Ohloniphekileyo uNancy Seedy Njie, uMphathiswa wezoKhenketho kunye neNkcubeko yaseGambia, kunye no-Edward Bergman, umlawuli olawulayo we-Africa Travel Association (ATA), namhlanje ubhengeze ukuba iRiphabhlikhi yaseGambia iya kubamba i-35 yeNkongolo yoNyaka ye-ATA kwidolophu enkulu yaseBanjul. Meyi 2010.

“Kulibhongo elikhulu ukuba siphinde sibambisene ne-ATA ukumema ihlabathi ukuba lityelele kwaye lihlole iGambia,” utshilo uMphathiswa uNjie. “Urhulumente waseGambia ubeka phambili kakhulu ukhenketho, nto leyo ethe yanegalelo elikhulu kuhlumo nozinzo lwelizwe lethu. Siyathemba ukuba i-ATA Congress iya kusinceda siqhubeke nokukhuthaza ilizwe lethu kwiindawo zentengiso ezintsha kwaye sitsale utyalo-mali olutsha kweli candelo.

IGambia, eyaziwa ngokuba “luNxweme oluncumayo lwaseAfrika,” idume ngeendawo zayo zokuchithela iiholide ezitofotofo, iilali zokuloba ezinqabileyo kunye nonxweme oluhle kakhulu, kodwa kuninzi kakhulu kwilizwe lasentshona Afrika elifikelelekayo nelikhuselekileyo, kubandakanya abantu abanoxolo nabanobuhlobo, eco- ukhenketho, ukuloba kwezemidlalo, ukubukela iintaka kunye nesafaris, umculo, umdaniso kunye nemidlalo yokujijisana yesintu, kunye nokutyelela iindawo zokurhweba ngamakhoboka e-Atlantiki.

"I-Gambia yenze inkqubela emangalisayo kunye noshishino lokuhamba kunye nokhenketho ngokwakha intsebenziswano yoluntu kunye necandelo labucala, apho urhulumente udala iimeko zecandelo labucala lokutyala imali kwishishini," kusho uBergman. “Ngokudibanisa amandla eGambia okutsala abakhenkethi abafikayo, ngakumbi abasuka eYurophu, kunye nekhono le-ATA lokubandakanya abaqeqeshi bokhenketho abohlukeneyo abavela kwihlabathi liphela, ngakumbi eMntla Melika nakwi-Afrika iphela, ikhongolose inesithembiso esikhulu sokuguqula ukhenketho lube ngumqhubi wezoqoqosho welizwekazi. ”

Umsitho obalulekileyo we-ATA wamazwe ngamazwe uza kuzinyaswa ngabaphathiswa bokhenketho base-Afrika kunye neengcali zoshishino ezimele iibhodi zokhenketho, ii-arhente zezohambo, iinkampani ezisebenza phantsi komhlaba, iinqwelo-moya kunye neehotele. Uninzi lwabathathi-nxaxheba abasuka kumajelo osasazo orhwebo ngohambo kunye namacandelo eshishini, angenzi nzuzo, kunye nezemfundo kulindeleke ukuba babekho.

Lo mnyhadala weentsuku ezine uza kubamba abathunywa kwiingxoxo ngoluhlu lwemixholo yoshishino, efana nentsebenziswano yecandelo likarhulumente nelabucala, ukuthengisa nokukhuthaza, uphuhliso lweziseko ezingundoqo zokhenketho, intsingiselo yoshishino, kunye nemidiya yoluntu. Amazwe angamalungu e-ATA aya kuququzelela ii-receptions ezimbalwa zothungelwano lwangokuhlwa, kwaye i-ATA ye-Young Professionals Network iya kudibana neengcali zendawo yokwamkela iindwendwe kunye nabafundi. Kunyaka wesibini, le nkongolo iza kubandakanya indawo yokuthengisa abathengi kunye nabathengisi abagxile kwi-Destination Africa. Abathunywa baya kuba nethuba lokuphonononga ilizwe kuhambo lwaphambi okanye lwasemva kwenkongolo, ngokunjalo nangoSuku lweLizwe lokuza kubamba umkhosi.

