Gambia Tourism Board

Gambia Tourism Board Welcome to The Smiling Coast of Africa! Discover the culture, people, and experiences that make The Gambia feel like home.

Have you heard of the Kankurang? It's one of The Gambia's most fascinating cultural traditions: a masquerade figure cove...
10/08/2026

Have you heard of the Kankurang?

It's one of The Gambia's most fascinating cultural traditions: a masquerade figure covered entirely in bark and leaves, central to Mandinka and Manding rites of passage. The Kankurang is believed to protect the community and guide young initiates, and its performance is built around powerful drumming and dance.

In 2005, UNESCO recognised the Kankurang masquerade as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, a global acknowledgment of just how significant this tradition is.

Travellers visiting The Gambia can witness Kankurang performances at cultural festivals and community demonstrations, particularly around Bakau and Brikama. If you want a trip that goes beyond the beach and into living culture, this is where to start. Ask your guide or hotel about upcoming performances during your stay.

The Honourable Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture The Gambia led a weekend tour of the Colonie de Vacances programme,...
08/08/2026

The Honourable Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture The Gambia led a weekend tour of the Colonie de Vacances programme, joined by GTBoard, GHA and tourism stakeholders.

The tour began at Senegambia Beach Hotel before moving to Kairaba Beach Hotel, then Bakadaji Hotel, experiencing the hospitality and facilities on offer, before closing out at Kalimba Beach Resort, bringing to a close what turned into a full tour connecting tourism, culture, hospitality and young people across four properties.

At each stop, the Minister engaged directly with the participating students and host hotel management, reinforcing GTBoard’s commitment to educational tourism and meaningful experiences for young people.

If your picture of The Gambia stops at the coast, a trip upriver will change that.River Gambia National Park sits severa...
05/08/2026

If your picture of The Gambia stops at the coast, a trip upriver will change that.

River Gambia National Park sits several hours inland, and it's best known for the Baboon Islands, a cluster of river islands that have been a chimpanzee rehabilitation and release site since the 1970s. Orphaned and rescued chimps are given a route back to something close to a wild life there.

You can't land on the islands themselves. They're strictly protected for the chimps' welfare. But boat safaris along the river offer excellent viewing, along with regular sightings of hippos, monitor lizards and a huge amount of birdlife.

Most people fold it into a multi-day upcountry trip with a stay in Janjanbureh. It's a completely different side of the country from the beach chairs, and just as memorable.

President Brice Oligui Nguema of Gabon was in the country on an official visit this week, and somewhere between the meet...
01/08/2026

President Brice Oligui Nguema of Gabon was in the country on an official visit this week, and somewhere between the meetings and the motorcades, he ended up on our beautiful beaches playing football with a group of young Gambians. Barefoot in the sand, laughing, high-fiving the boys like he didn’t have a care in the world. No entourage keeping him at a distance, no script, just the coastline doing what it does best.

Honestly, this is The Gambia in one photo. It doesn’t matter who you are. Known as one of the most peaceful and welcoming destinations in West Africa, something about this country just puts people at ease. You come for the meetings and somehow leave wanting more.

This is why they call it the Smiling Coast. Come see for yourself.

📸: Gabon Next News

Goats, market baskets, motorbikes, and hundreds of us packed onto the ferry together, watching the pirogues glide past. ...
29/07/2026

Goats, market baskets, motorbikes, and hundreds of us packed onto the ferry together, watching the pirogues glide past. It's chaos, honestly, but it's also one of the most Gambian experiences there is.

If you've made this crossing, you know the drill. The wait at the dock, the rush to board, the relief when you finally spot the other shore.

What's your Banjul-Barra story? Best (or worst) crossing you've ever had? Drop it below 👇

24/07/2026

Three Gambian Beaches Honored with Pediatricians' Green Flag 2026

The International Pediatricians' Green Flag Project, founded in 2008 by Professor Italo Farnetani of Malta University and President of The International Workshop of Green Flags, has awarded three Gambian beaches — Fajara, Kololi, and Kotu — the prestigious Pediatricians' Green Flag 2026.

