Honorable Abdoulie Jobe, the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture
By Ramatoulie Jawo
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, in collaboration with the Gambia Tourism Board, successfully wrapped up a two-day dialogue forum with tourism stakeholders on Wednesday. The forum provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss pre-season tourism arrangements and other factors influencing the tourism, hospitality, and cultural sectors.
Throughout the two-day event, participants engaged in discussions addressing the challenges facing their sector and emphasized the importance of collective responsibility in creating a more inclusive tourism industry.
The forum brought together various stakeholders from the tourism sector who engaged in open conversations with officials from the Ministry of Tourism and the Gambia Tourism Board. These discussions focused on the latest developments in the sector as well as the challenges that lie ahead.
During the closing ceremony, Isatou Drammeh, the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, highlighted the value of the platform in facilitating candid and open debates about the current state of the tourism sector. She noted that stakeholders had the opportunity to express their concerns and share their aspirations for the future.
“We have been informed of the advancements achieved and the current state. During the discussions, emphasis was placed on the significance of collaboration with this enlightened and productive dialogue. In the past two days, you have participated in a candid discussion on exterior knowledge and identified the opportunities and obstacles facing the tourism industry in the Gambia during the discussions,”she mentioned.
Drammeh further stressed the significance of collaboration among government officials, private sector representatives, local communities, and international partners. She emphasized the shared commitment to finding solutions and building a sustainable and resilient tourism industry that benefits the economy, the people, and the environment.
“However, the shared dedication to identify a solution has been most encouraged. Together, we can establish a tourism industry that is both sustainable and resilient, benefiting not only our economy but also our people and the environment. Let us convert the insights and concepts collected here into practical strategies. Our collective endeavor will fortify and strengthen the Gambia tourism industry,” she said.
Drammeh also encouraged the continuation of fostering an environment of innovation and partnership as they move forward.
Honorable Abdoulie Jobe, the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, expressed satisfaction with the dialogue format this year, noting that it provided an opportunity to hear from all stakeholders.”I think the working groups that were established have some insightful and very rewarding ideas that have come out. As I said yesterday, we will take these ideas, and they will be used to set up our strategies. It will be used by the GT Board to formulate their budgets so that we are responsive to your needs,” he added
Hon. Jobe expressed hope that next year they will convene the same forum, allowing stakeholders to review the discussions and commitments made by various groups, and hold them accountable to see if any progress has been made.