Gambians Face Restricted Access to Beaches as Tourism Season Commences

Beach revelers playing football at Palma Rima Beach © Askanwi Media

By Edward Francis Dalliah

As The Gambia’s tourism season begins, locals visiting the country’s beaches continue to face increased challenges accessing some of the popular spots, particularly during busy hours in the morning and afternoon. 

Many locals rely on the beaches for exercise and leisure, including activities such as football training, both during the off season and during the tourism season. Weekends and Sunday’s in particular usually sees a large influx of Gambians and other Africans at the beaches. However, with the influx of European visitors, access to these areas have become more restricted.

At a press conference held by the Ministry of Information in October at the Sir Dawda Kaira Jawara International Conference Centre, our reporter asked the Director for the Gambia Tourism Board (GT Board) Mr Abubacarr S. Camara, about measures his institution is taking in collaboration with the beach security officers to ensure that locals could still use the beaches.

Mr Camara responded, assuring the public, “that no Gambian will be stopped from enjoying the beaches”. He noted security officers are tasked with stopping only individuals involved in illegal activities, such as criminals and drug dealers, not locals who want to enjoy the beach like tourists.

In light of these assurances, our reporter visited Palma Rima Beach on Saturday, 16th November 2024, around 11 a.m. and found security officers restricting locals from entering. They explained that the restriction was in place to ensure the safety of tourists. The officers assured our reporter that the beach would open to the public later in the evening, starting around 5 p.m.

Over the years, similar situations have occurred raising concerns from local users of the beach. The late veteran journalist Mr Ebou Waggeh took to Facebook and posted a picture on 23rd August 2020 together with a caption noting “this is the Police locking down the beach this Sunday. I could not do my usual walk”.  

After our reporter was turned away from entering the beach at Palma Rima, he visited Fajara Beach, and he was allowed entry. There he took some photos of beach users seen in the images. After this he returned to Palma Rima Beach at 5 p.m., where he found the beach open, with locals enjoying picnics and playing football.

The Gambia, known as the "Smiling Coast of West Africa," attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, with the season running from October to April. This year, the tourism industry expects to host over 232,000 visitors, a significant increase from the previous year.

As the country navigates the balance between attracting tourists and maintaining local access to its beaches, the challenge remains of ensuring that both visitors and Gambians can enjoy these prized public spaces.

People at Palma Rima Beach © Askanwi Media

Askanwi Gambia

Askanwi “The People”, is an innovative new media platform designed to provide the Gambian public with relevant, comprehensive, objective, and citizen-focused news.

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