Gambia All Inclusive Holidays

All inclusive holidays seem to be the perfect win-win situation for all parties involved. The tourist goes on vacation to an all inclusive hotel or resort and pays one flat fee before their trip that will cover all or most costs while they are away. The countries that the tourists are flocking to are also benefiting because these vacations draw people to their country, the tourists spend money while they are in that country, and this helps the economy of the country. However, as picture perfect as it sounds, all inclusive holidays are causing problems for some vacationing countries because they are simply giving out too many of their resources, and getting very little in return.

The problem in many countries is the resorts themselves. Even with the most basic all inclusive packages, one usually enjoys accommodations, 3 meals a day, snacks, and drinks. Most resorts and hotels offer things such as nightclubs and live shows for entertainment, and the pricier and more exclusive resorts will even offer activities such as water sports, tennis, and multiple swimming pools. While this works for the resort, because they are directly benefitting from people staying at their location, it doesn’t work so well for the country that the resort is located in.

The problem comes when the tourists no longer have any reason to travel outside of the resort to enjoy their vacation, because all the services they could ask for are provided right at their doorstep. Therefore, while the resort is benefitting financially from the tourists, the other businesses in the country cannot rely on tourist traffic because the probability that the tourists will ever get to the local businesses is so small. Add to that the fact that in many countries, some tourists view it as unsafe to venture outside of the resort and the problem becomes exponentially larger. Some countries have even made the argument that not only are all inclusive holidays not benefitting them economically but they are actually costing them! With no money really coming into the country, but vast amounts of the country’s resources, such as electricity, water, and waste removal, going to the resorts, these holidays can actually sometimes cost the country money.

One such instance is Gambia, which is one of the poorest countries in the world and most people who live there live on less than $1/day. The Gambian government had actually tried to place a ban on all inclusive holidays because they were such a drain on the local economy. However, many tour operators throughout Europe threatened to close their businesses down and businesses also threatened to stop offering services so Gambia never put the policy into effect.