Vendors at the Brikama Craft Market are hesitant to express confidence in the tourist season which has just started.

The President of the Brikama Craft Market Association Mr. Saikou Ceesay said he is hopeful that the up coming season will be a bright one. He said this in an interview when our reporter visited the craft market in Brikama. He was however quick to add that sales were not good at all during the last tourist season. Mr. Ceesay said ever since they moved to their new location sales have been declining every year. “May be it’s the world economic melt down, but sales were not good at all” Mr. Ceesay appealed to the authorities to advertise the market for them as a lot of people still do not know where the new craft market is located. He also appealed to the Brikama Area Council to reduce the monthly rental fee claiming that is very expensive. “We also pay the annual tax to the Government which is also expensive for us”.
He said most of the people in the market are Gambians and they use the profit they gain from the market to meet some family needs at home.
Demba Sowe, another craft vendor in Brikama, said he doesn’t have hope in the season, because there is no beach or hotel in Brikama, and the world economic crisis. He said usually tour representatives do not take tourists to the craft market. He said only the boys on the beaches bring them limited numbers of clients. Mr. Sowe claims that some of the shops in the market will go for a full week without sales. According to him this is not helping in their business. He also told this reporter that sales used to be good when the market was at its first location in Brikama opposite the police station. He said last year sales were bad and he has seen no sign to show him that this year’s season will be bright. “People are still finding it difficult to know where the craft market is, the tax imposed on us is too much and our monthly rental fees are also too high. The whole market is complaining about that and at the end of the day we also have to contributed to pay the watchman”.
He said they have a committee in the market who always meet the tourism officials to discuss how to make more sales and how to solve the problems of the craft vendor, but Mr. Sowe said nothing positive has been done yet. Mr. Sowe said he has been a craft vendor for so many years and has been using his profit to feed the family, he noted that most of the people in the market are Gambians. Other craftmen who spoke to this reporter expressed similar sentiments most of them not hopeful about the season.
This reporter also met the members of the Brikama Craftmen Association in a meeting when he visited the place yesterday. He said he was informed that this meeting was all geared on how GTA can start concentrating on the Brikama Market, its well being and the way forward.
The chairman of Brikama Area Council Mr. Sunkang Badjie when contacted said he is aware that the craftmen might not be making a lot of profit. “We are looking into the issue and if we are sure that their sales are really declining, then we will see how best the council can help because we are all in for the progress of this country”. Mr. Badjie was however quick to add that at the moment, the craft vendors in Brikama are presently paying the lowest rate to the council