Chapter 9: Politics of Migration and Tourism in the Gambia

This case study from The Gambia is based on the research project ‘Transnational Relationship Establishment: Diaspora Tourism and Circular Migration’. It introduces the development and problems of migration in West Africa and specifically in The Gambia. Beyond migration policy, it looks at the structures and motives of migration in one of the poorest countries in Africa, which is characterised by extreme dependence on remittances from the diaspora. Furthermore, The Gambia has a very high share of tourism in gross domestic product (GDP), which leads to a high dependence on tourists and tour operators from Europe. Taken together, these aspects pose major challenges to the country’s tourism policy in terms of contested ‘wicked problems’. The purpose of this chapter is to use qualitative analysis to describe the significance and impact of diaspora tourism and transnational relationships and circular migration of Gambians on their homeland. One focus is on examining the development potential of forms of tourism associated with members of the diaspora and their home countries. Another focus is on how plurilocal familial, economic and sociocultural ties can be shaped and maintained and remigration processes initiated through the study of transnational relations.