The tourism industry today in the Gambia started when a party of 300 Swedish tourists arrived in 1965.[1] That pioneering trip was organised by a Swede named Bertil Harding together with the tour operators Vingresor. It was seen as an ideal place to escape the harsh winter months of Scandinavia where Europeans would enjoy not only sun, sand and beaches but also experience the excitement of a real African holiday. It also offered a new opening for an affordable holiday to increasing numbers of traveling Europeans.
The number of visitors increased from 300 tourists in 1965 to 25,000 visitors in 1976.[2] The number of tourists has continued to rise sharply throughout the years, and as the government is eager to diversify the economy, it recognised tourism as a potential major foreign exchange source of revenue. However, despite increasing popularity as a tourist destination, infrastructure development has been slow.
The tourism sector focuses primarily on foreign visitors and today contributes significantly to the Economy of the Gambia. According to estimates, its share of gross domestic product in 2019 was around 20 percent.[3] At the same time, the industry offers extensive employment opportunities: over 100,000 Gambians, a significant proportion of the working population, work directly or indirectly in the tourism sector.[4]
History
The beginnings of modern tourism in The Gambia date back to the mid-1960s. In 1965, around 300 Swedish tourists landed in Bathurst (now Banjul) for the first time, on the initiative of Swedish tour operator Bertil Harding. He had previously traveled to Senegal and ended up in The Gambia by chance, but was so impressed by the natural beauty and friendliness of the locals that he recommended the country as a destination to his clients. In the following years, Gambia quickly developed into a popular winter destination for Europeans: visitor numbers rose from around 300 in the 1965/66 season to around 2,600 in 1970/71 and further to over 8,000 in 1971/72. By 1985, 47,926 international arrivals had already been recorded, and in 1993/94, just under 90,000. The number of hotels grew from only 2 in 1965 to 13 in the early 1970s and over 40 by 2008, with a bed capacity of around 7,000 (2005). The tourism sector thus began to become an important source of foreign exchange alongside the traditional peanut export. As early as 1970, the government under President Dawda Jawara created a Tourism Development Area (TDA), an 800 m wide coastal strip from Kololi to Kartung, which was reserved exclusively for tourism development.[5]
In the following decades, Gambia's tourism increasingly shifted towards mass tourism. Major European tour operators offered inexpensive package tours to coastal hotels, mainly in the winter season from October to April. Politically, apart from a bloodless coup in 1994, the country remained stable, which allowed the tourism sector to develop. However, crises led to slumps: in 2014/15, for example, many travelers avoided West Africa due to the Ebola epidemic in neighboring countries, which also led to a decline in visitor numbers in The Gambia.[3] The internal political crisis at the end of 2016 had an even more drastic impact when the long-time ruler Yahya Jammeh refused to hand over power after losing the election, which led to a brief intervention by Senegal. During the high season in January 2017, tourists were evacuated for safety reasons; all 30 weekly charter flights from Europe were suspended, and hotel occupancy fell from almost 100% to zero.[6]
After constitutional order was restored under President Adama Barrow, the situation quickly returned to normal and The Gambia recorded new visitor records: in 2017, around 162,000 international guests arrived, and by 2019, the number had risen to around 236,000. However, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the tourism sector hard in 2020 (a decline of over 60% compared to 2019).[7] Since reopening, Gambia has been focusing on diversifying its markets: in addition to European vacationers, it now aims to attract more tourists from Africa, who are considered less seasonal and bring more local added value.[3] 2023/24, the sector fully recovered to pre-crisis levels. According to the UNWTO, Gambia was one of the world's fastest-growing travel destinations in early 2025, recording 46% growth in visitors in the first quarter.[8]
Infrastructure
The geographical focus of international tourism in The Gambia is the short Atlantic coastline in the west of the country, particularly the coastal area south of the capital Banjul. This is where the most important beach hotels and holiday resorts are located, for example in Kololi, Kotu, Fajara and along the so-called Senegambia Strip (a tourist center with restaurants, bars, and shops near Serekunda). The wide sandy beaches and sunny climate are considered the main attractions. Since the 1970s, the entire coastal area in the Tourism Development Area has been officially reserved for tourist use, which has encouraged the development of extensive hotel complexes. Today, there are several dozen hotels of various categories in The Gambia, ranging from simple guesthouses to larger 4-star resorts; a large part of the accommodation capacity is accounted for by a few large complexes located directly on the beach. Nevertheless, international hotel chains have been lacking until now. The first globally branded hotel operation (a Ramada resort of the Wyndham Group in Kotu) was announced in 2025.[9]
Tourists mainly arrive by air. Banjul International Airport (Yundum) is Gambia's only international airport. It has been modernized and expanded in recent years to meet international standards. During the high season, regular charter flights and connections from major tour operators operate directly to Banjul from many European cities. There are also regional flight connections within West Africa. The country's internal infrastructure is comparatively well developed, considering its small size. A coastal road connects the tourist resorts near Banjul, and the Trans-Gambia Highway, including the Senegambia Bridge opened in 2019, also significantly improves the north-south route across the Gambia River.[10] Popular attractions inland, such as the nature parks along the river, can be reached by bus, car (partly via country roads), or river boat.
