Yaya , Many thanks .We would like to implemented all the recommendations if possible provided we have the necessary resources . We have a world Bank mission here at the moment trying to select some of the most important components of the master plan to look for funding . Lets hope and pray that all works well . Thanks for your support and if there is any donor agency you think would be interested in funding some of the projects , let us know . Chi Jamma , Bro Sheikh . --- Yaya Jallow <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Tejan, > > This is a well written and thought out comprehensive > master plan. Thank you for sharing and hope all of > the recommendations in the study are implemented. > > Best regards, > > Yaya Jallow > > > > > Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2006 02:03:52 -0700> From: > [log in to unmask]> Subject: REFLECTIONS ON THE > TOURISM DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN IN THE GAMBIA> To: > [log in to unmask]> > The way forward for > the tourism master plan study > > By sheikh Tejan > Nyang , Study Coordinator .Tourism> Development > Master Plan > > The Tourism Development Master Plan > findings in> different tourism-related sections > highlighted a> number of strengths of the Gambian > tourism sector, but> also evident weaknesses and > disadvantages in the> competition for market share > with other destinations.> > Some of the present > constraints, however, can be> turned into > opportunities for future development.> There are > also a number of threats, some of which are> beyond > The Gambia's influence to deal with. > > In summary, > The Gambia is faced with a relatively> stark choice. > If no action is taken, the destination> may lose > market share in what could continue to be a> > declining market. At best it would continue to> > effectively stand still, with not much in the way > of> an increase in visitor numbers or in tourism > revenues.> > The alternative is to make a serious > effort to achieve> progress and make the sector a > more significant> contributor to the country's > economic wealth and to> spread the benefits to a > wider range of the> population. The SWOT analysis > below summarizes the> situation of Tourism in The > Gambia .> > Strengths> Weaknesses> > Attractive > beaches in mostly sound semi-tropical> environment> > Strong dependence on relatively few European > package> tour operators with concentration on > "winter sun" > > Pleasant climatic conditions in > European winter with> potential for tourism in > summer> Relatively small quantitative & qualitative > product> range (scenery, culture, sports, > accommodation,> excursions)> > Value-for-money > accommodation in the middle/lower> price range> > Limited air access by scheduled carriers and strong> > dependency on charter airlines > > Relatively short > flight duration from Europe with no> jetlag > problems; Airport close to tourist areas> > Undeveloped hinterland with little tourist> > facilities; limited wildlife of tourist interest;> > > Friendly people with English as official language;> > safe cultural environment for tourists> Weak > institutional framework with poor resources for> > marketing, planning and enforcement of tourism> > legislation> > Well-defined Tourism Development > Areas for future> balanced growth of tourism> Partly > undeveloped infrastructure with regard to> power & > roads> > No major negative socio-cultural and > environmental> impact by tourists> Poor training > facilities in hospitality sector> > Opportunities > > Threats> > Undeveloped, very attractive beaches on > the South> Coast> Dependency on limited number of > tour operators in few> source markets> > Climate > suitable for year-round beach tourism> Increasing > competition and danger of being> "sidelined"> > > Possibilities to widen the present tourist offer> > through adding historical, cultural and sport > oriented> attractions> Perception of increasing > political instability in> West African region > > > Opening-up the interior of the country including > The> River Gambia> Perception of increasing health > hazards (e.g.> malaria) for a trip to West Africa> > > Development and improvement of niche markets, e.g.> > bird watching, river cruises> Degeneration of > natural environment including beach> erosion> > > Development of community-based tourism eco-oriented> > enterprises with private partnership> Weak > institutional framework including uncontrolled> > development in TDA and countrywide> > Creation of > more linkages between tourism and> agricultural > sector> No efforts to solve the Bumster problem> > > > > > > > > > The aim of the TDMP is to present an > overall framework> for future development, > identifying key projects for> short-term, medium and > long term implementation. The> successful > realisation of the Plan is therefore> dependent upon > the implementation of specific actions.