Adventure travel in West Africa – Part 1: Senegal

Adventure travel has to be the most invigorating form of travel out there, combining the thrills of physical exercise and adrenaline rushes with the beauty of local scenery and the immersion in the destination. We all know of Australia as an adventure destination with the many possibilities to stimulate those rushes of adrenaline such as bungee jumping or skydiving, or Chile for its white water rafting and trekking possibilities, but what do we know about West Africa as an adventure destination? Not much I suspect. That is why I decided to explore, bycountry over a four part series’, the opportunities for a good old escapade in a few of the 16 countries of this little known part of the World.

For those of you who are in to exploration, you may well have heard of Scottish born Mungo Park who made it his life mission to go where no man had gone before on the African continent. He concentrated his efforts on the West African countries of Senegal, The Gambia and Mali, and was said to be the first Westerner to encounter the Niger River and set up residence in the fabled city of Timbuktu. Well, following in his footsteps, I am going to concentrate on a more modern timeline and will attempt to give you a breakdown of ‘adventure travel’ opportunities and cover the possibilities for the development of activities which reflect the adventure ethos and aim to cause less damage to the environment they operate in.

Let’s start in Senegal which is a diverse country in many ways. It has a variety of ethnicities and a climate that changes dramatically from North to South. This country has been nicknamed ‘Le pays de la Teranga’ (Teranga, in Wolof, can be approximately translated as ‘The art of hospitality’) due to the overwhelming thoughtfulness of its inhabitants and their willingness to share, even though most have nothing. The coast in the West, stretching 531km (330mi), is our starting point for our ‘adventure discovery’.

An Atlantic coastline means waves, and waves mean body-boarding or surfing! In the capital, Dakar, there are several surf camps that make it possible to ride on the longest swell window in the World. Not only do these camps provide you with expert knowledge of the areas surf spots, but they also aim to give employment to local people by training them in hospitality and surf instruction. They also boost the local economy by bringing tourists to the destination and encouraging them to live ‘local’. Check out this surf camp near the Island of N’Gor for an example of what you can expect.

If you fancy taking a break from the Ocean breeze and prefer discovering the hinterland of Senegal, bike tours are possible on which it is possible to stay in homestays and immerse yourself in the local life whilst appreciating the awe-inspiring, baobab dotted, landscapes. Visits to the Lac Rose (the pink lake) or the Lac de Guièr near the Sénégalo-Mauritanian border are a great way to discover the rural culture on Northern Senegal and appreciate the beauties of the semi-arid Sahel region. For more information contact us.

Moving down south to the Siné-Saloum, dotted with mangroves and small tropical-like islands, there are possibilities to go powerchuting to discover the splendours of scenery where land intertwines with the Ocean, or take a pirogue (traditional fishing boat) with a guide to go fishing in the maze of waterways which a variety of birds, butterflies and monkeys call their home. Obviously, you will need a place to rest, and there is no lack of accommodation in idyllic spots to recover from the day’s thrills and spills. Many an eco-lodge are available for your needs to be pampered, and other budget accommodation is also available (enquire with us to learn more). So why not kick back and relax in a traditional hammock with a glass (or bucket) of palm wine and listen to the sounds of nature. You might even catch sight of a mischievous monkey or two.

Moving to the complete opposite on the map, we find ourselves in the South-East of the country, also nicknamed Bassari Country after the mysterious tribe of the same name linked to the Dogon people in Mali. Here, lies the Senegalo-Guinean border dominated by the Fouta Djallon, a granite and sandstone formation with the highest elevation of 1,515m dominated by tropical-like forests and home to the headwaters of three major rivers, the Niger River, the Gambia River and the Senegal River. This is an ideal place to get your hiking boots out and take on a medium-hard trek up to the highest point, Mount Loura. Along the way you will encounter a number of species of monkeys including green colobus and patas, and even chimps are known to dwell in the depths of the jungle. At the foot of the Fouta Djallon, on the Senegal side, lies the sleepy eco-village of Dindéfélo which you could call your base, and is the location of one of the only two waterfalls in Senegal.

If you fancy a bit of exploration, you can retrace your steps to the Gambian border and cross over to some of the least visited parts of that region where you can find some hidden eco-lodges which have purposely been built for those in need of a getaway from mass tourism. To the South is Casamance, one of the most beautiful parts of Senegal but least touristy due to the lack of marketing and the occasional news about rebel activity. However, I have been there and take it from me, there is nothing to worry about, in fact it is probably the best place I have visited in my life.