Banjul, which is the capital city of the Gambia, is a popular area for tourists. The population of the city is only 34,828, with the Greater Banjul Area, which includes the City of Banjul and the Kanifing Municipal Council, having a population of 357,238 (2003 census). It is located on St Mary's Island (Banjul Island) where the Gambia River enters the Atlantic Ocean. The island is connected to the mainland by passenger and vehicle ferries to the north and bridges to the south. Banjul is located at 13°28' North, 16°36' West (13.4667, -16.60).[11]
Jufureh
Jufureh, Juffureh, or Juffure is a town in the Gambia that is popular with tourists, lying 30km inland on the north bank of the River Gambia in the North Bank Division. It is said to be where Alex Haley's novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family is set. It is home to a museum and lies near James Island. A family claiming to be the descendants of Kunta Kinte still resides here.[12]Kunta Kinteh Island (formerly James Island) with the ruins of Fort James in the Gambia River is now—together with other sites—a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a memorial to the transatlantic slave trade.[13]
Kachikally crocodile pool
The Kachikally crocodile pool is located in the heart of Bakau about 10 miles (16km) from the capital Banjul. It is one of three sacred crocodile pools used as sites for fertility rituals.[14] The others are Folonko in Kombo South and Berending on the north bank.
Janjanbureh
Janjanbureh or Jangjangbureh is a town, founded in 1732, on Janjanbureh Island in the River Gambia in eastern Gambia. It was formerly known as Georgetown and was the second largest in the country. It is now the capital of the Central River Division and is best known as home to Gambia's main prison. The Wassu stone circles lie 22km northwest of Lamin Koto, on the north bank across from Janjanbureh. It is one of Gambia's more popular tourist destinations.[15]
Away from the coast, the Gambia Rive r shapes the landscape and opens up a wide range of ecotourism opportunities. The wide river estuary with its mangrove swamps, lagoons, and dense forests is home to a rich variety of wildlife. The river system is considered a paradise for birdwatchers, with over 560 species of birds.[3] Specialized tours take nature lovers to areas such as the Abuko Nature Reserve (near the coast) or deeper inland to the Kiang West National Park and River Gambia National Park. There, monkeys (e.g., the chimpanzees that have been reintroduced to a river island[4]), hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of migratory birds can be observed in the wild.
Boat trips on the Gambia River are popular, such as river safaris or “Roots Cruises” up the river. In the village of Tendaba on the south bank, a simple lodge has established itself as a starting point for wildlife viewing in the surrounding wetlands. Sport fishing (tiger fish, barracuda, etc.) and river fishing also attract specialist tourists.
Sex tourism
In recent decades, Gambia has repeatedly been the focus of international media attention as a destination for sex tourism. Unlike in many Asian countries, where male clients are usually the main focus, Gambia is particularly known for sex tourism involving Western women, with older European women in particular seeking intimate relationships with significantly younger Gambian men. This constellation, in which the often wealthy female tourists financially support or give gifts to their young local partners, has earned Gambia a reputation as a holiday destination for so-called “toy boy” acquaintances. In addition, there is also conventional sex tourism by male visitors who use the services of Gambian prostitutes. Prostitution is officially banned in Gambia, but it takes place in secret. A particularly dark side to this is the cases of child prostitution and sexual exploitation of minors by foreign perpetrators, which aid organizations have been warning about for years.[16][17] For example, Gambian musician and activist Ali “Killa Ace” Cham reported that some pedophile tourists have children brought to them by local middlemen (“bumsters”), a criminal phenomenon that places a heavy burden on society.[18]
The public debate about sex tourism in The Gambia is controversial. The Gambian government is trying to combat the negative image of sex tourism. According to official statements, Gambia should not be marketed as a sex destination: “If you are looking for a sex destination, go to Thailand,” Tourism Minister Hamat Bah declared in a 2018 interview, for which he later had to apologize. In 2023, the director of the Tourism Authority emphasized in the British Telegraph that the aim was to attract “quality tourists” who appreciate the country and its culture, and not visitors who come solely for sexual relationships.[18]
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