Government of the Republic of The Gambia
has urged Nigerian investors to leverage on the country's rich tourism potential.
It said there was a need for massive
infrastructural development in the country's tourism sector which is currently the second largest contributor to its Gross Domestic Product after agriculture.
The Gambia Minister of Tourism and Culture, Mrs. Fatou Mass Jobe-Njie, said the tourism and the hospitality sector in the country have witnessed a steady phenomenal growth in the last ten years.
She, however, noted that hotel facilities and
other infrastructures are usually inadequate
during the high season (November-April)
when tourists besiege the country.
Jobe-Njie said The Gambian government is
looking up to Nigerian investors to help bridge what she described as "gaps" in the sector which according to her, are capable of inhibiting the future growth of the hospitality industry.
She spoke in Banjul, The Gambia on
Wednesday at the ongoing 11th edition of the International Roots Festival themed,
"Celebrating Unity Through Culture."
According to official statistics from The
Gambia which has a population of about 1.7 million, tourism contributes 16 per cent to the country's GDP thereby creating jobs for over 75,000 people.
Jobe-Njie said, "We are doing well in our
tourism sector as The Gambia has over the
years become a peaceful and safe tourist
destination to Europeans, Americans and
even our African brothers and sisters.
"But we have gaps. During the winter period
which happens to be the high season, we
witness a situation where there are no hotel
accommodations for our tourists as all the
beds would have been occupied.
"We need more five star hotels and the only
way we think we can achieve this is to focus
on Nigerian investors. Besides, there are over 100 islands on the River Gambia waiting to be developed into tourism hubs. We need people to come and invest and build something unique on these islands."
She said special incentives have been put in place by The Gambian government to
encourage investors, adding that the Gambian Investment and Export Promotion Agency is on the ground to render necessary support to potential investors.
According to her, investors in the nation's
tourism and hospitality industry will enjoy
free land allocation and tax holidays to
enable them to recoup their investment in
good time.
"When you want to invest in The Gambia
tourism sector, we give you land free of charge and also an incentive certificate that
guarantee you approvals for duty waivers on all raw material imports.
"Besides when the tourism business kick-
starts, investors will have a corporation tax
holiday for up to five years," Jobe-Njie added.
has urged Nigerian investors to leverage on the country's rich tourism potential.
It said there was a need for massive
infrastructural development in the country's tourism sector which is currently the second largest contributor to its Gross Domestic Product after agriculture.
The Gambia Minister of Tourism and Culture, Mrs. Fatou Mass Jobe-Njie, said the tourism and the hospitality sector in the country have witnessed a steady phenomenal growth in the last ten years.
She, however, noted that hotel facilities and
other infrastructures are usually inadequate
during the high season (November-April)
when tourists besiege the country.
Jobe-Njie said The Gambian government is
looking up to Nigerian investors to help bridge what she described as "gaps" in the sector which according to her, are capable of inhibiting the future growth of the hospitality industry.
She spoke in Banjul, The Gambia on
Wednesday at the ongoing 11th edition of the International Roots Festival themed,
"Celebrating Unity Through Culture."
According to official statistics from The
Gambia which has a population of about 1.7 million, tourism contributes 16 per cent to the country's GDP thereby creating jobs for over 75,000 people.
Jobe-Njie said, "We are doing well in our
tourism sector as The Gambia has over the
years become a peaceful and safe tourist
destination to Europeans, Americans and
even our African brothers and sisters.
"But we have gaps. During the winter period
which happens to be the high season, we
witness a situation where there are no hotel
accommodations for our tourists as all the
beds would have been occupied.
"We need more five star hotels and the only
way we think we can achieve this is to focus
on Nigerian investors. Besides, there are over 100 islands on the River Gambia waiting to be developed into tourism hubs. We need people to come and invest and build something unique on these islands."
She said special incentives have been put in place by The Gambian government to
encourage investors, adding that the Gambian Investment and Export Promotion Agency is on the ground to render necessary support to potential investors.
According to her, investors in the nation's
tourism and hospitality industry will enjoy
free land allocation and tax holidays to
enable them to recoup their investment in
good time.
"When you want to invest in The Gambia
tourism sector, we give you land free of charge and also an incentive certificate that
guarantee you approvals for duty waivers on all raw material imports.
"Besides when the tourism business kick-
starts, investors will have a corporation tax
holiday for up to five years," Jobe-Njie added.
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