Touray is busy frothing his mouth
> about how great Yahya  Jammeh is and how he intends to give this to that
> group in two years! The result is very predictable in that he will almost
> certainly run the industry to the ground because the remaining hotels can't
> sustain operations much less grow if the visitors are choosing somewhereelse.
> The industry receives no tangible incentives and must often times contend
> with ever-increasing tax rates, onerous regulations and a host of other
> circumstances not conducive to business in general. What the industry needs
> most is a government that is focused on nurturing the private sector in
> general and is committed to making it the engine of growth and prosperity. In
> their case, such a government would make tourism a priority by establishing a
> professionally run and adequately funded agency with a clear mandate to
> aggressively court tour operators to bring in the visitors. Parallel to that,
> the gov't would work with the industry to help them improve services through
> incentive provisions and other ancillary things the gov't can do to make
> their visitors have a pleasant stay. Part of the reason some visitors don't
> return is because as it is ,Gambia provides a qualitatively inadequate
> experience for visitors compared to our competitors. It is a disgrace that
> even the very few sites we offer to our visitors be in Juffuray or Fort
> bullen are so poorly kept or organized that going there is much of a chore
> than a nice outing. Having some poor lady mumbling on a ramshackle stool
> about Kunta Kinteh is not a profound encounter for anybody and the truth is
> there is sufficient history and sites to make them all great.Another option a
> different gov't would consider is to initiate a partnering scheme in which
> tax rates for Tourism related businesses would be reduced with the
> understanding that savings realized would be invested into improving
> services. The rationale for such a deal would be that an improved product
> would in the longer term grow the industry and also serve as a strong
> incentive for newcomers to come in an invest. You will not attract investors
> into country with near confiscatory taxes coupled with a government that is
> generally considered vile and indolent.
>       In the meantime the good people of the tourism industry would have to
> endure another failed season with all its effect on the people who are trying
> do their bit to both take care of their families and lift the nation in the
> process. Like the rest of the nation they have this albatross called Yahya
> Jammeh hanging over their neck. He and his cronies who collectively are
> unlikely to succeed in any merit based endeavor have nonetheless made
> themselves custodians of our nation's fate. What they have done to destroy
> tourism is representative of  their overall record spanning the gov't . They
> have neither the ability nor even the inclination to do right by the tourism
> industry . They would substitute lies and threats for substantive policies
> and would prefer to add you to their incedious grand scheme of putting as
> many people as they can on a charity leash with people owing their
> livelihoods to crumbs fed to them by Yahya himself. He wants people to queue
> at his feet be it through gov't or his socalled charities  to beg for a
> living after he has consciously and deliberately destroyed your best
> available means of sustenance. This is how tyrants scheme to control and
> ultimately enslave their people.
>    The gov't would soon come out with another canard about  how they have
> great plans for the 2002 season with silly claims of visions worse than a
> pipe dream . The only salvation is they would not be around come that time
> and we would have a gov't that would finally work  with the industry to move
> forward.
> Karamba
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
> Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
> You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
> if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------