By Tabora Bojang
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the Gambia Tourism Board struck a partnership with Nordic Travel Leisure Group to bring tourists from Scandinavia but the group said it was too expensive for them to operate chartered flights to the country because of the high passenger costs at the Banjul airport.
Now though, according to Tourism Minister Abdoulie Jobe, the Gambia Tourism Board has agreed to a partnership with Scandinavian tour operator Apollo to bring tourists from November 2024.
However, he revealed that as part of negotiations, Apollo requested GT Board to contribute 200,000 Euro as a joint marketing fee as well as a 100 percent discount on landing and parking fees by the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority and 50 percent discount on handling fees by Gambia International Airline.
“Following the fulfilment of these requirements, Apollo has agreed to commence operations to Banjul from November 2024 with a flight capacity of 160 passengers weekly from Denmark,” Minister Jobe revealed during Wednesday’s questions for oral answer session at the Assembly.
He further disclosed that Apollo is also expected to receive passengers from Sweden and Finland through Denmark to The Gambia.
Asked what are the anticipated returns regarding this new agreement with Apollo, the minister replied: “We are going to have 160 passengers a week, maybe more, because you have to work with partners. We have package tourism whereas in other destinations you have business tourism, so you need to work in partnership with international operators to be able to bring tourists and that is what we are doing with Apollo.”
Asked if the arrangement with Apollo will see them bring tourists under “all-inclusive” packages, the minister declined to answer, saying the question is outside the remit of his responses.
The Wuli West NAM, Suwaibou Touray who was dissatisfied with these responses, insisted the minister answer his questions instead of attempting to avoid it, prompting a lengthy argument between him, Speaker and other lawmakers.
In his ruling, the Speaker Fabakary Tombong Jatta cited the Standing Orders and stated that a supplementary question shall not be in order if it introduces matters not included in the original question and the answer provided.
Jatta also ruled that the minister has a responsibility vested in him by the Orders to determine whether a supplementary question is within the remit or not and provide answers to it or choose not to.