When in Casamance there are plenty of adventure activities to partake in, although less organised. From mangrove exploration in canoes, scuba diving or snorkelling on the coast, beach hiking or mountain biking, there are plenty of options for those open enough to approach the locals for a bit of advice.

There are many other activities that can be found in Senegal to quench your thirst for adventure; however I would probably need another thousand words to describe the entirety of the possibilities, but needless to say that if the adventure travel industry was developed to a higher level, whilst taking into consideration the local communities and local heritage of course, then Senegal’s relief and different climates could open a number of doors for those seeking new locations and new alternative ways of getting that all important adrenaline rush.

Imagine kite surfing near the South’s deserted beaches or paragliding from the Fouta Djallon plateau, canoeing down the whole length of the Gambia River or hot air ballooning over the sand dunes in the North. Only imagination is the limit!

But until then, why not visit the West Africa Discovery website for more information on unique and exciting holiday ideas that will tickle your explorer glands or provide you with your next hit of adrenaline. Alternatively, email our dedicated team of West African Manatees who will be delighted to help you!

Discovering Gambia and Senegal independently

Andrew, a traveller who has recently booked a responsible tourism holiday to Cameroon through the West Africa Discovery website, suggested that we post his story about his journey through Senegal and the Gambia in order to raise awareness to the rich experiences that can be had in West Africa. Of course,without hesitation, we agreed! So, without further ado, sit back with a cup of tea (or coffee, as you prefer) and enjoy the following recount of what seems like an unforgettable experience.

Every time I plan a trip abroad I weigh up the benefits of travelling as part of a group and going myself. Group travel certainly makes things easier, probably more secure, and doesn’t require so much planning.

Travelling entirely on your own can, of course, bring you into much closer contact with the people in the country you have chosen to visit, and every penny you spend ends up in the local economy. I have enjoyed both, many times, but when my partner Sheila and I decided to visit Senegal and The Gambia earlier this year, we decided that we would do this one ourselves.

Both Senegal and the Gambia have relatively well developed transport networks. In Senegal fleets of Peugeot estate cars connect major towns regularly, smaller destinations less often, making travel quick and trouble free. We rarely had to wait longer than half an hour for the seven seater ‘sept-places’ to fill up travelling between major towns, and it seemed that the seven seat rule was strictly enforced preventing overcrowding. For the price of all seven seats it would usually be possible to hire the whole car if extra comfort or a quick departure to a less popular destination was required. French, at least at basic survival level, is really essential to communicate with local drivers - they are not going to speak English. Because of the quite large number of French tourists who visit Senegal, individual travellers are not that unusual.

There are lots of high quality hotels in larger towns, as well as more basic options, and finding food in markets, shops or restaurants was never a problem - as long as you have enough French to ask for what you want and understand the price.In (English speaking) Gambia, transport is by minibus - much more cramped as extra bodies are crammed in - with much less frequent connections once the coast was left behind. Public transport did seem, however, more easy than some of the popular guidebooks suggested, not to mention one UK based tour operator who tried his best to suggest that individual travel would be a totally miserable experience.

Gambia has a huge variety of hotels and restaurants on the coast, including many hotels catering to western package tours, and finding good accommodation and good food is not a problem - a much more limited range of options exists inland, but we always managed to find somewhere reasonabe to sleep. Electricity in most inland towns is not constant, and most hotels will only run a generator for a limited number of hours. We met many friendly people, working hard to make a living from the small number of foreigners who venture away from the coastal resorts.

If time is more important than money, there are plenty of local taxi drivers and guides who can arrange transport. Many advertise on the web, or offer individual fares to any destination in thecountry through tourist agencies in the coastal resort. We took advantage of the services of Moses Coley (http://www.realgambiamoses.com/) who, along with his driver Sheriff, drove us from the coast to the Senegal border in the far East of the country, stopping along the way to see wildlife and birds. You can see some of my photos from the trip on his website.

