The Gambia opened its 2026/27 tourist season with a charter flight from London carrying 139 visitors, and the Gambia Tourism Board expects arrivals to rise 15% over the season, Foroyaa reported on October 12. Tourism contributes 18% to 20% of GDP, according to statistics agency GBoS. International visitor arrivals exceeded 235,000 in 2019, World Bank figures showed.
Analysis: The forecast is difficult to assess because the tourism board has not released last season's arrival figures and GBoS's monthly series ends in 2022. That leaves the more than 235,000 visitors recorded in 2019 as the latest available benchmark. The data gap complicates capacity planning for hotels, tour operators and airlines in a sector worth about a fifth of GDP. Hotels also face high generator costs following power cuts, although state utility NAWEC expects two new generators online by late October. Monthly visitor figures from the tourism board could indicate by December whether growth meets its forecast.
Source: Press, Foroyaa (via allAfrica), citing the Gambia Tourism Board Seasonal Forecast 2026, 2026/27 season; Foroyaa Newspaper (Serrekunda), Foroyaa (via allAfrica), 2026/27 season opening; Foroyaa Newspaper (Serrekunda), Foroyaa (via allAfrica), citing GBoS (2025), 2025 (GBoS, as cited); Foroyaa Newspaper (Serrekunda), Foroyaa (via allAfrica), citing the World Bank, 2019; National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), NAWEC news post 'NAWEC Receives New 21MW Generation Capacity to Strengthen Electricity Supply', Received 5 October 2026