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The 2026/27 tourist season opens

11/06/2026

Gambia Vibes · Tourism News · 6 November 2026

The season has begun. In October 2026 the first charter flight of the winter landed at Banjul International Airport: 139 visitors from London, brought by the UK tour operator The Gambia Experience. The Gambia Tourism Board expects 15% more international arrivals this season than last. The mood is cautious optimism. The problems are the same as ever.

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The facts

  • First arrival: a charter from London, early October 2026, with 139 visitors
  • Operator: The Gambia Experience
  • Forecast: +15% international arrivals in 2026/27, according to the Gambia Tourism Board's seasonal forecast
  • Why: targeted marketing and more flight connections, says the board
  • Weight in the economy: tourism accounts for roughly 18–20% of GDP (GBoS, 2025)
  • The benchmark: over 235,000 international arrivals in 2019, before Covid-19

Recovery, slowly

Gambian tourism has never fully recovered from the pandemic. In 2019 the country counted more than 235,000 international arrivals. Covid-19 brought the industry close to a standstill, and the years since have been a slow climb back. "We are seeing signs of recovery," one independent tourism consultant told The Standard. The shape of the market has also changed. British visitors, long the core of the winter season, have fallen sharply since 2012, while arrivals from the United States and Spain have grown. See The Smiling Coast of Africa for the figures.

The old problems

Coverage of the season opening listed the same challenges that come up every year:

  • Beach erosion, eating into hotel beaches along the coast
  • the condition of roads and buildings
  • safety and visitor harassment
  • airport problems, including the much-criticised US$20 security fee on arrival and departure
  • environmental damage, from fishmeal factories to sand mining
  • a lack of facilities and price control

We have covered most of these honestly in our guides: the airport fee, the coast, fishmeal and erosion, and safety and bumsters.

This season has one extra factor: the election

The Gambia votes for its president on 5 December 2026, right at the start of peak season. Gambian elections since 2016 have been largely peaceful, but visitors should avoid rallies and political gatherings and follow local news around the vote. Hotels and tour operators will continue as normal. See Gambia travel advice.

Is 15% realistic?

The board's target is ambitious but not impossible, if flight connections really grow. The weak points are the same as ever: fees that make The Gambia more expensive than its rivals, beaches shrinking and polluted in places, and a product that rarely goes beyond the resort strip. The country's best assets, the river, the birds, the stone circles, the Roots heritage, are still poorly sold. Meanwhile a new tourism agreement with Ghana promises joint marketing. If it brings heritage travellers to both coasts, that may matter more than another charter.

Planning a trip this winter

Go beyond the resort strip. River trips, Roots tours and upriver journeys are run by local operators in The Gambia. Entrance fees are already included in the tour price. Tips for your guide, driver and boat crew are not included, but they are always welcome.

More news and guides

Across the network

Sources: AllAfrica / The Standard, "Gambia welcomes first tourists of 2026/27 season", 12 October 2026. ATTA, 13 October 2026. The Point: election on 5 December 2026.

Gambia Vibes · Part of the Ghana-Net network · Updated and fact-checked: 6 November 2026