Feature: Top 10 winter sun escapes

Banjul, The Gambia
There is something good in store for the kids as well. With the October half term break just around the corner, many families are looking further afield for sunny and exciting holiday experiences fit for the kids. It might not be the obvious child-friendly holiday destination but Banjul in The Gambia offers a wide selection of thrilling experiences, from wildlife encounters to a relaxing beach setting.

The year-round warm climate and lengthy dry season means that Banjul is great for everyone craving sunshine and high temperatures during the dark winter months. The surge in interest from holidaymakers to The Gambia testifies to the quality of the destination.

via iwantsun.co.uk

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Africa Round-Up: Step away from the binoculars - Africa, Travel - The Independent

Think Africa, think safari – spotting the Big Five can seem like the only way to holiday on the continent.

Yet, there's so much more to African adventuring than walking with lions. If you're curious to explore a different side, put down those binoculars and take your pick from this diverse selection of the best new cultural trips around Africa.

Visual art fans will be tempted by Wide Open Walls. Organised by Gambia's Mandina Lodges, this eco street-art project runs from 12 to 26 October. Eight international street artists will stay at the lodges while they paint the nearby village of Kubuneh. Guests can see their handiwork – and meet the villagers involved – on day excursions to the village. Packages cost from £1,130 per person, including return flights, transfers, and seven nights' half-board (0845 330 2087; gambia.co.uk).

via independent.co.uk

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My cultural life: Walt Witman speaks to me - Arts - Mail & Guardian Online

I was last on holiday in the Kruger National Park but I didn't like it although I love animals. My dream holiday destination is Banjul [Gambia]. I once visited Dakar in Senegal and the people there were saying, "you should go to Banjul". They say it's heaven, that it's so beautiful and that its people are lovely. I would also love to go to India. and to travel every­where in Africa.

via mg.co.za

http://www.gambia-holiday-news.co.uk/

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Gambia drops out of top FIFA 100 rankings - Daily Observer

The Gambia has again dropped out of the top 100 FIFA Coca-Cola World Rankings released by the World football governing body for the month of October after a 3-1 African Cup of Nations defeat to Burkina Faso almost two weeks ago.

The Gambia that was ranked as the 92nd best team in the world for the month of September has dropped significantly ten places to 102 and dropped five places below in the African rankings from 22nd to 27th. The Scorpions defeat to the Sterlions of Burkina Faso has seen the West African nation leaped to a highest-ever position in the history of the world ranking to 37th position and the 6th best team in Africa.

Egypt continues to lead the way in Africa and eleventh on the world followed by Ghana, in second, Ivory Coast in third and Algeria in fourth while Nigeria is fifth and Cameroun seventh. Spain and the Netherlands, the two 2010 FIFA World Cup finalists, continue to lead the way at the top of the Ranking. Brazil (3rd) and Germany (4th) have traded places just behind them, while both Croatia (9th) and Russia (10th) have climbed into the top ten on the backs of victories in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying.

The races to reach the AFC and CONCACAF continental championships are now also under way, which made for significant movement in this edition of the world ranking. A total of nine teams are currently in their highest-ever position in the history of the world ranking: Slovenia (15th), Burkina Faso (37th), Belarus (42nd), Armenia (60th), Botswana (79th), Azerbaijan (91st), the Central African Republic (112th) and the Philippines (152nd), as well as Montenegro (26th), who have continued their ascent and once again grabbed the headlines by defeating Switzerland and drawing with star-studded England.

via observer.gm

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allAfrica.com: Gambia: GTA Launches Wide Open World Project

The Gambia Tourism Authority (GTA) in collaboration with the Balabo Conservation project and other stakeholders in the tourism sector Wednesday launched a tourism project called 'Wide Open World Arts Exhibition' at the Kairaba Beach Hotel in Kololi.

The project was conceived and initiated by the Balabo Conservation project based in Kombo Central District of the West Coast Region. Balabo Conservation project covers 14 villages located along the river bank of West Coast Region, starting from Makasutu forest, Bafuloto, Kubuneh, Kembujeh, among other villages, and stretches across 85 square kilometres of that region.

The project was established in the year 2004 by the government of The Gambia and the United Nations Tourism Organisation (UNTO). Speaking at the launching ceremony, Binta Jobe, director general of GTA, welcomed the artistes to the Smiling Coast of Africa. The GTA boss spoke at length about the importance the government of The Gambia under the leadership of President Jammeh attaches to the development and promotion of the country's tourism industry, as illustrated in the recent launching of a new tourism logo for The Gambia.

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Gambia : US plays crucial role in promoting Gambian textiles - Textile News Gambia

US plays crucial role in promoting Gambian textilesOctober 13, 2010 (Gambia)
The US Embassy in Banjul and the West Africa Trade Hub (WATH) Office in Dakar, Senegal had together organized the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade seminar; where Cynthia F. Gregg – the United States Embassy Charge D’Affaires in Gambia, revealed that USA has been playing a significant role in promoting Gambian textile products in the US market.

According to Gregg, the seminar on opportunities and procedures for exporting to United States under AGOA has been organized, to create awareness among the participants about the quality of their products and enhance the importance of their products with adequate value-added services, so that they can enter the US market.

She further added that Gambia has three prospective sectors which can leverage the benefits from AGOA and the garment sector is one of them.

AGOA offers the sub-Saharan nations a scope of exporting a wide variety of both levy-free and quota-free products to the US market. Over 6,000 products can be exported from Africa, which includes handicrafts, textile, garment and footwear, under this act.

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allAfrica.com: Gambia: GTA, Tourism Stakeholders Meet

The Gambia Tourism Authority (GTA) in collaboration with the Tourism Security Unit (TSU) Friday organised a one-day session with tourism stakeholders to discuss on issues relating to tourism and the TSU's plans for the 2010/2011 Tourism Season, as well as to address the issue of safety and security of tourists visiting The Gambia. The programme was held at the Ocean Bay Hotel in Bakau. Addressing the gathering, Binta Jobe, the director general of the GTA expressed delight at the turnout of the entire tourism fraternity from both the formal and informal sectors. She explained that the forum will also provide participants the opportunity to talk on hassling issues and other vices that could become a threat to the future of tourism. "Safety and security are vital to providing quality in tourism. More than any other economic activity, the success or failure of a tourism destination depends on how we are able to provide a safe and secure environment for visitors. By its very nature, tourism is a global and intensely competitive industry and tourists have options to visit other destinations than come to The Gambia. "As a result, tourism is highly sensitive to perceptions of danger and lack of safety and security. It is in this context that lack of safety and security and incidence of crime represent a more serious threat to travel and tourism than any other negative factor," she said. According to her, The Gambia's enviable perception as being a relatively peaceful and safe destination is among its major assets as a tourist destination. "It is a factor that has served the region well and is expected to remain with us in the future," she noted. The GTA boss expressed concern over the crime rate in the Tourism Development Area (TDA) that are being reported on a daily basis and the issue of visitor harassment, which also impacts on the tourists' sense of safety.

via allafrica.com

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