In order to meet the challenge and demand of our time and place the Kanifing Municipality in its rightful place – the commercial, financial and industrial hub of the Gambia, we a group of interested people within KMC, have come together to support the candidature of Adama Bah for the Mayorship of KMC.
WITH YOU, FOR YOU,
AND FOR KMC
KMC needs a new direction to meet the needs and challenges of our time. Adama Bah comes with a vast experience in management and the development of sustainable, people centered businesses that are needed today in KMC. As an expert in marketing the Gambia as a tourist destination, Adama has what is required to transform our municipality into a vibrant, clean and modern commercial center for the new Gambia.
Adama Bah is the right person to lead KMC for a successful takeoff into the modern era and a future of an ultra-modern city.
Adama has worked in top management positions in the hospitality industry for about three decades before retiring as deputy general manager at the popular BB hotel. A graduate degree holder in tourism management, Adama specializes in responsible tourism. Over the years he took up the pioneering role of promoting responsible tourism in the Gambia and the sub-region and the world over.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP,
BUSINESS AND GROWTH
Adama’s experience in the establishment and promotion of small businesses is a valuable asset in his tool kit that is needed to help boost the growth of businesses especially small business, in our municipality. In 2000, Adama helped establish ASSET, an organization that promotes and protects small scale business players in the tourism industry.
The organization serves the interests of craft market vendors, tourist taxi drivers, tourist guides, juice vendors, fruit sellers and a host of other small scale participants in the hospitality industry in the Gambia. Earlier, in 1995, Adama championed the establishment of Gambia Tourism Concern (GTC), a body that advocates for sustainable tourism in the Gambia. A KMC majorship of Adama Bah, means a municipality booming in business and prosperity.
Internationally, Adama’s involvement in marketing Gambia as a tourist destination is second to none. He features regularly as a speaker promoting “Destination Gambia” at international travel fairs and conferences around the world to boost our country’s tourist visits. Adama is a fellow of a host of tourism promotion organizations around the world including the International Centre for Responsible Tourism, UK. He is regularly consulted and widely sought after on matters of tourism in the Gambia and the West Africa sub-region. The International Travel Foundation in the UK regularly engages his services.
Adama was instrumental in the establishment of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT), and helped establish its West Africa branch. Through this organization, a number of Gambians and others from the sub-region are trained on responsible tourism management. So far, 18 Gambians, 2 Nigerians, 1 Ghanaian and 2 Kenyans, successfully completed graduate level studies in responsible tourism through the Leeds Metropolitan University’s distance learning program.
As an expert in tourism management, Adama was in 2016 part of a group of experts consulted by the government of Liberia to help develop a tourism trade strategy following the devastating effects of the Ebola pandemic in that country. In 2003, he was also a consultant for the government of Ghana in helping develop their tourism industry, and in 2014 the government of Lagos State in Nigeria, benefited from his expertise in the efficient management of the tourism sites in Badagry, Lagos. Since 2015, Adama have been consulted by the Senegalese government through its Agency for the Promotion of Tourism in Senegal, to help market Senegal as a tourist destination at the World Travel Market in London.
LEADERSHIP
AND INNOVATION
Through ASSET, Adama and together with partners organized the 1st West Africa Travel Market – MBOKA held in the Gambia in 2008. MBOKA brings together reputable hospitability destinations promoters and participants in the sub-region to share experiences possible business to business partnerships. Participants included Gambia Tourism Authority, Eco-Benin, ONITS-Senegal, Sierra Leone Tourist Board and Cameroon Ministry of Tourism and many others.
As part of his dedication to ensure responsible and sustainable tourism in the Gambia, Adama helped link a number of small scale producers to market their products in the hospitality industry. Through his work with the Travel Foundation- UK, Adama helped initiate a number of eco and community based tourist projects in the Gambia such as “Gambia is Good” farm yard to help local farmers sell their products in the hospitality industry. His efforts also helped people in tourists receiving communities like Jufureh, Janjanburay, Kartong, Tumanitenda, Ndemban and Siffoe develop their capacity to manage tourist attraction sites and market access for their products.
HUMANITARIANISM
AND ADVOCACY
Adama is a leading advocate for the protection of the abuse of children in tourism. He did extensive research on child sex abuse in tourism in the Gambia and regularly advocates for the protection of the rights of children in tourism at conferences and tourism fairs. Adama has served as a board member of the Child Protect Alliance (CPA) for many years.
EDUCATION
On the education front, Adama co-founded the Institute of Travel and Tourism of Gambia (ITTOG). The institute trains students from The Gambia and the sub-region, and through the Camp Africa initiative that Adama started, hundreds of international tourism students have visited the Gambia to study and interact with students at ITTOG. The institute was able to help 12 students from the Gambia access scholarships to study Travel and Tourism in Nottingham, UK. Adama sits on the board of the institute as its chairperson.
In 2004, Adama was awarded the “Greatest Contribution by a Person in Responsible Tourism” at the prestigious World Travel Market in London. The award was conferred on him by The Times of London, World Travel Market, Geographic Magazine and responsibletravel.com.Adama has travelled widely in Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America and has over the years accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience in politics, management and development work that is uniquely suitable and needed for a KMC in the New Gambia.
Adama was born and raised in Serekunda and Bundung where his extended still lives. He is married to Lisong Chapman-Bah and the couple live in Kololi with their family.