Travelling with a guide has many advantages. Moses has a great knowledge of his country, and many friends and contacts throughout. He took a real pride in ensuring we enjoyed our trip, we told him where we wanted to go, and then on the way between these main destinations he took us to many out of the way places to see the birds and wildlife that were one of the main reasons for our visit to The Gambia. By arranging local guides from remote villages for a relatively small price we managed to make an impression on local people that the wildlife and wild environment around them did have a value, as well as making sure that local people did benefit from our visit. One young man who took us to the fields round his village (one of the best habitats for viewing birds, monkeys and baboons!) had never seen European visitors in his village before. Moses is an enterprising man, keen to develop eco-tourism as a way of benefiting his village. He has recently financed a local school, as well as arranging inovative cultural tourism opportunities, for example the opportunity to get married in a Gambian village ceremony (try 'googling' his name for more info on this!)

One of the things that stuck me most about both Senegal and The Gambia is the strength of Islam. More than once, our driver would stop at the side of the road, take out his prayer mat, and pray. Driving before sun-up was usually accompanied by Islamic music and prayer on the radio, before the driver changed over to local popular music as day broke. Every town had its mosque, many of them new. I maybe shouldn’t have been surprised by this, but I witnessed a mush greater level of religious devotion than I have even in countries such as Pakistan, Iran and the Middle East. Highlights of our trip were national parks in Senegal - Langue de Berberie and Djoudj near St Louis, and Nikolo Kobo in the East - and the Gambia - Aboko, the Bao Bolon wetland area around Tendaba Lodge, and the River Gambia National Park. We also enjoyed visiting Dakar and St Louis in Senegal, eating good food on the Gambian coast and visiting the small up-river towns in The Gambia.

I think Senegal and the Gambia must be amongst the easiest countries in Africa to visit as individual travellers. Both are relatively well developed, and have established tourist industries, although in both these are concentrated in specific areas and easy to leave behind if that is what you want. With a healthy dose of common sense both seemed secure enough, and in both it was easy to find help if long wait for the next, possibly non-existent, minibus just seemed too much! Why not discover them for yourselves?

To see what unique experiences you can have in Senegal, the Gambia and the rest of West Africa, why not have a browse through our selection of responsible and sustainable holiday ideas on our website. Or if you have a particular query, please contact us on info@westafricadiscovery.co.uk.

Responsible Cruising in West Africa

Cruise tourism is a billion pound industry focusing on offering quality services to their guests whilst visiting exotic locations with beautiful sceneries. A recent report from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) estimated that cruise tourism in Europe alone generates goods and services worth more than €32bn and provides over 311,512 jobs.

However, over the past few years, this industry has been increasingly criticised for its irresponsible practises and the negative effects that the itinerant boats have on the natural heritage they ‘cruise’ through. Even though the cruise industry has made a significant effort to reduce their negative impact on the environment, according to a presentation I witnessed by Jamie Sweeting, Vice President of Environmental Stewardship and Global Chief Environmental Officer for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, it does not seem that they have concrete policies to provide benefits for local communities in destinations, when I asked the question.

Over the past few weeks, a number of articles have appeared in the digital press about the increasing move of cruise companies towards less explored shores, diversifying their ports of call and using alternative itineraries to break from the norm. Some of these destinations found in West Africa, such as Senegal, Sierra Leone and Ghana are familiar to us at West Africa Discovery.

Let’s take an example of responsible tourism cruising in West Africa to explain how responsible tourism practises can be used to benefit local communities in destinations whilst respecting the local heritage and at the same time provide a positive and unique experience for the tourists participating.

In Senegal, on the west coast of West Africa, a small ship offers its passengers an unforgettable cruising experience along the Senegal River. The trip begins in Dakar where the tourist will be able to experience the vibrant and colourful scenery of a West African capital from which an overland journey will be undertaken to the Jazz Capital of West Africa, Saint Louis. From there, the trip diverts inland to a point where the 6 day cruise will begin. A beautifully refurbished Cruiser, which has been doing this journey for 50 years, will be waiting. Through this cruise, the passenger will learn about Wolof, Tukolor and Moore cultures and will witness the magnificence of the local natural heritage in the Parc Oiseau de Djoudj , the world’s third most important breeding grounds for migrating birds. Each day there will be a stop off in villages or visits old French Forts, gardens in the desert, or the birding reserve. Throughout the trip the passenger will be given a thorough history of the region both colonial and tribal.

“How may this cruise differ from the others? How does it make a difference?” you may ask. Well, Senegal is a great example of modern vibrant, open and progressing West Africa. Tourism has helped fuel their boom but, as with its neighbour The Gambia, it has often been package based holidays around the stunning coast. This type of mass tourism gives very little positive cultural interaction.

