FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
Isatou Bittaye
1 July 2009
A two-day sub-regional meeting to promote women entrepreneurs in West Africa opened yesterday 30th June, 2009 at the Paradise Suites Hotel.
The meeting which is organized by the Association of Small Scale Enterprises in Tourism (ASSET) in collaboration with FIIAPP Banesto Cultural Foundation in Spain gathered participants from the Gambia, Senegal, Mali and Spain to discuss issues on the theme "Gender, Sustainable Development and Sustainable Tourism".
Some representatives of Banesto Cultural Foundation from Spain took part in the activity.
In her welcome statement, the chairperson of ASSET, Mrs. Ida Cham Njai said ASSET was established in 2000 with a view to assist and support small-scale enterprises in tourism to trade fairly and pursue sustainable development which contributes to the conservation of the physical environment and the socio-economic welfare of the communities in The Gambia.
Mrs. Cham Njai added that ASSET has been working hard with Benesto Cultural Foundation in the areas of promotion and networking with a view to promote the Gambia as a responsible tourism destination in Europe and Spain in particular.
She said the two-day conference will raise awareness on sustainable and supportive tourism in a common forum and will also strengthen the gender focus in implementing initiatives promoted by women entrepreneurs in West Africa.
The ASSET chairperson disclosed that the ASSET partnership with Banesto Cultural Foundation started two years ago with a view to collaborate in the development and promotion of new responsible tourism products, application of information communication technology and women entrepreneurship.
In her opening statement, the Minister for Basic and Secondary Education, Hon Fatou Lamin Faye who represented the Minister for Tourism and Culture said that conventional tourism has been going on for more than four decades in the Gambia and that experience has shown its major weakness which must be addressed if we are to maximize on the potential benefits of the tourism industry and thus sustainable tourism has presented a viable alternative. Mrs. Fatou Lamin Faye added that the Ministry of Tourism and Culture has encourage the growth of sustainable tourism practices enshrined in the eco-tourism policy which is in line with the tourism master plan for sustainable tourism development of the Gambia.
She said the meeting being the first of its kind aims to bring entrepreneurs from West Africa to present their profiles, achievements, challenges and map out the way forward. The Basic and Secondary Education Minister further said that the objectives drawn to guide the process of the meeting includes strengthenening the regional dimension of the sustainable and supportive tourism network by promoting the mutual exchange of experiences and knowledge of the women entrepreneurs from different countries in the sub-region. She added that it also includes raising awareness in a common forum of the mainlines of development within the framework initiative for sustainable and supportive tourism with regard to marketing tourist destinations, financing projects, training and technology and to strengthen the gender focus of the initiative by providing information and resources to assist the progress of implementing initiatives promoted by women entrepreneurs in Western Africa.
Madam Fatou Lamin Faye noted that they hope that the project will ensure viable, long term economic benefits to all stakeholders and contribute to poverty alleviation. She further commended ASSET for taking the lead in this initiative and for being valuable partners in development.
Also speaking, the Ambassador Chargé d' Affaires of the Spanish Embassy, ambassador Javier Benosa said the Spanish cooperation with the Gambia is a very recent one and they are making efforts for better, noting an agreement on development cooperation was signed by the Gambia and Spain and it will enhance cooperation.
He added that the Spanish government is investing in the tourism industry in the Gambia by refurbishing the Gambia Hotel School and they are trying to foster not only training of young workers but the hotel industry in the country.
Ambassador Javier noted that sustainability and women's empowerment are two key elements of cooperation policy of Spain and that gender policy must be part of any cooperation signed; adding that they believed that women have key roles to play in the development of Africa as they do have in the economy. He stressed that no development can be possible in Africa without recognizing the role and influence of women. He said there is need to promote initiatives of women's role in decision making and capability. Ambassador Benosa further stated that no development policy can be designed without a respectful environmental approach and the Gambia has a lot to offer in this respect.
He echoed that the creation of a national labour of human rights in those concepts could help to make the Gambia better known and more attractive and that in the case of the Spanish tourism industry, they have to work very hard in order to create that image of role easily recognizable for a drive.
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