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Word Count: 730 Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2009 8:27 AM

One to One Aid In The Gambia

Whilst being interviewed local tour guide Mohammed Myang informed us that the Gambian welfare system provided no free education or health care. He went on to discuss how many Gambian children's education is sponsored by foreign tourists. This point was reinforced by the head-teacher of the primary school that we visited during the Gambian field trip.

The importance of one to one aid by foreign tourists is emphasised by Bah & Goodwin (2006) who discuss how tourists support the education of many Gambians they also suggest that '40% cent of all visitors bring school resources, 10% bring other gifts, nurses bring out medicines; and sometimes cars and other equipment are sent out to The Gambia to create or enhance livelihood opportunities for poor Gambians.'

Expanding the Tourist Sector

During their interviews both Adama Bah and Senegambia's hotel general manager Juegan Odenwald, called for the need of Gambia to diversify their tourist product in light of heavy competition from countries like Egypt and Kenya where winter sun is also available, but with the optional historical and wildlife selling points. In a country with 10 ethnic groups and with areas of interest such as Baboon Island and Kiang West National Park, Adama spoke of Gambia's many unique natural and cultural attributes and they potential value of these.

In terms of maximising wealth creation and poverty reduction for Gambian people (Mitchell & Faal 2006) believe that diversifying and expanding the tourist sector is a necessity. Whilst it is acknowledge that initiatives such as GiG has provided opportunities for communities from agricultural surroundings, the fact is that according from figures from the charity Concern Universal 72% percent of Gambian people living in poverty occupy rural communities outside tourist destinations. So by utilising the cultural and natural features of The Gambia, additional economic opportunities provided by tourism maybe created for the people in rural communities who reap little of the benefit that tourism brings.

Conclusions

From analysis of the data provided, and information obtained from the interviews conducted there is evidence to suggest that tourism does economically benefit some of the disadvantaged within Gambian society, especially in the areas of job creation within the formal sector and small scale enterprises in the informal sector, but in making this statement I do not believe that I can give a definitive answer to the question that all of the deprived in Gambian society benefit economically from tourism.

From the research carried out it is difficult to state if the economic opportunities tourism provides are available for all in Gambian Society, or do these benefits only extend to communities whose population is mainly concentrated in tourist areas such as Kololi where linkages to tourism are strong? As indictors highlight 72% of Gambia's poor live in rural communities, and while initiatives such as GiG have extended the benefits to these communities, when considering tourism in The Gambia the majority of tourist infrastructure exists around particular costal areas. As Adama Bah has pointed out, it is essential that efforts be made by the tourist industry to promote Gambia's cultural and natural richness as this may extend economic opportunities and enable these communities to flourish.

Another point to consider when evaluating the economic benefits of tourism for the poor of Gambian society, are the concerns raised by (Marfit 1983) in her rationale regarding the costs to developing countries in providing a infrastructure that international tour operators demand. This issue of cost exceeding the economic benefits for the people The Gambia was also raised by Adama Bah during interview who whilst acknowledging the financial contribution of tourism, also made the point that a large amount of Gambian tax's payers money had gone into developing an infrastructure that was fit for purpose in meeting these demands.

He suggested that the financial cost of this policy has resulted in a detriment in social welfare spending in fundamental areas such as health and education. Some of these concerns raised are not easy to measure, but are important when considering the benefits that tourism brings for the poor of Gambian society, but in making a final consideration, without an economic transformation where other industries being developed such as manufacturing, a Gambia without tourism would be a much poorer place, a point reinforced by all the people that were interviewed for this report.