This trip however aims to show the participant modern Senegal, by spending some time in Dakar, and then to learn about the historic and cultural background in Saint Louis, followed by a cruise through some of the regions very different cultures. The Cruiser itself has been making the journey from Saint Louis to Podor for over 50 years. In the last decade it was fully refurbished and is now back in action providing an important and much loved communication link along this stretch of the Senegal River. Different communities who live along the river will be visited and they all benefit greatly from their links with the cruiser.

The cruiser is run by a local Senegalese company based in Saint Louis and has long established links with the communities visited on the cruise.

Furthermore, the cruise passes through the world’s third most important breeding grounds for migrating birds thus raising awareness towards the importance of natural conservation to show that this location, used for millennia by various species of birds, is extremely important for the survival of our planets feathery friends.

As you may have gathered, not only does this type of tourism offer the tourist a first-hand insight into the local heritage of a destination visited, thus offering an added value to what has become, from my point of view, a bland industry, but it also aims to give back to the local communities who live along the itinerary. In a region such as West Africa, which is fragile in terms of being easily influenced from outside sources, responsible tourism can offer much needed benefits to local communities as well as reducing the negative effects that tourism can have on local natural, cultural and social heritages.

For more information on the responsible cruising experience mentioned above, click here.

To discover more responsible tourism holiday ideas in West Africa, click here.

For more information, don’t hesitate to contact us by emailing info@westafricadiscovery.co.uk.

Surf tourism in West Africa: a Working Model for Responsible Tourism.

Sun, sea, waves, tanned bodies and relaxed attitudes are all part of the surfing lifestyle, but it has also come to my attention that tourism can be a part of the ‘gnarly’ world of riding waves.

Whilst researching alternative tourism activities in West Africa, I came across a great number of surf shops, surf camps and surf tours along the coastal areas in countries such as Senegal, Liberia and Ghana. These are little known projects, and not only take the tourist to some beautiful beaches, but also have a low environmental impact and provide economic and development opportunities to the local communities through empowerment initiatives.

I became interested in how the surf tourism model could be considered as an alternative, unique and fulfilling experience for those seeking to discover the local heritage of a destination whilst being sure that the local communities will benefit directly from their presence on the ground.

Let me set the scene:

“After first impressions, the destinations look like paradise on earth. White pristine beaches bordered by palm trees, rolling green hills dominated by lush untouched rainforest, the silence only disturbed by the birds calling after one-another and the sound of the waves lapping against the shore, not to forget the sea at a constant warm temperature. As you look deeper into the local area, you will find friendly local communities, usually fishermen, who work hard to survive in the poverty stricken rural areas, children playing football on the beach who invite you to kick the ball about, a family having lunch outside on the porch who motion for you to come and taste a local dish, and everyone with smiling faces, showing that you don’t need much to be happy. You feel a sense of being part of the bigger picture, a sense of freedom, devoid of materialism and barriers, a feeling of, at last, finding the true sense of the word ‘living’.

Going back to your accommodation near the local surf shop, you hear the crash of the waves and feel an overwhelming need to be on a board, waiting for the swell so that you can get up and slide down the wall of water, trying to keep your balance but falling into the clear blue, warm water. You emerge into a soft breeze, dust yourself off and try again until you get it just right.”

Jesper, owner of a surf camp in Senegal adds to this: “Surfing in west Africa is something special. The sport has exploded the last 10 years, and therefore everyone is surfing. That brings many problems to all the famous surf spots around the world. In surfing jargon it's called localism. The people that live at the surf spot do not like that the tourists come and surf at "their spot". This leads to fights, negative atmosphere in the water and so on.”

He continues: “Senegal is very different, the locals are very happy for tourists to come. They welcome people in the water, talk and guide them. You will not see this in many places on the planet. Senegal doesn't have many ‘surf tourists’, and surfers who come to Senegal usually donate boards, wet suits, clothes and more. So it’s something special to surf here. This is one of the main reasons I moved here.”

Tempting hey? Well, not only are there opportunities to experience the above fantasy first-hand, but also you will be making a contribution to the sustainable development of the local community in the destination.

The surf shops in West Africa strive to train members of the local community to become surf instructors, therefore empowering them to earn a living for themselves and their family. Surf tourism usually being small-scale projects bring small groups of tourists to the area thus reducing the possible negative effects of tourism and nurtures the rise of local entrepreneurship to cater for the arriving guests. This, subsequently, boosts the local economy. Furthermore, all the produce used to cater for the guests are locally sourced, as well as the labourers who maintain the premises.

