The damaging effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt across the globe, and Bloomberg is reporting that The Gambia, stands to lose as much as $292 million due to global travel restrictions imposed in the wake of the deadly pandemic, since tourism is a key source of foreign exchange for the smallest country on mainland Africa.
Government revenue from the hospitality industry is forecast to decline by $108 million this year, while the sector as a whole is forecast to suffer a loss of $184 million, according to an impact assessment by the national bureau of statistics.
The tiny West African country, referred to as the “Smiling Coast of Africa” recorded no visitors in the three months through June after borders were closed and flights grounded in mid-March, according to data from the Gambia Tourism Board.
Authorities had targeted attracting 290,000 visitors in 2020, a 22% increase from the year before, and recorded 70,000 arrivals at the airport in the capital, Banjul, before the first case of COVID-19 was reported in the country and the lockdown imposed.
Source: Bloomberg
