Responsible Tourism is here to Stay!

I woke up one morning, in a tent, to the sound of birds chirping. Adapting to my surroundings, I slowly became conscious of where I was. I opened the tent door, stepped outside and thought: “Wow! This is why I am here”. I was on Tiwai Island, a place of significant biodiversity, located on the Moa River, in the middle of the Gola Rainforest, in Eastern Sierra Leone. I had decided to visit the island on my trip of research and discovery in a country renowned for a brutal civil war and child soldiers. Those images couldn’t be further from the truth.I was travelling by local transport from tourism project to tourism project, assessing the level of responsible tourism principles that had been implemented within the current activities, or failing that, the potential for implementing responsible tourism ethics within already established tourism ventures.

You can read more about this journey of discovery here, but I think that responsible tourism needs explaining first.

So, what is responsible tourism? It can be summed up with this quote from Prof. Harold Goodwin, founder of the International Centre of Responsible Tourism, on the occasion of the drafting of the Cape Town Declaration (2002) on responsible tourism in destinations: “Responsible tourism aims to make destinations better places to live in, and better places to visit”.

Responsible tourism also aims to:

• Increase the benefits that tourism can have on a destination whilst making sure to reduce the negative impacts associated with mass tourism.

• Offer authentic and unique experiences to the tourist, whilst taking into account the social, economic and environmental elements of a destination.

• Highlight the fact that local communities are hosts, not tourist attractions; and that the environment is an important element of the overall experience rather than being a playground for the planet's privileged.

• Make common sense the principal driver for change; and that disrespect and injustice, the colonial perspective, must become obsolete. “Treat people the way you want to be treated” is the ethic behind the idea.

This type of tourism, this movement, this ‘new’ (not so new in the grand scheme of things) way of thinking is growing. The idea that tourism can be used as a tool for poverty alleviation, for peace, for the understanding of new cultures (whether from a hosts perspective or that of the visitor) is slowly taking over the ‘mass tourism’, only for profit, generic model.

Responsible tourism may be considered a niche by critics, a ‘fad’ that will fade with time, but it is far from it. Responsible tourism guiding principles can be applied to all forms of tourism that cater for all age-groups, all markets, in all destinations. It is here to stay!

To learn more about responsibility and responsible tourism, here are a few resources:

Responsibility.org.uk

Responsible Tourism Forum

West Africa Discovery - Responsible Tourism Policies

The International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT)

Or for more information contact me at thomas@westafricadiscovery.co.uk or follow me on twitter or Facebook.

Responsible Tourism Week 2012 - Invitation to the SW London event

Event - Responsible Tourism Week 2012 - Volunteering: Good, Bad or Ugly?

A SPECIAL EVENT FOR Responsible Tourism Week 2012 Volunteering Good, Bad or Ugly? Highlighting Responsible Tourism week, Travel Matters in association with West Africa Discovery are hosting an event with guest speakers Ben Keene from Tribewanted and Chris Hill from Hands Up Holidays. Voluntourism – good, bad or ugly? Wednesday 15 February 2012 at 7pm – 9pm Make Travel Matter Talk @ Harrisons 15 – 19 Bedford Road, London SW12 9EX For interest to attend, contact Travel Matters by email info@travelmatters.co.uk or tel 0208 675 7878 Responsible Tourism Week is a free, five-day unconference exploring down-to-earth applications of noble concepts including responsible tourism, conscious travel, the local travel movement and ecotourism with effective and inexpensive social media and local events. Organisers Travel Matters make it their business to not only organise bespoke holidays which minimise on negative impact whilst maximising on quality, but to educate clients as to how they can continue to make a difference in their future adventures. Karen Simmonds, owner of Travel Matters set up the awareness campaign Make Travel Matter www.maketravelmatter.co.uk West Africa Discovery is a web portal raising awareness towards West Africa as a destination for responsible travel by actively promoting accommodation, tours and volunteer projects that implement responsible tourism principles within their activities.www.westafricadiscovery.co.uk Speakers Tribewanted Their mission is to build sustainable communities in amazing places that benefit locals and visiting members; inspiring positive change within and far beyond the village. http://www.tribewanted.com/ Hands Up Holidays is a luxury travel company with one big difference. They want people to have more than an amazing vacation; they want them to have a remarkable experience that you will treasure forever by combining expertly-led sightseeing with meaningful community development through volunteering or philanthropy. http://www.handsupholidays.com/ Organisation of interest Fair Trade Volunteering has been set-up to kick-start a movement towards a more transparent volunteering practice.http://fairtradevolunteering.com/ Our thanks to Meet the People Tours for supporting this event. http://meetthepeople.skedaddle.co.uk/ WHEN February 15th 2012 - 7pm until 9pm WHERE Balham, South West London Harrisons 15 – 19 Bedford Road, London SW12 9EX CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW

