This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data.
Last Published: 4/12/2019

The tourism industry is an important sector in The Gambia, and contributes 20 percent to GDP annually.  It is the largest source of foreign exchange earnings.  Most tourists who visit The Gambia come from Northern Europe (UK, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway).  Tourist arrivals were expected to reach 200,000 in 2017, but uncertainty in the run-up to the December 1, 2016 Presidential elections and the political impasse that ensued between December 2016 and January 2017 severely affected the 2016/2017 season.  The 2017/2018 season performed much better; by some accounts, at the same level as before the impasse.  Recently, tourists from Italy, Belgium, and Poland, have also started visiting The Gambia.  A smaller number of tourists visit The Gambia from the U.S., and they usually visit to attend the biennial Roots Festival.

The industry is highly seasonal as the bulk of the tourists arrive during the European winter (October – April).  Average hotel occupancy reaches 90 percent in the winter months, but barely reaches 25 percent during the rest of the year.  Most (84 percent) of the tourists arrive through tour operators and almost all stay at hotels through all-inclusive packages.  Unlike some destinations in Africa, there are no major national parks in The Gambia.  The country has two main reserves, a small park for crocodiles, and a river island that is home to many chimpanzees, in addition to numerous craft markets.

The hotel industry has a supply of about 5,000 rooms, mostly located along the coast.  The GOTG seeks to increase the number of available rooms to 10,000 by 2020.  A few establishments exist in the interior of the country.  Eco-tourism remains a nascent subsector, although there are establishments springing up along the River Gambia.  There are also some efforts to integrate villagers into the tourism sector by offering their home villages as activity centers for the tourists – an initiative by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
Air travel links with the rest of the world are limited but there are direct and multiple flights per week to and from Europe, as well as some flights within the West Africa sub-region. Most tourists travel to The Gambia on chartered flights, which are active during the European winter months.
Table 8. The Gambia Travel and Tourism Sector Trade Data 2014 – 2017, value (US $)

 2014201520162017 (Estimated)
Total Local Productionn/an/an/an/a
Total Exportsn/an/an/an/a
Total Importsn/an/an/an/a
Imports from the USn/an/an/an/a
Total Market Size156,000135,000161,000174,000
Exchange Rates: 1USD40424445

(total market size = (total local production + imports) - exports)
Source: The World Bank; World Travel and Tourism Council; The Gambia Tourism Board  
Source (exchange rate data): Central Bank of The Gambia

Leading Sub-Sectors

The opportunities for growth in the tourism industry are limited as the country has many regional competitors in the likes of Senegal, Cape Verde, and Morocco. 
EcoTourism: This presents an underexplored, highly viable niche market.  The River Gambia provides opportunities for commercial hubs along its banks and is highly navigable for a major portion of its course.  River transport and river activities present major untapped opportunities in tourism.
Birdwatching: The Gambia is home to more than 600 bird species and is a major hub along the seasonal migratory pathway of birds along the Palearctic region.  Among tourists from Europe, birdwatchers make up a significant number of visitors to The Gambia, and the prospects of this sector are largely unexplored.

Opportunities

The Gambia offers several incentives for investments in the tourism sector.  Investors interested in building resorts, hotels, and lodges can qualify for free land, if these projects fall in designated Tourism Development Areas around the country.  For investments above the threshold of $250,000, incentives include a 10-year tax holiday.  Project financing for some of the major 4 to 5 star hotels have typically been sourced externally from platforms such as the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group. 

Web Resources

Ministry of Tourism and Culture
Gambia Tourism Board
Gambia Tourism
The Gambia Experience
International Roots Festival

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.