IGambia, elona lizwe lincinane kwilizwekazi laseAfrika, inabemi abaqikelelwa kwi-1,600,000. Ngaphandle konxweme oluncinane, ilizwe elithetha isiNgesi lijikelezwe yiSenegal. Malunga ne-120,000 yabakhenkethi abaqeshiweyo, ingakumbi abasuka eYurophu, bafika ngonyaka. I-Ofisi yoMphathiswa iceba ukutsala ama-500,000 abantu abafikayo ngowama-2012, ngokujolisa kwindawo yentengiso yase-US kunye nabakhenkethi “abaphezulu” kunye nokwandisa ixesha labakhenkethi kunyaka wonke. Izicwangciso zecandelo likarhulumente nelabucala ukwandisa isitokhwe sendawo yokuhlala nokwakha iziko leenkomfa ziyaqhubeka. Uqoqosho lokuhamba nokhenketho lubalelwa kwishumi elinesithandathu leepesenti kwiGDP yaseGambia.

INkongolo yowama-2010 yakhela kwimpumelelo yobudlelwane belizwe lasentshona Afrika ne-ATA. Ngowe-1984, i-ATA yabamba inkongolo yayo yesithoba eBanjul, ngokukhawuleza emva kwenkongolo yesibhozo yombutho eCairo, eYiputa.

"I-ATA iyavuya ukubuyela eGambia kwaye ilindele ukuba i-congress ye-2010 iya kunceda i-Gambia ifinyelele injongo yayo yokuzisa abakhenkethi abaninzi kunye notyalo-mali lwamashishini," kusho uBergman. "Sibulela kakhulu kumaqabane ethu ecandelo labucala, ngakumbi i-Starwood Hotels, abathe banegalelo ekudibaniseni uMphathiswa kunye ne-ATA ukuze baququzelele lo msitho ubalulekileyo welizwekazi."

Ukulungiselela umcimbi wonyaka, i-ATA iya kuthumela abathunywa e-Banjul ngoNovemba ukuze kuhlolwe indawo. Ngethuba lokutyelela, iqela liya kuhlangana nabameli abavela kumacandelo karhulumente kunye namashishini abucala kunye namalungu esahluko se-ATA-Banjul, kunye nokutyelela inkomfa ecetywayo, indawo yokulala kunye neendawo zokuzonwabisa.

I-ATA, ngokubambisana noMphathiswa wezoKhenketho waseYiputa kunye neGunya lezoKhenketho laseYiputa (ETA), liququzelele ingqungquthela ye-2009 kwi-Conrad Cairo Hotel e-Egypt ngoMeyi 2009. Ngaphantsi kwesibhengezo esithi "Ukuxhumanisa i-Destination Africa," isiganeko sazisa iingcali zokuhamba kunye neengcali. ukuya eYiphutha ukunceda ukubumba i-ajenda yezokhenketho ye-Afrika ngexesha lokudodobala koqoqosho lwehlabathi. I-EgyptAir yasebenza njenge-congress carrier esemthethweni.

Malunga noMbutho woHambo lwase-Afrika (i-ATA)

I-Africa Travel Association (ATA) yasekwa njengombutho wokurhweba kushishino lwezokhenketho lwamazwe ngamazwe ngo-1975. Injongo ye-ATA kukukhuthaza uhambo, ukhenketho, nothutho oluya nangaphakathi e-Afrika kunye nokomeleza intsebenziswano phakathi kwe-Afrika. Njengombutho ophambili wehlabathi worhwebo wokhenketho, i-ATA ibonelela ngeenkonzo kuluhlu olubanzi lwamalungu aquka: ukhenketho, i-diaspora, inkcubeko, abaphathiswa bezemidlalo, iibhodi zokhenketho, iinqwelo-moya, abaninizihotele, ii-arhente zokuhamba, abakhenkethi, imidiya yorhwebo yohambo, iifemu zobudlelwane boluntu, iinkampani zokubonisana, imibutho engenzi ngeniso, amashishini, amashishini amancinci naphakathi, kunye neminye imibutho ebandakanyeka kukhuthazo lokhenketho. Ngolwazi oluthe vetshe, tyelela i-ATA kwi-intanethi ku-www.africatravelassociaton.org okanye utsalele umnxeba +1.212.447.1357.

Malunga neGambia

Ngolwazi oluthe vetshe ngeGambia, ndwendwela i-website yeGambia Tourist Authority (GTA) ku http://www.visitthegambia.gm/.