Boy, you can make pudding out of s**t! Did you just say a target of 200 million visitors? Gassa I know you're perfecting your spin, but 200 million? Now give me a timeline for this rediculous guess. Why don't you tell us about Baba Jobe instead? Or, is that a heavy subject for you? Tombong said he was not arrested but invited for questioning over tea, what say you? Chi Jaama Joe Sambou >From: Jungle Sunrise <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: [log in to unmask] >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Gambian Tourism expected to improve much further >Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2003 10:30:19 -0500 > >According to the Director General of The Gambia Tourism Authority, Mr. >Habib Drammeh, some 95,000 tourists are expected to visit The Gambia this >season, an increase of about 15% over last year. According to him, the >Authority is developing a strategy that could expose the country to some >200 million potential visitors and allowing tourists to book for their >hotels online. > >He also disclosed that his authority has allocated land investors for the >construction of 15 hotels through “clearly spelt out procedures”. “All >allotees for hotels must deposit 5% of the total investment cost which >would be refunded as the project nears completion”. Those who cannot >successfully complete their projects risk losing their deposits. > >According to the Authority’s publication, over 20 million Dollars was >spent on the refurbishment of our existing hotels. It reported that The >Kairaba hotel has spent $4 million to upgrade all its rooms, Corinthia >Atlantic $5 million, former Sunwing (now Sunbeach) $5 million, Social >Security and Housing Finance Cooperation $8.5 million on Amie’s beach (now >Sunrise), Kotu Strand (now Sunset) $1 million and Senegambia $1.1 million. > >The $20 million coastal erosion project, currently being implemented, has >restored several dozen metres of sandy beach along the coast. > >Finally, if you know about birds of The Gambia you might perhaps be >interested in a debate by the GTA to identify a National Bird of The >Gambia. So far two have put forward nominations. These are: > >1. Blue-bellied Roller (Coracias Cyanogaster) nominated by Clive >Barlow, Co-author of Birds of The Gambia and Senegal. > >Justification >Its world range is restricted to West Africa (a West African endemic). “Of >all the West African countries that I have studied birds, The Gambia has >by far the greatest population. This view is shared by many professional >ornithologists. > >It is conspicuous – visiting bird watchers will see it within minutes of >arriving in the country. It sits on the telegraph wires on the way to the >hotels. It is widespread through out the country and village communities >know it well. It is present in all protected areas. Other candidates are >either seasonal or not always easy to find – they don’t stand out and say >look at me “I am beautiful and in The Gambia”. > >It is very brightly coloured, bold looking and brave – protecting its >territory against intruders. > >It is a recognized bio-indicator of the Guinea Savannah biome based on the >principles of Bird Areas by Birdlife International based in Cambridge UK. > >It has an interesting breeding biology worthy of a full story. I belief it >has an extended family strategy whereby several inter-related birds assist >in the rearing of the young in one nest. > >It is the choice for the cover of A Field Guide to The Birds of The Gambia >and Senegal, so it is already ingrained in visitors’ minds before they >arrive. It has a great marketing potential as a logo. The real beauty in >this bird is when it opens its wings and dive bombs in a vertical – drop >like stone – display.’ > >2. Spur wing Goose / Gambian Goose (Plectropterus Gambensis) >nominated by Solomon Jallow – Habitat Africa. > >Justification >Widespread and abundant in the open country, frequents swamps, rice >fields, sand banks, lake and tidal estuaries. > >When looked at closely, it carries the colours of The Gambia National >Flag – red, white, blue and green. > >Have a good day, Gassa. > >PS: The Gambia is famous for the many and diverse species of exotic birds >which inhabit this small country. Over 570 species have been sighted >earning the country the name “A Birdwatcher’s Paradise”. > > > >-- >There is a time in the life of every problem when it is big enough to see, >yet small enough to solve (Mike Leavitt) > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: >http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _________________________________________________________________ online games and music with a high-speed Internet connection! Prices start at less than $1 a day average. https://broadband.msn.com (Prices may vary by service area.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~