Responsible Travel in Sierra Leone - Part 3: Coconut & Poyo Paradise

Part 3 of my trip to Sierra Leone follows on from 'Responsible Travel in Sierra Leone - Part 2 - The Provinces: Waterloo to Bo & Beyond' which you can read here.

Back to Waterloo, I was feeling much more comfortable with my surroundings. I bought a fresh coconut from 2 children who had a barrel full and which they opened with a machete, and walked to the taxi park near the market to which I had already been to before. I grabbed the first taxi to Tombo, the biggest fishing village on the peninsula, and immediately jumped on the back of an 'Okada' direction Bureh Beach of which I had heard a lot of good things.

Bureh Beach

My mission this time was to visit as many communities along the peninsula as I could whilst walking the length of the beach. So, I walked through Bureh Town down to the beach. There I met a few local guys who called themselves 'Beach Boys' and who looked after the accommodation. The day had been long, so I decided to stay for the night. The sun was still up, there were some waves on which the locals were surfing, so naturally I grabbed a body-board and joined in the fun.

Maroon Island at Sunset

After dinner, with which I had the most amazing groundnut soup, I chatted to my new found friends and was then invited to their house to listen to some music and drink 'Poyo' (palm wine), which I readily accepted. Walking through the community, I could see myself living in a place like this: sitting around candlelit courtyards, sipping on palm wine whilst discussing the latest news. A slow pace of life which made me feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to experience it.

Bureh Beach & Maroon Island

That night I went for a walk on the moonlit beach. The waves were gently lapping against the shore and the outline of the tall and bent palm trees were distinct against the pure star filled sky. The shape of Maroon Island, so called because the first 'Maroons' (runaway slaves) landed there in the 1700's, was apparent in the distance. This idyllic scene seemed like a dream, probably emphasized by the Poyo, and I had to pinch myself a couple of times to make sure that it was indeed reality. This set the scene for my 2 day 'beach walk'.

Palm Tree Point - Bureh Beach

Waving Goodbye to my hosts

The next morning, I waved goodbye to my hosts and crossed a river - one of many flowing down from the forest covered mountain range into the Ocean - before heading off at a slow pace towards the next community. Along the way, I laid my backpack down and went for a swim in the translucent water. Feeling refreshed, I continued along my way following the magnificent coastline that stretched as far as the eye could see. After about an hour's walking, I reached the John Obey community (see part 1) where I said hello to the friends I had made and to check on the progress of the second earth bag dome, before I moved on to my next destination: Tokeh.

John Obey Community hauling the fishing boats onto the beach

I had heard that Tokeh was a fine producer of Poyo, so I decided to inquire as to who was the best Palm Wine seller in Town. I was told to ask for Katy at the bus station, and a little girl was ordered to show me the way. We walked through alleys bordered by mud walls covered in raffia and arrived in a small courtyard where men were drinking palm wine. When they saw me, they made me feel at home straight away and gave me a jar of Poyo to start off. I stayed there for about an hour and learnt a lot about Tokeh and the surrounding area. Finally, before departing, as I was going to meet a friend at my next destination, I bought a gallon of Poyo for the road and set off towards the beach.

Friends made at Katy's Place in Tokeh

There I met some fishermen who offered to take me to some 'twin' islands which I had noticed in the distance, for a nominal fee of course. I decided to accept the offer and jumped into the dugout canoe along with my bag. I had not realised how unstable the boat was and thought we were going to capsize a few times. Finally we arrived on the islands and my guide waited at the boat for me. I could see that a storm was coming, so I quickly walked around the island and got back to the canoe just in case. I felt like I was on a treasure Island, and who knows, maybe I was.

