Gambia - No for Surfing

After investigating The Gambia in North Africa with not 1 but 5 inspection visit since 2001, Pure Vacations have decided that the pollution levels are just so high for Surfers at this time that it is not suitable to be featured with in the Pure Vacations surfing product range, as much as the company really wanted to help the community in this lovely country it really has some major raw sewage issues.

The Gambia's environmental concerns include deforestation, desertification, and water pollution. Only 9% of the forests in The Gambia have survived the expansion of agricultural land and the use of trees for fuel. A 30% decrease in rainfall over the last 30 years has increased the rate of desertification for The Gambia's agricultural lands and Tourism has just simply added to this issue greatly. Water pollution is a significant problem due to lack of adequate sanitation facilities, and the beach hotels generally just dump the raw sewage out to sea. Impure water is responsible for life-threatening diseases that contribute to high infant mortality rates. The Gambia has 3 cubic kilometers of renewable water resources with 91% used for farming activity. Only about 53% of the people in rural areas have pure drinking water.

It is due to all this, that Pure Vacations feel it would be wrong to feature the destination with in its product offering, although the tourism will bring work to the country, it already has a very sustainable tourism effort in place, the issue is more the safety in the surf of the customers - so for the first time in the history of the company we have made a decision not to feature Gambia until we believe it has improved greatly. A very sad day as we had hoped to bring you this destination in 2007. We were also concerned over sea water crocodiles that were seen on numerous occasions near some rather good surf spots, locals did inform us that sharks and crocs are issues for local fisherman as well.

Pure Vacations will however look at other tourism project for The Gambia with in its every expanding product range, so we have not given up hope on the facilities and have not given up hope on one day including it with in surfing for the really adventurous type. As an operator we must be very positive and must think of safety at all times.

The first member of the company to visit to the country was in 1987, over a decade before Pure Vacations started so our ties are long and historic. Keep your eyes peeled on the blog for more news over The Gambia.