Re: Sex destination tag hindered tourism
Dear Editor,
please allow me space on your noble newspaper to add my voice to what the minister of tourism said in your Monday edition.
Hamat revealed that one of the reasons that affected tourism in The Gambia is the fact that we were considered a sex destination. Mr Editor, this is very sad considering the culture of Gambians. We are people of high value. It is disgraceful and discouraging. We all know that tourism is the second largest contributor of our economy but this tag is shameful to our values and norms.
Like the minister said, for 52 years of tourism we are still receiving 150,000 tourists which means the Gambia government should start to make more efforts in the tourism sector and provide good security for both the tourists and Gambians, particularly the infamous bumsters and the young girls that are being used for sex.
The fact that we have bumsters in this country does not mean that the country is bad and moreover, there are some tourists coming because they hear about the sex destination. I think the government should also look in to that. The tourists coming in to the Gambia should also be checked for security reasons because most of these tourists come with diseases. They would come, sleep with our young girls for some small amount of money and transmit the disease to the unsuspecting girls. It is usually their intention to come to Africa, having contracted diseases in Europe, and spread it here.
I would also like to send a word of caution to the tourism ministry and the stakeholders that we should be more careful with the kind of tourists we welcome in the country. Parents also should be more vigilant as more tourist arrivals are expected and that could mean misery for their daughters.
Aisha Tamba
Brusubi
Thanking former President Jammeh
Dear editor,
As my timeline is lit with photos of graduating students and heartwarming congratulatory massages, I would like to commend former president Jammeh and his administration for being the architect of our country’s foremost institution of learning. It was a mark of vision, fortitude and grace.
No doubt, Jammeh’s biggest administrative achievement was strides in education expansion culminating in the yearly turnover of hundreds of highly skilled and qualified Gambians ready to serve their country and beyond in all spheres of socioeconomic development and thus increased literacy level among our citizens. However, the former President’s failed economic policies, reckless and fraudulent financial practice and bloody human rights record have legitimately dwarfed this important milestone of his 22 – year leadership.
I implore the current government of President Adama Barrow to invest generously in this vital sector and back it with prudent economic policies and sound public/ private institutional partnerships that provide avenues for our citizens to give back to their communities. The ‘Honoris Causa’ conferred on the President today is more of encouragement and not much about celebration of his achievements; I humbly urge him to live up to the ideals of this honor. I congratulate the President for accepting the challenge.
My heartfelt congratulations also go to the graduating students for successfully weathering years of academic rigor amidst sacrifice and strong desire for excellence… I thank President Sir Dawda Jawara for his pioneering leadership and congratulate him on his historic achievements.
Zakaria Kemo Konteh
Queens, USA
