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Impacts of COVID-19 on Ecotourism: A Study in Bijilo Monkey Forest and Kachikally Crocodile Pool, The Gambia Sambou, Omar; Marjono, Marjono; Ciptadi, Gatot; Putra, Fadillah
Journal of Indonesian Tourism and Development Studies Vol. 11 No. 2 (2023)
Publisher : Graduate School, Universitas Brawijaya

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.21776/ub.jitode.2023.011.02.03

Abstract

Most people agree that COVID-19 has affected the tourism sector the most. This paper seeks to find the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 on the destination under study. The research implored semi-structured interviews, observations, and content analysis to acquire information. The first case of the virus in The Gambia was registered on the 16th of March 2020. As of the 29th of January, 2021, the country registered 4,090 positive cases of COVID-19, out of whom 3,792 have recovered, 128 are confirmed to have died, and 170 active cases. A total of 59% of confirmed cases are male and 41% female. The ecotourism industry of The Gambia is hit hard by the impacts of COVID-19. The places highly affected are the wildlife ecologies with no spiritual connections. There is evidence of wildlife crime and negative human-wildlife interaction. Sacred sites are easier to manage as people’s spirituality frowns at wildlife cruelty. The pandemic has caused severe economic, health, and social challenges in the Gambia, killing many and disrupting the normal functioning of society, including wildlife ecologies in some places. It has increased wildlife hunger in Kachikally Crocodile Pool, economic distress, and human-wildlife conflict in Bijilo Monkey Forest and surrounding.   Keywords: Covid-19, Ecotourism, Environment, impacts, socio-economic.
SUSTAINABLE ECOTOURISM IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY USING MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALING ON THREE DESTINATIONS IN THE GAMBIA, WEST AFRICA Sambou, Omar; Marjono, Marjono; Ciptadi, Gatot; Putra, Fadillah; Nurhabib, Asro
Indonesian Journal of Forestry Research Vol. 12 No. 1 (2025): Indonesian Journal of Forestry Research
Publisher : Association of Indonesian Forestry and Environment Researchers and Technicians

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.59465/ijfr.2025.12.1.115-134

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the sustainability of three existing ecotourism destinations in the Gambia: (a) Bijilo Monkey Forest, (b) Maka Sutu Cultural Forest, and (c) the River Gambia National Park in the Gambia, West Africa, and postulate a sustainable policy strategy based on the outcome of the analysis through questionnaires, observations, and interviews. A mixed research method using Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to determine the sustainability status of ecotourism based on five dimensions: ecological/conservation, participation, education and recreation, economic, and control/legislation. The multidimensional sustainability index of the three destinations under study is 69.03%, 64.49%, and 54.94% for River Gambia National Park, Maka Sutu Cultural Forest, and the Bijilo Monkey Forest, respectively. This study concluded that all the sites under study are classified as sustainable. However, the community participation dimension needs improvement for fair and equitable distribution of natural resource wealth.