THE GAMBIA TARGETS NIGERIA ON DESTINATION GAMBIA CAMPAIGN

THE GAMBIA TARGETS NIGERIA ON DESTINATION GAMBIA CAMPAIGN
Wildlife Tourism is one of the areas that The Gambia now hopes to make money as a nation.

In an effort to boost its  vision 2020 on Tourism agenda, The Gambia government has expressed its  readiness to boost the nation's tourism business by partnering with Nigerian investors with capacity in that area of our economy.
  This was made known by the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Fatou Mass Jobe-Njie at the official ‘Destination Launch’ of the Gambia in Nigeria recently as efforts to lift the tiny African nation's economy receives a massive lift.
   The ‘Destination Launch’ of the Gambia, which took place at Protea Hotel Ikeja, was led by a team of seven Gambians.
    Speaking at the launch, Jobe-Njie said her country’s blueprint for 2020 was meant to help in  raising its yearly GDP through tourism since Tourism currently  contributes at least  12-15 percent GDP of the Gambia economy ..
    Represented by the Chairman, Governing Council of the Gambia Tourism Board (GTB), Bakary Jammeh, Jobe-Njie said Nigeria, the biggest economy in  Africa, is one of its target  markets as it expands globally.
“Having recognized the fact that Nigeria is a big brother in Africa, The Gambia has come to a conclusion that Nigeria is indeed a market that we cannot choose to ignore in our drive to increase our annual tourism arrival numbers.”
  Jobe-Njie  disclosed that the economic blue print of the government of The Gambia is to increase its  annual tourism arrival numbers to 500,000 by the year 2020 in tandem with the  vision 2020 scheme of President Yaya Jammeh.
     “Nigeria and The Gambia have had long social and cultural ties as well as many similarities and a large number of Nigerian businesses live and operate in the Gambia. We have also realized that more Nigerians are choosing The Gambia as their holiday and business destination,” she stated.
   She  explained  that The Gambia Ecotourism, which is second to South Africa and the friendliness of Gambians forms the fulcrum   of the  reason why Nigerians should prefer Gambia as their tourism destination instead of going else where around the world.
      In her closing remarks, the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Ms Cordu Linquere Jabang said tourism sector continues to play a great role in the Gambia’s economic development process as it provides employment options and enhances foreign exchange earnings for the country.
   Jabang added that her president was committed to an orderly development and expansion of the sector to include culture and ecotourism with a view to building benefits from the sector.