> These > actions are outlined below in the form of an> action > strategy covering:> > l Destination Marketing > > l > Product Development> > l Quality in Tourism > Establishments> > l Social Issues> > l Human > Resources> > l Responsible Tourism> > l Linkages> > > l Infrastructure> > l Environmental Management> > > Destination Marketing > > The marketing of The > Gambia is done mainly by the> tour operators. More > destination marketing has to be> done by GTA in > order to support:- > > · The efforts to secure more > air services> > · The tour operators, who do a good > job in> marketing The Gambia> > · The independent > travel sector, which will> grow significantly with > more ‘scheduled operations’,> and is a sector, very > small, but with growth prospects> > The principal > marketing recommendations are that:-> > · a > re-branding exercise is undertaken> > · destination > marketing is undertaken through a> private/public > sector marketing team/partnership > > · a drive is > made to improve air access> including a scheduled > service operated by a reputable> carrier to/from the > UK> > · the Roots market is researched in the> > north-eastern USA> > Product development> > The aims > of the product development strategy are to> develop > a range of land and water based products:> > · to > conserve, interpret and exploit the> natural and > cultural heritage sites and areas;> > · to promote > community-based tourism> development;> > · to > conserve, enhance and market the product;> and> > · > to encourage revitalisation of hotels and> > diversification of the accommodation product > through> introduction of integrated resorts, > vacation villages,> quality lodges; and > > · > promoting a variety of things to see and do.> > A > series of pilot/demonstration projects were> > identified to kick-start the product development> > strategy and include:> > · natural resource > development – beach, forest> and park improvements, > National Park regeneration;> > · cultural heritage > resource development -> historic sites, buildings, > reuse and interpretation;> > · community development > – promotion of soft> culture, arts and crafts, small > business enterprises> and guiding;> > · product > promotion – discovery routes, nature> and heritage > trails and information dissemination; and> > · > integrated planning – resort and recreational> > developments;> > Projects have been identified for > each of the TDAs.> For each project there will need > to be a detailed> project definition and Terms of > Reference (TOR). > Project profiles for priority > projects are given in> the Annexes. There may be > many more projects> identified as detailed plans are > prepared for each> TDA. As regards the Five-Year > Action Plan emphasis> should be on creating a more > attractive environment in> the existing TDA and > planning and implementation of a> Senegambia Tourism > Centre.> > Other key projects are:> > l Training > local tour guides with> pilot programmes, > potentially at James Island and/or> Jufereh;> > l > Research of product improvements> required to > attract higher spending customers from the> EU.> > > Quality in Tourism Establishments> > This series of > activities is aimed at establishing> minimum > standards for ‘tourist hotels’ and for> enforcement > by licensing control and to ensure that> appropriate > investment incentives are available for> > refurbishment.> > It is also to review the > all-inclusive policy and to> encourage product > improvement via annual Gambia> tourism awards. > > > Social Issues> > Whilst social issues are highly > critical to the> success of tourism in The Gambia, > the main issue which> has to be resolved is that of > the ‘bumsters’. The> Visitor Surveys indicated that > a substantial> proportion of tourists are ‘put off’ > by the activities> of the ‘bumsters’, so there is an > urgent need to turn> this issue from a negative > force into a positive> force. We have included for > the ‘Needs Assessment’ and> for a follow up to the > recommendations from such an> exercise. An action > programme has to be devised to> find ways in which > bumsters can earn an income in a> way that demands a > change in their behaviour. Bumster> free areas must > also be achieved, including at the> airport > (although this will require a change to the> design > and layout of the terminal building).> > Human > resources> > The Gambian people represent a real > opportunity for> The Gambia to differentiate itself > from other tourist> destinations, and so offer > something special for the> tourists. Training > programmes in its widest sense will> be the key > drivers in this process. > > Upgrading The Gambia > Hotel School into a National> Tourism Training > Institute is the key instrument for> achieving this. > It is the major project to be> undertaken in the > Five Year Plan (excluding the major> investments to > be undertaken by the private sector). > > > Responsible Tourism> > The Gambia has been a pioneer > in responsible tourism,> and has been the > beneficiary of two UK DFID funded> programmes in > pro-poor tourism. > > A Responsible Tourism Policy > for The Gambia was> launched by the Secretary of > State for Tourism and> Culture at the 2004 World > Travel Market in London.> This policy is a call to > action in order to combat> some of the inequalities > and negative impact of> tourism. The policy is > addressed to the whole of the> tourism industry, > government and the Gambia Tourism> Authority. It > identifies objectives to achieve> responsible > marketing === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