The Gambia, the self-styled "smiling coast of Africa," is waiting and ­hoping for the return to normal from COVID-19, as the tourism industry, one of the country's major gross domestic product contributors, has been devastated after coming to a total standstill for over one year. 

The tourism sector, which employs more than 150,000 ­workers, is the country's second-largest contributor of GDP after agriculture. When the coronavirus emerged in the country in March last year, the government was forced to shut down the industry and ordered people to stay at home to control the spread of the virus. 

Tourism workers in the country have had their earnings put on hold while others remain jobless due to the ravaging pandemic. 

With most tourist workers serving as breadwinners in their households, their ability to provide food, health care, education and other necessities has been severely curtailed. 

Although the government-imposed restrictions, such as the closure of the industry to enforce its stay-at-home policy and ban on flight landings, have since been lifted, tourism workers continue to endure the difficult realities caused by the pandemic. 

"I lost a lot last year, beyond imagination. I lost my job because I was ordered to stay at home by my boss, as a waiter at a restaurant around Senegambia. I am still sitting at home because I am asked to continue the wait," Musu Njie told Xinhua. 

Musu is the eldest child in her family and has been a key member who shoulders responsibility at home for feeding and helping her younger siblings. But according to her, things are not going well. 

"As a waitress in the tourism sector, I was not just relying on my salary. So even though it was not relatively the most lucrative salary at the end of the month, I still have take-home cash almost every day and this has been helping my family," she said. 

When asked if she hoped that she would be recalled back to work soon, Musu was not optimistic. Her response was based on the communication she had with her boss, who explained that they are still trying to recover from the financial damage the closure had on their business. 

"I may be recalled soon, maybe later, and maybe not at all. Because who knows when this pandemic will go on for. Because it's still around, and nothing is still working well. I don't think we can overturn all the damage caused by the pandemic, as far as I am concerned. And that means my family and I will continue to suffer." 

Lamin Touray is a tourist taxi driver who used to ply only within the tourism spots, where he could attract foreign customers. With that, his earning sometimes could hit 3,000 Gambian Dalasis (about $60). But this has been severely cut as a result of lockdown last year. 

"It was the best business for me," Touray said. "It was the best job for me because my earning was super good. Money was not a problem, and my family was enjoying it. But since the ­outbreak [of the pandemic], it all turned sour and messy. The saddest thing for me is it has taken much longer than I expected. I thought this pandemic would be shorter." 

Touray told Xinhua he is still living with the impact of the pandemic and finding it difficult to provide his household with regular food, schooling, and other household necessities. 

"I pray that the coronavirus disappears now. I have since been driving within the communities as normal taxi operators and collect 40 Dalasis per trip. I am not used to this because I consider it a waste of fuel. This is in no way closer to the business in the tourism area," he lamented. 

As more jobs in the tourism industry remain at risk as a result of employers struggling to revive their businesses, some have called for government bailouts. 

"As an industry, we expected the government assistance in the form of subsidy to salvage the industry. We also expect the government to advise or intervene with the banks to put on hold all interest on loans taken by key players of the industry as well as for the government to support all stakeholders with soft loans as done in Senegal, Ghana, Cape Verde among other countries in the subregion," said Shiekh Tijan Nyang, the former director of Gambia Tourism Board. 

Nyang, who is the principal of the Institute for Travel and Tourism of The Gambia, said the pandemic has resulted in heavy economic losses for his school due to nonpayment of tuition fees by the students.