GAMBIA: Making Tourism Development Area Worthwhile

The Gambia Tourism Board (GTBoard) has once again taken another step forward in bringing sanity to the Tourism Development Area (TDA) across the country in order to make the Destination meet international standards and a place worthwhile to visit. Visit and access to any area of the beach across the TDA is now easier than ever before as the GTBoard in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders embarked on a demolition of the illegal beach bars at the Brufut hype. The more than 20 Beach bars demolished were illegal because they were never allocated by the GTBoard and fail to meet the requirements of the GTBoard.

The demolition of the illegal beaches bars will as well help to a great extend to curb and control the menace of ‘bumsters’ and other vices within TDA, which are known for breeding such vices negatively affecting tourism .

The Gambia Tourism Board in full operation with the Tourism Security Unity (TSU) is taking serious stand in cleaning off the act of bumsters across TDA. The exercise was meant to bring sanity in the tourism industry so that The Gambia would be free hassling of tourist, which survey has proved is top the list of the vices making negatively affecting every holidaymaker and visitor to Destination Gambia from enjoying their stay and holiday in The Smiling Coast of Africa.

‘Bumsters’ as it might be a strange word or name to some from outside the destination, simply means – ‘bumsters’ are touts walking around the tourism development area (TDA), resorts, sites and so on and want to get closer to any holidaymaker or visitor by all means for familiarity, earning commission, most time in exchanging pleasantry for their personal desire or interest. Tout is an individual person who tries to help as you might think but indirectly a burden to whoever falls for them. In order words touts are regarded to be middlemen that get commission from any service they rendered to whoever they approached and fall for them.

Tout is not limited to one sex; tout can be a man or woman, young or old with half or no education. Still with powerful expression ability to convince people but most of them lack mannerly expression. Among the touts there is good, the bad and ugly. Not all of them are bad but the bad ones outsmart the good ones.

Area2It is imperative that everyone join hand with GTBoard to flush out ”Bumsters” from the TDA as most of the ‘bumsters’ services and behaviours are in an importune manner that could bring set back to the industry. ‘Bumsters’ are always in their own world they exist in all tourism destinations around the world, thus not peculiar to The Gambia

Tourists are means of survival to touts because whatever help they render to any tourist will be followed by any means of compensation hence they always earn or receive gifts, money for a return to guide, introduce tourists to some areas like shop, site among other things as far as their service providers are concerned.

Some repeat visitors to not only destination Gambia but around the world most time found ‘bumsters’ as unwanted people because oftentimes they are importune to get something from holidaymakers. Any destination they are given chances you will come across them with their phenomenon in just every place, site, resort that attracts tourist or visitors, especially international tourists. Regional tourists might be a bit free from them but not always lucky.

Do you want to experience the act of ‘bumsters?’ Well it is easy if you are fortunate to meet them in TDA when they are ‘bumstring.’ Some of them try to speak in an audible voice, some speak with their nose or on top of their nose, while some speaks Rastafarians English and some would prefer American stylish speaking method. All depend on the type of who you are. With the simple word of hi! And your response without hesitation will definitely reveal your origin identity and this enhance their style of approach. ‘Bumsters’ will approach you one after another as far as they do not see you walking with any of their colleague Bumsters

You do not need to fall into their coercion or allowed them to manipulate you because there is little or no gain from them to you if you deal with them. This is because dealing with them sometimes can put you at risk. Sometimes ‘Bumster’ can approach you with sympathetic stories but the onus is on you to use your initiative to handle them. As a visitor to any destination, it is much better you approach directly any of the government or board approved official tour guides for any service you might in anyway need.

Better still, you can talk to your hotel’s manager or your handler who can link you up with appropriate tour guides. At least, this is ninety-eight per cent if not one hundred per cent reliable and better. Should in case of any complain, you will have someone to direct your complain if things did not go as you might have thought.

In the Gambia, the tourist security unit (TSU) is doing great job but they might not afford to be everywhere at a time, therefore, at the TDA site, resorts among other places when you are walking and been approached by any unfamiliar face or ‘bumster’ it is easy and better say ‘no, thank you’ to their offers especially when you do not need one. This can continue until you are able to get yourself acquainted with the environment.

Again try to be careful as a visitor or tourist when you are at any touristy area and someone offer you free service. Nothing go for free, although Gambians are kind, caring and hospitable, but the ‘bumsters’ are not as you can think of because they need something in return of their services.While ‘bumsters’ are simply people trying to make a living to support their families, the manner they do it could derail and damage the good system putting in place by the GTBoard as it is not the most honest way to make living. Their approaches are the wrong way to make survival because it is detrimental to the development of tourism in The Gambia. This is simple because most of them are aggressive in approach.

As a tourist, the best way to manage and deal with them is for you to ignore them by not acknowledging their existence. By simply ignoring them ‘bumster’ will walk away from you because he or she will know that you are aware of their gimmicks and it is does not necessarily mean that you are arrogant. It is better to join hands and support the GTBoard to flush act of ‘Bumstersim’ from the system rather than encouraging it.

Despite the presence of Bumsters in The Gambia which most of whom are not harmful, with the GTBoard, The Gambia remains your safest haven where you canjoy your holiday!

For more information visit the GTBoard on facbook as …..www.facebook.com/gogambia

Website: www.go-gambia .com / www.visitthegambia.gm