Risk & Crisis Management in Tourism Sector:
Recovery from Crisis
in the OIC Member Countries
97
closely with other government departments and stakeholders such as the Gambian Hotel
Association. They were able to reduce landing fees at the main airport, while hoteliers reduced
their hotel costs. A further action is to reduce the cost of licensing hotels for the whole of 2017.
The GTB has also worked with other government authorities to reduce the cost of aviation fuel
and the cost of energy and water in hotels (Bah, pers. comm., 21 April 2017). All these measures
allow tour operators to increase their competitive edge by reducing package prices.
4.4.4. Critical Success Factors in Resilience of Tourism in The Gambia
As can be seen from the arrival figures, there has been no growth in overall arrival figures over
the last decade, in contrast to the strength of international trends globally over the same period.
On the other hand, people caught up in the January 2017 crisis reported being well taken care
of by local hotel staff and tour agents over that period, so that they felt reassured and in no
personal danger (Stanford, pers. comm., 22 March 2017). One of the most positive aspects of
Gambian tourism is that there are many dedicated and well-meaning people (both Gambians
and others) working to support the sector. In particular, there are knowledgeable tour operators
in the principal source markets. For instance, the UK-based operator The Gambia Experience
(part of the Serenity Holidays Group) carries 60% of UK tourists to The Gambia and runs
scheduled flights there throughout the year, in contrast to most other tour operators which only
run flights during the high season (November-May). This operator has worked hard to diversify
its product and now includes an ‘eco-retreat’ and a floating lodge on the River Gambia in addition
to the more standard beach resorts. They also run excursions to allow their customers to
interact with local people, for instance visiting schools or fishing villages or learning how to cook
authentic meals ). This kind of initiave may encourage other operators in
the country to diversify and thereby create a more resilient tourism system in the future.
The Gambia has long been the focus of efforts by advocates of responsible tourism, who have
worked with local people to create more sophisticated and equitable tourism systems. For
instance a British university was funded by the World Bank in 2012-17 to carry out a feasibility
study and capacity-building for a 5-day excursion linking natural and cultural sites along the
River Gambia (the ‘Ninki Nanka Trail’) (McCombes, pers. comm., 18 April 2017).
The organisation of tourism is another cause for optimism. The Gambia Tourism Authority
(GTA) is an arm of the Government but funded by the private sector, in particular the largest
ground handling agents. GTA staff are becoming increasingly well-educated and aware of
opportunities to develop and diversify their industry. The reliance on the UK market is waning
slightly: in 2004 62% of tourists came from the UK but the proportion now stands at 45%, with
the Dutch market the second largest. Markets in Belgium and Poland are also expanding (Beyai-
Raji, pers. comm., 21 April 2017).