In any realistic criticism, both the negatives and positive aspects should be balanced and pondered on than only the negatives which is sometimes the turn of the day. Some people are not interested in the progresses made in comparison to previous times to encouraging more development but pondering on fruitless developing issues such as insulting the president and the cabinet members which will never prevail "now" if the interests of the west are not in danger. Therefore, it is wise I "hope", to disregard those for a moment, and ponder on the ways forward for the benefit of the Gambia and Her people. That, what cannot be helped most be enjoyed till the right time appears for it to be helped.

I am not saying that Yahya and the regime are completely decent during these 7 years of their time in office, There inter human relationship within the country is unprecedented and they should work on that aspect to satisfy people’s desire of a leader. For example, the firing of know-how individuals will not help the progresses they wanted to achieve in short time but prolong the effort. There are very intelligent people down there without given chances to develop their skills especially in the ministry of tourism were I was for some time, met a man who was working for the office before with Phd in tourism unemployed. Even if he does something bad, such kind of people are good asset to be let go wasted. My question is what can we do about those disadvantages? Hence we all know talk is cheap even the oppositions back home have little effect on. We will use our temper here for another ten years nothing will prevail so why not trying to use strategic weapons instead?

On the side of physical development effort were my support to the regime is, they are trying more than their predecessors who devout their time on human relationship with less productivity on the benefit of all Gambians but few. All politicians especially African’s, are greedy and will be for a long time from now. But if with all that greed you are building the infrastructure of your country building schools and university etc, well the negative things you did during your time can be paid after the end of your regime hence you will never go with the development you made during your time, that is for the country and its people and will be there forever.

However, as brother shiek Tijan said about the tourism news magazine, it’s an effective means to educate the general public about the progresses in the industry by putting the tourism magazine which will elaborate in dept on the achievement on tourism facts and figures in the market to generate some income in selling them, as well as educating the general public as much as information to the tourist on the happening around the country together with dos and don’ts of the visitors. I think also it will be wise for the secretary of state for tourism to send delegation on the eve of every departures to hotels thanking the tourists for their visit as well securing feed-backs from them on their worries like in Barbados and Jamaica. And after the meeting to seat and talk with individuals or group of tourist as a gesture and appreciation. These can hook the tourist even if they have had bad experience but considered by the authority is a good sign forward.

The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) is the strategy of the Government of The Gambia for the fundamental transformation of the country. The RDP is based on the notion that reconstruction and development are parts of an integrated process. The RDP integrates growth, development, reconstruction, redistribution and reconciliation into a unified programme. It is a pragmatic and proactive programme that has already won the support of funding agencies world-wide. Six basic principles underpin the RDP:

Integration and sustainability - integrating all facets of the country: national, provincial and local, business and civic organisations in a coherent strategy, and developing economically and environmentally sustainable programmes

People-driven - active involvement of all citizens irrespective of age, sex, financial status, urban or rural in the shaping of their own future

Peace and security - a national drive for peace and the combat of various forms of violence, particularly violence on women and children

Nation-building - on the basis of unity in diversity and consolidation of national sovereignty

Meeting basic needs and building the infrastructure - meeting basic needs of the people of and opening up previously suppressed economic and human potential in urban and rural areas.

Democratisation - participation by all in decision-making

Assessment and accountability - creating standards of measurement accepted by society by which progress towards phased achievements can be judged.

The specific programmes of the RDP include:

Meeting of basic needs - from job creation, land and agrarian reform to housing, water and sanitation, energy supplies, transport, nutrition, health care, the environment, social welfare and security.

Developing human resources - integrating the energies of all education and training institutions, abolish discrimination and focus on life-long learning, arts and culture, sport, youth and particularly training of young women

Building the economy - reversing distortions, removing barriers, securing worker rights, regional co-operation.

Democratising state and society - building democratic institutions and practices

The RDP is a bold and innovative programme of the Government . Although the delivery of some programmes was slower than the population would like, considerable progress is being made in meeting basic needs and the democratisation of state and society.

The provision of basic needs is, by nature, consumptive - a user rather than a creator of national resources. There is an urgent need to create sustainability of the RDP programme, i.e. create legs for it to walk on.

The population needs to be provided with meaningful employment and entrepreneurial opportunities so as to be able to afford housing, water and sanitation, electricity, transport and health care. The tourism industry, more than any other industry, can provide viable, effective and sustainable legs for the RDP to walk on.

Tourism can be an engine of growth, capable of dynamiting and rejuvenating other sectors of the economy. There are eighteen good reasons why. Considering that:

Employing 212 million people world-wide, generating $3.4 trillion in world gross output and contributing $655 billion of Government tax revenues, travel and tourism is the world's largest industry. In Britain, Germany, Japan, and the USA, more adults have travelled than visited a library, attended a sporting event or have gone to see a play or concert. The tourism industry is expected to grow by 50% by 2005 by which time the industry will be worth US$7 trillion to the world economy.

The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that travel and tourism is now the world's largest generator of jobs. In 1995, the industry provided direct and indirect employment for 212 million people; accounted for 10.7% of the global work force and provided one in every nine jobs. Between 1995 and the year 2000 travel and tourism will add one new job every 2.5 seconds and create 125 million new direct and indirect jobs. Tourism already creates 14,000 jobs in the Gambia 2001. The potential for Gambia to create 20,000 jobs by the year 2011 is very real.