Jesper explains: “surf tourism provides many jobs for the locals. I employ six locals at the camp plus two more in the busy season. There is also more business for everyone living around the surf project. I think that is the main reason for the good atmosphere here.”

In terms of raising awareness towards the local heritage, it is needless to say that through involving the local community in the tourism project, the guest will experience the cultural aspect of the locality, by walking around the area and not being afraid to start chatting to an elder, the historical setting of the area will come into focus, and activities such as cycling, hiking or canoeing to areas where natural heritage is present will be a learning experience for anyone not used to these settings.

Most importantly, as a result of the increased interest to the local heritage, the local community will surely be inspired to protect it, not only because of a renewed sense of pride towards what they have always considered as ‘normal’ but also because of the economic opportunities that can be felt by conserving it and not destroying it.

Peter, founder of a surf shop in Ghana gives his opinion: "I feel that the development in of surfing in West Africa provides a somewhat unique opportunity to put forth a surfing development model that is truly responsible and built by locals. In the past, and in many places around the world, the surf infrastructure has followed a development model that is exploitative, although this exploitation is usually not intentional and there are good people involved. What has happened around the world is that foreigners stumble across a place in a developing country that eventually becomes a surf destination and by the time the locals have any idea about surfing or realize its potential as a business it is too late for them to get into the game. This results in a bunch of foreign owned surf businesses with very few opportunities for local ownership or locals people securing high end, well paying surfing related jobs. There is an opportunity to develop the countries of West Africa into surf destinations (the waves are there!) with an idea of local ownership or at least local/foreign collaborations in mind. This would provide a new, responsible way of doing things that respects the idea that local people have first rights to benefit from their local resources, which in this case are their beaches and some killer surf spots."

He continues objectively: "Training locals to compete with foreigners in the surfing business (surf shops, surf tours, surf camps and lessons) is a daunting task as cultural differences on how we communicate loom large. Lots of training is required for locals to understand what comes naturally to foreigners with regards to knowing what a surf tourist expects and wants and how to meet those needs."

Surf tourism, if managed properly of course, could be used as a working model to show how tourism can be used as a tool to alleviate poverty in local communities in destinations by boosting local economies, providing entrepreneurship opportunities, empowering members of the community and sourcing products and labour locally. It can be a means to raise awareness towards wealth of local cultural, historical and natural heritage not only to the visitor, but also to the local communities.

Why not see for yourselves how surf camps are set up, by checking out this example in Ghana.

Or if you desire to learn more about other projects out there, email us at info@westafricadiscovery.co.uk.

West Africa Christmas time... Baobab and palm wine

In the UK we usually associate Christmas with family, eating and drinking (often to excess!), giving presents, Father Christmas and a Christmas tree. But how is the tradition celebrated in West Africa, a region of the World where Christianity is at its freshest, where missionaries have only been preaching for about 150 years?

West Africa is a culturally diverse region; comprised of 16 countries, where Islam and Christianity dominate thousands of different tribes speaking hundreds of different languages. Therefore it is unsurprising that Christmas is celebrated in a multitude of different and colourful ways. West Africa is a very religious place. Belief is central to every household whether it is for Allah, Jehovah, Jesus, or the multitude of gods founds in the more animistic religions. Regardless of deity many have been taking Christmas up as an annual celebration where prayer, family, parties and merrymaking play an important role.

All over West Africa, from Senegal to Cameroon, Nigeria to Sierra Leone, parties of different sizes and significances are initiated on either the 24th or 25th December. Even in the poorer countries, an effort is made by all to carry out the tradition and join the celebrations.

According to Afrol News, Sierra Leonean celebrations include partying and ancient local traditions. Like in most countries outside Africa, pre-Christian traditions and popular costumes have been mixed with religious sermons, making the Sierra Leonean yuletide quite unique. Ancient and spectacular masquerades and masking ceremonies now play a major part in Christmas celebrations in Freetown, where the majority of people participate in the colourful party. In the cities, the police musical bands and other bands play Christmas songs in the streets during all December, and nobody escapes the yuletide feeling.

Further North, in Senegal, dominated at 95 percent by the Islamic religion, but with a minority of Christians around Dakar and Casamance in the South, the atmosphere of Christmas is still present.

