The Gambia’s 2019 Tourism Ambitions: A Target for 2021
In July 2019, The Gambia’s tourism minister, Hamat Bah, was setting out ambitious plans for the country’s visitor economy. The Ministry of Tourism and Culture aimed to welcome 350,000 tourists by 2021, with the minister expressing an even higher personal ambition of 500,000.
These were targets announced in 2019, not figures achieved in 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic was about to change international travel in ways nobody at that press conference could have anticipated.
What the tourism minister said in 2019
The original report, written by journalist Adama Makasuba for Gambiana, covered remarks made at the Gambia Tourism and Hotel School in Kanifing. Bah said the country had seen a substantial increase in visitors and that tourism was an important part of the government’s National Development Plan.
He also spoke about challenges facing the industry, particularly the need for suitable hotels and investment in tourism infrastructure. His comments reflected the optimism, but also the practical difficulties, surrounding tourism development at the time.
For historical attribution, the original report was published as Tourism Ministry Targets 350,000 Tourists in Gambia by 2021 on Gambiana. That original URL is retained as an archive reference.
What happened to the 2021 target?
The dramatic disruption caused by COVID-19 meant the predicted growth did not materialise on that timetable. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Culture’s later account, arrivals had reached around 235,000 in 2019 before the pandemic sharply reduced travel.
A 2021 State of the Nation address reported 89,232 arrivals in 2020 and indicated further difficulties in 2021. Those figures help explain why the 350,000 target belongs to the history of the sector rather than being presented as a current achievement.
The recovery of tourism has involved airlines, hotels, tour operators, local guides, restaurants and the many Gambian families whose livelihoods are linked to visitors.
Tourism beyond the coastal resorts
Our interest at BFiG is not only in tourist numbers. Some of the most memorable experiences in The Gambia happen away from the busiest holiday districts, where visitors can learn more about local communities, the River Gambia, traditional music and wildlife.
Our article on 15 reasons to venture beyond the Senegambia Strip offers ideas for exploring further. For cultural background and other stories, start with the Discover The Gambia hub. And for a personal journey beyond the familiar coastal routes, you can follow our drive from Serekunda to Abéné.
Archive note: This article revisits a tourism announcement first shared by BFiG in July 2019. It preserves the original ambition while distinguishing it from what actually happened in the years that followed.
