The Senegambia Craft Market offers a unique artifact for tourist visiting the Gambia. The market situated at the junction leading to the Kairaba and Senegambia beach hotels, was built by the government in their drive to boost tourism in the country.

Visitor who wants a good artifact materials ranging from carved woods to tie and dye amongst others have place to visit this market. It has created a lot of job opportunities for young Gambians who currently run most of the stalls in the market.

This week Arts and Culture, caught up with Mr Gibril Sanyang, Vice-President of the Senegambia Craft Market Association to shed light on the history of this famous craft market.

According to him, the first craft market built in the area was meant only for Senegambia Beach Hotel in 1982, when the hotel was established numbering about 70 stalls. “The second craft market was built in 1990 within the premises of the Senegambia car park with 90 stalls, while the presently occupied one was built by government near the junction in 2001, with a capacity of 60 stalls accommodating 120 people” he said He added, the Senegambia craft market has scored significant infrastructural development as the first craft market was built out of mud blocks, the second of corrugated iron sheets while the third is of concrete blocks.

However, Mr Sanyang said that despite this, the market is not registering improvements interms of sales due to the limited tourist season. “We have six months of off season during which we spend all we acquired in the season. This situation is frustrating to our members.

According to him, the proliferation of unofficial craft markets in the country Acts as another hinderance to their progress. “The attitude of tourist guides, “bumsters” and tourist taxi drivers is also frustrating as they are not willing to take tourists to our craft market even for short-trip visits, much more shopping. If the tourist season is at its peak, we loose a lot because of this menace.”
He cited the inadequate information about the market among tourists as another factor hindering their operation. “Throughout the Tourism Development Area (TDA), only three hotels namely Senegambia Beach Hotel, Kololi Beach Club and Bijilo Hotel, do accord us the opportunity for regular and timely exhibition of our products to the tourists in their hotels during the season. We really appreciate this gesture, as it is a right step towards the promotion and development of tourism in the country”.

Mr Sanyang then called on the tour operators, tourist guides to collaborate with this market for the interest of tourist development in The Gambia.