By Lamin Njie
The two-day West Africa Ecotourism Summit has recently wrapped up at the Bakadaji Hotel in Kotu.
The annual sub-regional event brought together different players in the tourism sector to share experiences, network, and create a cohesive ecotourism industry across the region.
The event allows the participants to develop market connectivity for local products and services and capacity-building for those in the tourism industry.
In his speech, Honorable Abdoulie Jobe, Minister of Tourism and Culture, reassured the participants of the government’s commitment to ensuring that the tourism industry remains vibrant for the country’s overall economic development. “Tourism plays an important role in the economic development of The Gambia. Therefore, having such an event in the country is a step in the right direction,” he said.
Honourable Jobe commended the organisers for choosing The Gambia for this important summit.
He also called on the participants to work collectively to achieve their network’s objectives, while encouraging them to explore the beautiful nature of the different ecotourism sites in The Gambia.
The Minister then described the summit as timely; considering that it coincides with the just-concluded 15th summit of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation held in Banjul.
He finally assured of his Ministry’s readiness to collaborate and partner with stakeholders for the advancement of The Gambia’s tourism sector.
