Gambia’s
president Yahya Jammeh recognised that tourism has the potential to be a
central pillar in West Africa’s economic development and therefore calls for an
all-inclusive plan to develop the sector in the region.
“There
is no better time than now to develop a comprehensive and strategic blue print
for regional tourism development,” he said on Monday.
This proposal will look into diverse issues like cross border tourism, standardization of hospitality facilities, regional, branding, common and unified tourism statistical and data systems, harmonized immigration policies, joint promotional and marketing strategies, market intelligence sharing and joint product development strategies as well as joint communication programmes and quality assurance schemes.
This proposal will look into diverse issues like cross border tourism, standardization of hospitality facilities, regional, branding, common and unified tourism statistical and data systems, harmonized immigration policies, joint promotional and marketing strategies, market intelligence sharing and joint product development strategies as well as joint communication programmes and quality assurance schemes.
In
a statement read on his behalf by Mrs. Fatou Lamin Faye, Minister of Basic and
Secondary Education, during an ECOWAS Tourism Ministers Summit June 22-23, 2012
in Gambia, President Jammeh also recommend to ECOWAS tourism ministers to
introduce new and innovative ways of conducting business such as internet
bookings, e-marketing and website development.
He
noted that such is necessary as rapid developments in information technology greatly
revolutionized the way business is conducted in tourism.
The
aim of the summit was to discus significant wide ranging issues geared towards
the advancement of tourism in the sub-region.
“Modern
day tourism thrives on the beauty, splendor, variety and diversity of all that
a region offers the discerning tourist,” he said. “The West African sub-region
is well endowed with diverse natural and cultural attractions that could render
our community a tourist haven in Africa.”
However,
the Gambian leader noted that the challenge confronting the tourism sector is
to be able to harness, package and project rich treasures into one big tourism
product.
He
said this should be done with the potential and capacity to offer and deliver a
diverse range of products, offers real life experiences to tourists, including
the trendy and discerning ones in their yearning for multiple experiences in a
regional context.
He
also pressed for keen discussions on challenges confronting the sector with a
view to positioning the sub-region as a multinational destination hotspot and
haven that is capable of offering multiple and varied experiences to various
categories of leisure travelers as well as business travelers.
Major Pillar
President
Jammeh noted that tourism is a major economic pillar of the Gambian economy,
saying “the sector has also assumed greater significance in the socio-economic
development of our country.”
The
Gambia attracts tourists from diverse places around the world and remains one
of the most competitive destinations in African, he added.
This
achievement, he said is due to the effective tourism policies that have been
formulated over the years. It is also as a result of a mixture of unique
attractions and facilities that complement the genuine warmth and hospitality
of the Gambian people.
Source: The Voice Newspaper
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