I remember being in Dakar a week before Christmas, and the local petrol stations and shops had paintings of Christmas trees, Father Christmas and snow on the windows and walls. Decorations were everywhere, and people were greeting me with "Merry Christmas". Maybe the reason for this is because of the increasing presence of televisions in the wealthier households where the most popular programmes are either dubbed American or French sit-coms where Christmas is the main theme during the end of the year. I also heard that even the Islam practicing households hand out gifts on the 24th and 25th of December.

Nigeria, on the other hand, is a country where Christmas is one of, or even maybe the most important event of the year on the festivity calendar because of the high concentration of Christian practitioners.

Taiwo, our local expert for Nigeria, explains how festivities are carried out in his home country:

“Christmas is a unique festival in Nigeria unlike any other part of the world. Christmas Day is a public holiday that is celebrated mainly in the southern and eastern parts of Nigeria.

Nigerians have special traditions they employ to celebrate Christmas. Almost everyone goes to church on Christmas Day. Weeks before the day, people buy lots of hens, turkeys, goats and cows. Children hover around the beasts, taunting and staring at them.

There are feverish preparations for travel, holiday, and exchange of gifts, carolling and all manner of celebrations.

On Christmas Eve, traditional meals are prepared. In Yoruba, such meals usually include Iyan, (pounded yam) eba or amala, served with peppery stewed vegetables. People find themselves eating this same meal three to four times on that day, as they are offered it at every house they visit; and according to Yorùbá customs, it is considered rude to decline to eat when offered food. Other meals include rice served with chicken stew; some families would include a delicacy called Moin-moin; which are blended black eyed beans, mixed with vegetable oil and diced liver, prawns, chicken, fish and beef. The concoction is then wrapped in large leaves and then steamed until cooked.

Another tradition is that of decorating homes (compounds) and churches with both woven and unwoven palm fronds, Christmas trees and Christmas lights. There are the festive jubilations on the streets, the loud crackling of fireworks and luminous starry fire crackers going off, traditional masquerades on stilts parading about and children milling about displaying their best clothes, or Christmas presents.

There are no other celebrations that compare to Christmas festivities in Nigeria, where everyone can personalise their own festival, and one family’s enthusiasm merges with others; both physically and psychologically, creating a universe of fun and bonhomie.”

North West of Nigeria, in Southern Mali, tolerance and community feel dominate the festivities in Dogon country, where Islam, Christianity and African religions exist side by side in most villages. The blending of masquerades from an ancient death cult and traditional songs and dances with midnight masses and a local lamb dish inspired from biblical tales, are common place.

And these are only the tip of the iceberg. West Africa comprises so much diversity that it is impossible to pinpoint every Christmas celebration in the region, however in terms of experiencing them; there is of course the possibility to visit the countries to discover these festivities first hand.

According to a Nigerian blog, “West African rich Christmas traditions even have it in them to become a tourist attraction and should be a serious candidate for Unesco's World Heritage list.” So maybe some of the tour operators in West Africa could think about incorporating these cultural elements into some of their tours, as long as the local communities benefit economically and the destinations heritages are respected.

Visit West Africa Discovery to learn more about West Africa.

Contact me at thomas@westafricadiscovery.co.uk

West Africa Responsible Tourism Conference MBOKA 2009. 3 - 5 December 2009, Dakar, Senegal

From the 3^rd – 5^th December 2009, the “Association of Small Scale Enterprises in Tourism” (ASSET) in The Gambia and the “National Organisation for Tourism Integration in Senegal” (ONITS) in Senegal will be presenting the 3rd edition of the Senegambia Tourism Fair MBOKA 2009. This is a unique opportunity to showcase and promote the Senegambian Tourism Industry to an international audience.

Tourism is playing an increasingly important part in the development of the sub-Saharan region, not only in economic terms but also in the preservation of their rich cultural heritage and their environment. To develop tourism and indeed the whole economy along sustainable guidelines the Senegambia tourism industry has taken into consideration socio-economic, environmental and economic principles.

For this edition of MBOKA 2009, the organisers have decided on the theme of “Women Entrepreneurship”. Daouda Niang, director at ASSET explains: “Women play an ever increasing active part in developing our economy and to foster and promote this trend, this years’ Fair has been themed accordingly”.

He adds: “Tourism must be seen as an important and integral sector of the economic development of our country – all sectors of industry are inter-linked and benefit from a thriving tourist trade”.

