Banjul International Airport, often described as the least welcoming and most exploitative airport globally, has become a significant deterrent to tourism and a financial burden on Gambians. Here, travelers are faced with arbitrary restrictions and exorbitant fees, enforced through a mere banner—a “guideline” conveniently used to justify “backroom” extortion.
Excessive Fees & Restrictions:
Visitors to The Gambia are allowed one laptop and one camera per person; bringing an extra will result in a 15% VAT charge. The list gets stranger with only 500 ml of perfume permitted, though oddly, six phones are allowed. Items not on this list? Expect to be ushered into a back room, where additional fees may apply.
The Yellow Fever Screening Conundrum:
Before encountering these charges, travelers face a yellow fever screening process, which seems to disproportionately target other Africans and Asians. Lost your yellow fever card? Be prepared for another fee to bypass this “requirement.”
Passenger Security Fee Collection:
Until recently, the sign at Banjul Airport required every passenger to pay $20, £20, €20, or 1,000 dalasis, extortion and Incompetence! Thankfully, the amount was later updated to “$20 or equivalent,” but it’s still a non-inclusive (Barrow and his diplomats may pass go), unexpected fee. If you lack the exact cash, hope you have a credit card ready, as there are no ATMs in this section of the airport. When questioned, airport officials claim this fee isn’t included in tickets because “the airlines won’t let us.” Every other country, including Senegal, manages security fees within ticket prices. Why can’t we?
This fee applies both upon arrival and departure, and shockingly, there are plans to increase it from $20 to $25, if it’s not already in place. Such charges are detrimental to tourism and make it unaffordable for Gambians living abroad to return home. With ticket prices exceeding $1,500, many have to pay more because of additional security costs to airlines due to higher drug smuggling incidents. If you are confused about this fee, thank the sweetheart deal Barrow gave to Securiport.
Taxi Rates: Competing with Citizens:
Upon arrival, travelers must pay ~2,000 dalasis for a taxi to Senegambia. Sadly, many airport taxi drivers go days without a customer, as officials at the airport with vested interests in private taxi companies monopolize this business.
This system needs reform.
These fees and policies are strangling tourism, exploiting Gambians, and making our airport the opposite of a warm welcome. Only Gambians can change this death spiral. We must demand for change immediately!
This post was originally published on here