This international recognition shows that the beaches meet the highest standards for families and children, including environmental quality, safety, recreational opportunities, available services, and access to appropriate healthcare support.

Across Africa, only six beaches have received this distinction to date: three in The Gambia, two in Tanzania, and one in Tunisia.

The award positions The Gambia as a leading destination for family-friendly seaside tourism and offers a valuable opportunity to strengthen the country’s global image.

Still on the mission to Dakar, the delegation from the Gambia held three key engagements.First, talks with Air Sénégal’s...
24/07/2026

Still on the mission to Dakar, the delegation from the Gambia held three key engagements.

First, talks with Air Sénégal’s Deputy Director General and senior management where Stakeholders raised concerns over poor passenger communication, travellers left stranded at airports, and difficulty reaching customer service. The conversation also covered domesticating the Banjul route, pushing for more affordable airfares, and the possibility of shifting flights to Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport, which sits much closer to central Dakar than Blaise Diagne.

Next, a meeting with the Collective of Tourism Stakeholders of Senegal to discuss cross-border challenges. MOTAC’s Permanent Secretary and GTBoard’s Director General updated the Collective’s President and executive members on recent developments in Gambian tourism. Both sides agreed to organise a familiarisation trip to The Gambia for Senegalese stakeholders.

Finally, meetings with Senegal’s Ministry of Tourism and ASPT delivered the day’s biggest outcome: agreement to establish a Joint Tourism Technical Committee. The committee will monitor progress on the mission’s action points and serve as a standing platform for resolving recurring stakeholder issues.

The mission continues to show that this outreach is about more than destination marketing. It’s about solving real problems and building lasting partnerships across the border.

Advancing Regional Tourism: Gambia’s Delegation Engages Senegal 🇬🇲🤝🇸🇳As part of the ongoing tourism outreach mission in ...
22/07/2026

Advancing Regional Tourism: Gambia’s Delegation Engages Senegal 🇬🇲🤝🇸🇳

As part of the ongoing tourism outreach mission in Dakar, Senegal, the Gambian delegation, led by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Director General of the Gambia Tourism Board, held two key meetings today to deepen regional cooperation and position The Gambia as a leading MICE and sub-regional destination.

Officials met with SOGIP, Senegal’s state infrastructure management company, to explore joint hosting of major events, including wrestling, football, music, and fashion, alongside knowledge-sharing in event planning and destination marketing. The delegation also highlighted Djeliba Leisure Group’s recent second-place finish in a competitive Senegalese event bid, a sign of growing confidence in Destination Gambia.

A second meeting with the Senegalese Tourist Guides Association addressed cross-border travel challenges, including border procedures, ferry services, security checkpoints, and the yellow fever card requirement for visitors to Fathala Park. The delegation shared updates on improved ferry speed and service, and both sides agreed to strengthen collaboration through familiarisation trips and joint marketing to promote The Gambia and Senegal as a seamless two-in-one destination

600 bird species. One small West African country. That's the number that makes The Gambia one of the most rewarding bird...
21/07/2026

600 bird species. One small West African country. That's the number that makes The Gambia one of the most rewarding birding destinations on the planet, packed into a country you could drive across in a few hours.

Sit along the river at dawn, and you might catch an Osprey diving for fish, a flash of blue from an Abyssinian Roller, or the ungainly grace of a Goliath Heron wading the shallows. Add in Palearctic migrants wintering here alongside resident Afrotropical species, and every outing turns into a fresh list of ticks.

11/07/2026

This is why we call it the Smiling Coast. One more visitor convinced. Your turn next.

Address

Kotu
Serekunda
4085

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 16:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 16:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 16:00
Thursday 08:00 - 16:00
Friday 08:00 - 12:30

Telephone

+2204462491

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Gambia Tourism Board posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category