Professors Novelli and Burns made recommendations to the government and they have been incorporated into ‘The Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute Bill’. The bill has been overwhelmingly approved by the National Assembly. The Minister of Tourism and Culture of the Gambia Honourable Fatou Mass-Jobe has been outspoken in her support of the bill and the importance of investing in professional training in the tourism and hospitality industry.

The research led to a re-designed education and training policy and influenced the decision of the Spanish Government to fund The Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute (GTHI), a national centre of excellence for tourism and hospitality education.

The research provided a feasibility assessment (2009) and business plan (2011) to direct policy, later implemented through ‘The Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute Bill’. The Bill sought to create an enabling environment for Gambians to study up to the level of Higher National Diploma in tourism and travel.

Drawing upon our recommendations, the GTHI was inaugurated in 2013 after an investment of €2.7m, aimed at training an average of 200 school leavers per year and upgrading the level of professional training amongst the 30,000 workers in tourism and hospitality, a sector which contributes 16 per cent to the national Gross Domestic Product.