This stance towards sustainable economic development through sustainable tourism is a beacon for the rest of the West African region pointing towards what can be achieved through sustainable means. This being, other countries may just follow suit to make West Africa the next destination for the responsible tourist looking for new horizons, awe-inspiring experiences and learning opportunities whilst giving them the option to give back to the destination they visit.

Visit the Senegambia Travel Market website for more information on MBOKA 2009.

Please visit www.westafricadiscovery.com for more information on our web portal.

The potential of West Africa as a Responsible Tourism destination

Once considered as a beach resort paradise with approximately 3500km of coast line dotted with palm trees and covered with white sand, West Africa has seen a steady decline in traditional tourists over the past few years. Now there seems to be a renewal of interest and tourists are beginning to trickle back to the hustle and bustle of the colourful markets, the relaxing sound of the Atlantic waves crashing on a pristine beach or to the exhilarating beat of the Jembe and talking drum.

There are several recent articles that have appeared within the UK press which have demonstrated that tourists are choosing West Africa as a ‘good value for money’ region where there is a wealth of activities, sites, ‘untouched’ beaches and landscapes to explore (ie. The Times and The Telegraph) . However, these tourists are not the traditional type, those who come to the resorts and lie on the beaches in order to escape the cold British winter. They are the more adventurous type, those seeking thrills and the sense of discovery and exploration, but also who like to relax on a beach after a long day. They choose West African countries as a destination because of the ‘off-the-beaten-track’ feeling when walking through the streets of Dakar, or staying at a hostel in Guinea-Bissau. They go to West Africa to learn more about culture and appreciate the regions biodiversity, to experience ‘something new’, to do ‘what other people don’t do.’ Furthermore, they are the tourists which have less of an impact on the environment, who will happily eat a meal made from local ingredients, visit a local craft shop to buy souvenirs, use public transport when possible and stay in a hotel owned by community members. They are the responsible tourist.

The potential is there, the local populations are enthusiastic to show their country to new arrivals, tourism projects are under way and a lot of the ground based Tour Operators practice Responsible Tourism policies because of the cultural attachment to the sense of community, respect for nature and pride for their cultures.

Organisations such as O.N.I.T.S (Senegal), Eco-Bénin (Bénin), ASSET (The Gambia), Tourisme Cameroon (French) and Visit Sierra-Leone are all working towards the implementation of Responsible Tourism policies within the countries Tourism Industry. They have appreciated that only sustainable tourism (which advocates the conservancy of Natural, Cultural, Social and Historical heritages whilst promoting their countries wealth of activities, beaches, learning opportunities and new experiences) is the key to a successful long-term answer to the declining number of tourists.

Marketing

The next step is the marketing of the West African region through the most cost-effective and carbon efficient means possible:

With the ever increasing UK market trend towards ethical consumerism the term Responsible Tourism, as long as the policies are respected and that there is something to do in the destination, is a unique selling point that should not be shunned.

Social networking tools such as Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Youtube (to name but a few) are some of the free ‘marketing tools’ available to start a marketing campaign, and they are gaining popularity day-by-day.

Guide book listings (Rough Guides, Lonely Planet, etc.) are also a great way to get noticed, and travel writers are always looking for the next exciting tourism venture to review.

Getting in contact with UK based Responsible Tourism marketing agencies such as West Africa Discovery can also be a means of getting a wider coverage of the UK market.

My experience of West Africa

Having visited West Africa myself, and lived in Senegal, I can appreciate how beautiful the region is. I can still taste the heavily spiced fish and rice dishes, smell the Atlantic Ocean breeze, feel the sun shining brightly on my skin and hear the drums calling to one another from neighbouring villages. I have images of towering waterfalls, cathedral-like termite mounds, colourfully dressed women, awe-inspiring sunsets and lush tropical forest. I have memories of bike riding from one village to another, meeting the elder of a remote tribe in Iwol, swimming in the Gambia river near Kédougou, sitting on the beach near a bonfire sipping tea in Casamance and eating Mafé-Yapp (A peanut based spicy sauce and meat dish usually served with rice) in the sahel regions of the Lac de Guier (Northern Sénégal).

I would like other people to experience special moments like the ones I had and to go back home with a head full of stories and a camera full of beautiful photos, but in a respectful and sustainable way. You will not regret it, as long as you’re open-minded.

Visit www.westafricadiscovery.com

Contact me at thomas@westafricadiscovery.co.uk