Tourism in the Gambia

The tourism industry today in the Gambia started when a party of 300 Swedish tourists arrived in 1965. That pioneering trip was organised by a Swede named Bertil Harding together with the tour operators Vingresor. It was seen as an ideal place to escape the harsh winter months of Scandinavia where Europeans would enjoy not only sun, sand and beaches but also experience the excitement of a real African holiday. It also offered a new opening for an affordable holiday to increasing numbers of traveling Europeans.

The number of visitors increased from 300 tourists in 1965 to 25,000 visitors in 1976. The number of tourists has continued to rise sharply throughout the years, and as the government is eager to diversify the economy, it recognised tourism as a potential major foreign exchange source of revenue. However, despite increasing popularity as a tourist destination, infrastructure development has been slow.

The tourism sector focuses primarily on foreign visitors and today contributes significantly to the Economy of the Gambia. According to estimates, its share of gross domestic product in 2019 was around 20 percent. At the same time, the industry offers extensive employment opportunities: over 100,000 Gambians, a significant proportion of the working population, work directly or indirectly in the tourism sector.