Dietmar Gunz, founder of FTI and former chairman of the company until its sale to the Sawiris family, is entering the Gambia tourism market with a major development project alongside four partners.
The Tanji Destination City project, developed through Temple Tree Investments Gambia (TTIG), will feature six hotels and 800 residential units. The project’s partners are Özcan Toklar, Ahmet Pandır, Tarık Musa and Aleksey Boyko, together with Dietmar Gunz.
The first phase of the project is scheduled to open in 2028, with Ahmet Pandır leading the development.
Speaking to News Director of Turizm Ekonomi, Savaş Daş, Pandır said the partnership consists of three major and two smaller shareholders, with all five partners represented on the board.
Gunz and Musa have long-term gambia experience
Pandır said Gunz has around 30 years of experience in Gambia dating back to his FTI period, while investor Tarık Musa has lived and conducted business in the country for approximately 40 years.
“Dietmar Gunz and Tarık Musa have had business partnerships in Gambia for many years. FTI had three hotels there. Gunz even had a fish farm in the country. Therefore, Gambia was not an unfamiliar market for him,” Pandır said.
Turkish investors receive strong interest in Gambia
According to Pandır, the investment was first discussed in 2024, when he and Gunz travelled to Gambia and met with the country’s president.
Pandır said Turkish investors have a strong presence and positive reputation in Gambia.
“Albayrak Group is building Gambia’s largest port. Another Turkish company has established and operates a cement factory. There are also other Turkish businesspeople investing in the country,” he said.
Six hotels and 800 tourism units
Pandır said the project was launched as Gambia seeks to develop its tourism sector. The planning and permitting process took approximately one year.
The project officially began with a ceremony attended by around 2,000 people at the end of January, with initial construction work already underway.
The master plan was designed by Turkish hotel architect Erdal Tusavul.
According to Pandır, the project has a 10-year construction master plan, which can be adjusted according to performance and revenues.
The development will include:
• Four four-star hotels, each with 120 rooms
• One five-star hotel with 300 rooms
• One city hotel with 100 rooms
• 800 tourism-oriented residential units
• A new city center with retail and social facilities
The city hotel will be located in a taller building and will include meeting facilities.
Four-star hotels designed for charter operations
Pandır said the four-star hotels are being specifically designed around the flight programs of tour operators.
“We are developing the four-star hotels according to tour operators’ flight programs — one aircraft, one hotel,” he said.
The hotels will be located next to one another and designed for seaside holidays, operating under an all-inclusive model.
The 800 residential units will not be developed for direct sales. Instead, they will be operated for tourism purposes under a leaseback model by an operating company established by the project partners.
The project will also include a city center featuring shops, shopping facilities, restaurants and other social areas, which will be open to the public.
Project targets year-round tourism and employment
Pandır said Gambia’s location in Sub-Saharan Africa provides an opportunity for tourism throughout most of the year.
He identified three main objectives for the investment. The first is generating sustainable revenue.
Pandır also said West African governments are seeking to develop tourism to create employment and reduce irregular migration.
The project is also intended to transfer Turkey’s five decades of tourism experience to Gambia, including Turkish construction standards, service quality and hotel operating models.
Charter flights will plan from Europe, Türkiye and Middle East
Pandır said the current hotel and service quality in Gambia remains limited and that the project aims to contribute to the development of the destination.
He also highlighted improved accessibility through new-generation narrow-body aircraft capable of operating flights of around seven to eight hours.
“Once we complete the project, we plan to operate charter flights with narrow-body aircraft from Europe, Türkiye and the Middle East. The four four-star hotels have already been designed for this purpose,” Pandır said.