Tourism is an increasingly significant part of the global economy. While that can provide a big boost to some communities and countries, it can also be a double-edged sword because travel, especially internationally, can be heavily influenced by politics. Take, for example, the Gambia, a small West African country with pristine beaches, wildlife attractions, and nature reserves. About 4,000 people visit that country per week in January, at least normally, but in 2017 those numbers were far smaller.
That’s because, following his loss in the December 1, 2016, election, ex-president Yahya Jammeh refused to cede power to the winner, Adama Barrow, which led to an incredibly tense period in which nobody quite knew what was going to happen.
“It seemed like the entire world was coming to an end,” Abdoulie Hydara, Director General of the Gambia’s tourism board told Al Jazeera.
It took international pressure and the threat of arrest by West African troops, but the crisis ended and Barrow took over.
In the meantime, the tourists left, travel warnings were issued, and the country took another hard economic hit. Tourism accounts for about 20 percent of the Gambia’s economy, so having tourism suddenly dry up has been devastating.
The tourism board is hopeful that they can turn things around. It has asked for additional funding to remind people, especially the British travelers who frequent the country, that they can come back and enjoy what the Gambia has to offer. But that’s not going to make up for January’s losses, because the holiday season is over and that means fewer British are going to be on vacation.
Political stability is a good thing for any country, but it is especially important when tourism is as big a part of the economy as it is in the Gambia. Any kind of international business can suffer when countries go through such instability, but when that instability threatens to become dangerous, it becomes especially difficult for tourists to justify visiting. That loss can have long-term devastating effects.