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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------