Properly organised and focused, the tourism sector can create many jobs within a short period. If one quarter of the tourist accommodation establishments (not to mention restaurants and fast food outlets) in The Gambia began to offer live entertainment to guests, about one entertainer per group, tens of entertainers can be employed within days during the high seasonal; and if large resorts opened their doors one day per week to encourage craft providers to market their products to the visitors (on condition that everything sold is actually made by the entrepreneur, with a working demonstration of the skills) many employment and business opportunities will be created for surrounding local communities.

The tourism industry has the lowest ratio of investment to job creation. This means that more jobs can be created per unit of capital invested and many tourism activities are within the reach of the small operator.

From accountants and hairdressers to tour guides and trackers, the tourism industry draws upon a multiplicity of skills. Moreover, the potential for on-the-job training is enormous.

The tourism industry accommodates a thriving and dynamic informal sector - from craft and fruit vendors to beach vendors, chair rentals, and others. Apart from the opportunities provided in the informal sector, there are many business opportunities to involve the whole community in the tourism business: entertainment, laundry and transportation services, craft rental; arts, craft and curios sales; tour guides and walking tours of places of interest; teaching of African languages and customs to interested visitors; restaurants emphasising local cuisine; guest houses; beach manicures and pedicures; and much more.

Many of the prime tourism attractions are not located in the city centres but in the rural areas. Tourism allows rural peoples to share in the benefits of tourism development, promoting more balanced and sustainable forms of development. Tourism provides an alternative to urbanisation, permitting people to continue a rural family existence, enfranchising both women and the youth.

Unlike the mining and other smoke stack industries, well-managed tourism can help to save the environment. Many forms of tourism development rely on maintaining and even repairing the landscape and its natural features (lakes, rivers, estuaries and wildlife areas). Wildlife tourism - especially in arid regions of the country - is dependent on the restoration of natural vegetation and soil cover. Many state and private sector projects have spent large amounts on rehabilitating land damaged by commercial farming and other forms of land-use. Tourism which is responsibly practise furthermore allows for the protection of bio-diversity on land used for its purpose.

Through its inherent message of goodwill, hospitality, trust, service without servility, tolerance, interaction and communication, tourism is a most effective mechanism for fostering national and international cultural exchange and understanding among people. It is, therefore, an effective nation-builder and a strong incentive and reason for peace.

10. Tourism is a final good

Tourism is not a primary export item (like coal, copper and iron ore) that adds little value. Tourism is a final good. This means that all the final touches (value) have to be added in The Gambia be it a taxi ride from the airport, a basket of fruit or flowers in the hotel room, wildlife viewing, binocular rental, helicopter tour, dive instruction or a meal in a restaurant. This means that the value added in final stages of production is created in the country unless it is all inclusive.

International tourism is the only export item which is exported without leaving the country. This means that every taxi taken, every banana, mango, orange eaten, every chair sat on or bed slept in, brings in valuable foreign exchange.

Gambia welcomes every year well over 70 thousand regional and overseas visitors. These visitors bring a ready market right to the doorstep of the country.

Through tourism, Gambia becomes the supermarket or boutique to which visitors are drawn. Apart from the normal consumption of sun, sand and sea, wildlife, wine and water sports, tourism allows its clients to inspect other goods and services for sale in Gambia. Tourists to The Gambia have the opportunity to sample the local fare (e.g. Julbrew beer, food, craft, entertainment, etc.). Moreover, they have the leisure, time, usually the money as well as the convenience (plastic cards) to pay for local goods and services. The potential for Gambia to influence visitor tastes and create permanent export markets is very real but lack strategies creativity at the moment.

The consumption of travel takes place over one's lifetime. A holiday taken today does not reduce the demand for the holiday next year, next month or next weekend. This means that the potential market for tourism will continue to grow.

The impact of tourism is greater than the initial expenditure by visitors. In the Caribbean, for example, it is estimated that the sum of direct and indirect local value added generated per dollar of tourist expenditure was around 1.6 times the value of the initial input of visitor spending.

The tourism industry provides enormous potential to create linkages and dynamite other sectors of the economy - agriculture, manufacturing and services. Gambia, more and less than any other country in the rest of Africa or in the developing world, has the potential to supply almost every need of the tourism industry - from meat and poultry, beverages and wines, to vehicles, machinery, furniture, cut flowers, jewellery, diamonds and more. Tourism will generate demand and production in other sectors of the Gambia economy.

17. Gambia is well recognised as the smiling coast of Africa as well for the richness of cultureand bird watching of about 200 hundred spieces and the home of Kunta Kinteh, therefore opportunities are varied and achieving the objective can be a reality

While the potential for the development of tourism in the Gambia is great, the tourism industry represents a vastly under-utilised opportunity

The tourism sector could provide the basis for and sustain the RDP programme of the Gambia government. To achieve this mandate, however, tourism must be developed as a strategic industry. A 'wait and see what happens' approach pervades the industry. However, unless tourism is viewed and developed as a strategically important industry - the greatest engine of growth for the Gambia economy, the true wealth creating potential of the tourism sector will never be realised.

Edi