Social & economic impact of tourism on an LEDC

The Gambia

Background information

The coastline is 80km long with a two season year. The tropical rainy season lasts from June to November, whilst the dry season lasts from November to May. Temperatures hover around 32 C in the dry season. In the wet season temperatures range from 28 - 30 C. Rainfall is concentrated in the three months of July, August and September when 1050 mm falls out of a total annual rainfall of 1300 mm. The country has one airport in the capital Banjul. GDP per capita is $1800 (2003), whilst the infant mortality rate is 75 per 1000. (2003). Population totalled 1,400,000 in 2001.

Tourists mainly come from the UK. Tourism is important and provides jobs for many people directly and indirectly. There are few ways for people to make money. Tourism is seen as an important tool to aid development in The Gambia Tourism contributes about 12% of the GNP. About 7000 Gambians are employed directly or indirectly in tourism. The only crop it exports in Peanuts.

Tourism can bring problems

• 1. Tourists can offend local people by not covering up when visiting local markets as 90% of the population is Muslim.
• 2. Local boys can mug tourists in search of money. They can be friendly but sometimes violent. The government has tried to stop this by recruiting some as tour guides. However the rise in muggings is a symptom of high unemployment and poverty.
• 3. The all-inclusive resorts do not spread the income from tourism around the local community as there is no incentive for the tourists to leave. There have been local up-risings. As a result, the government banned them but reversed the decision after pressure from the hotel companies.
• 4. Tourists in all-inclusive hotels demand showers and swimming pools. This is a drain on resources and can leave communities without water.
• 5. Employment provided is often poorly paid and seasonal. Those employed as waiters, cleaners and cooks earn £30 a month on average. Well paid jobs are given to staff from the TNC country.
• 6. Overseas aid to support tourism development has been used in the coastal area to build roads linking hotels, the airport and urban area. However, no compensation was paid to people whose homes were demolished. Also, the government has to pay high interest charges on the money they have borrowed.

Where does all the money go?

• 1. A large part of the tourist revenue doesn't reach local people. It stays with the package holiday firms (TNC's) which are foreign-owned.
• 2. Holiday operators make it easy for tourists to stay in the hotel and not mix with local people, consequently not dispersing wealth.
• 3. High levels of leakage. Hotels fly in construction workers to build the hotels. Fixtures and fittings are also imported from Europe.
• 4. Local craftspeople lose trade as hotels try to keep tourists inside hotels. Hotels want the tourists to spend their money in the hotel.
• 5. When people go out on excursions, the guides are often not local and are brought in from outside. They often visit a small selection of places leaving others out in the cold.
• 6. The food served in the hotels does not come from local people. The food is often brought in from outside.

How can tourism in The Gambia be made fairer?

• 1. Community tourism: Visitors go to local schools and industry (tie-die workshop) and see real life. History tourism also brings visitors who want to learn about the history of the country and slavery.
• 2. Eco-tourism: People who visit wanting to explore wildlife and the environment. People who often want the money spent on conservation. Bird watchers visit, unfortunately many species appear during the rainy seasons when few people visit. There is very little money to invest and spend on this sector due to the monopoly of the all-inclusive resorts.
• 3. Culture: Holidays can be offered which focus on music with people staying in hotels with workshops offered in drumming and traditional lifestyles. This will allow local people to earn money themselves from tourism.

D.Drake 2009