Angela Colley, Secretary of State for Tourism and Culture, on Friday presided over a one day national tourism consultative forum at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Kololi.

Speaking at the occasion, SoS Colley said, the conference is annual multi-stakeholders and sectoral platform set aside to facilitate national dialogue and debate on the strategic issues affecting the growth of the tourism sector.

According to her, it is one of the catalysts for strengthening partnership amongst all stakeholders. “This will enable us to come to a consensus on what initiatives are required to bolster growth and development, as well as streamline priority programmes for the tourism sector as a whole in the short medium term,” she added.

“The Tourism Policy (1995-2000),” she said “was formulated during the dawn of the Second Republic to chart the strategic direction for tourism development in The Gambia as part of the global economy and with the drive to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)”.

SoS Colley noted that The Gambia possesses a considerable natural and cultural resource for tourism development, saying the national policy recommends the commission of Tourism Development Master Plan.
She disclosed that the proposed Tourism Development Master Plan will provide the basis for the improvement and orderly expansion of the tourism sector.

Furthermore, SoS Colley noted that promotion of tourism and associated community based tourism development in The Gambia remains formidable constraints to overcome.
The programme was attended by stakeholders in the tourism sector and was chaired by Kaliba Senghore, Director General of Gambia Tourism Authority.