The 'Twin Islands' in the distance

Looking back from the Islands with my guide, Mohammed

On the way back to mainland

When I reached the beach, I grabbed my bag, paid my guide, and then went on my way along the beach towards River #2, singing a song to myself about Palm Wine drinking Pirates.

River #2 is a pioneer in community based tourism. The guest houses available to day trippers or seasonal domestic tourists are owned by the community, and each member of the community contributes to the project. The activities, accommodation, food, reception, transport, are all provided by the community, and therefore the money goes back to the community itself. It seems to work well and is well organised.

River #2 Lagoon

After a grueling walk of about an hour and half, I reached the last river I needed to cross before I reached my destination. Just as I got there, a canoe pulled up carrying others across. The timing was perfect. When I stepped off the boat, I was greeted by Ishmael, Daniel's (my friend) little cousin, who had been expecting me. He guided me to my beach hut, where I would be staying the night. I then had a well-deserved swim.

My accommodation at River #2

I was then brought a bowl of rice and fish covered in a very spicy ‘hot pepper sauce’ as well as two freshly picked coconuts. This was going to be my last dinner before I left paradise so I appreciated every mouthful of ‘chop’ and every sip of fresh coconut milk whilst staring at the clear horizon whilst the sun was setting. The coconut milk was probably the best I had ever tasted.

That night, my hosts decided to build a bonfire around which we sat to talk about their stories and my experiences in Sierra Leone. I was told many stories about the civil war which I will not recount here because I feel they are too graphic to share within this blog, but I must say that I realised how awful the whole situation was. You can see a film like ‘blood diamond’ a million times, but will never get even close to understanding what the local communities went through until you hear the stories from the mouths of those who were on the ‘front line’.

We talked well in to the night, the moon shining down onto the Ocean gently caressing the golden sands of River #2.

River #2 Community Based Tourism project

The next morning I awoke to the resident cockerel pecking away at the half coconuts left over from the night before. I opened my tent’s door to a blazing sun and went straight to the sea for an early morning swim. The fire’s remains were still smoking. Daniel brought breakfast and we drank our coffee speaking about the days plan. I was to meet up with my contacts at the National Tourism Board so that they could show me more of the peninsula and the potential that it has for the development of responsible tourism.

After having had a refreshing bucket shower, and having packed up my rucksack, we walked to the top of the dirt road and hailed down a heavy duty truck on which we jumped and rode back to Tokeh where we were to meet Umaru Woody and his colleagues of the National Tourism Board.

To be continued… ‘The great potential for responsible tourism in Sierra Leone’

Responsible tourism can be practiced in a variety of ways as long as it benefits the local communities in which you spend time, whilst respecting the local heritage. One of the ways to do so is to meet with the local communities, share stories, accept invitations, be curious but respectful, be friendly and humble, and make sure that the money you spend is shared amongst the most people possible. You can buy local drinks (like Poyo), participate in activities organised by the local communities, stay in local accommodation and make sure you know where the money goes, how it is shared. By doing so, you will get to know the people with whom you stay, the places you visit more intimately and have an overall more authentic and satisfying experience.

To discover more of the authentic experiences you can have in West Africa, don’t hesitate to visit www.westafricadiscovery.co.uk or join a growing community passionate about Travel in West Africa on Facebook.

Responsible Travel in Sierra Leone - Peninsula, Provinces and Palm Wine (Part 2)

Following on from the first installment of his adventure, Thomas recounts his experiences on his journey through Sierra Leone to discover tourism projects which work towards implementing the responsible tourism concept of "making destinations better places to live in, and better places to visit"

Part 2: The provinces - Waterloo to Bo & Beyond

My next mission was to visit another community tourism project based around an Island of outstanding natural beauty and rich in biodiversity found on the Moa River, and on the fringes of the Gola Forest in the South-East of Sierra Leone. Tiwai Island is owned by 8 communities who live around it, and, in theory, they all benefit equally from tourism. I am planning on basing my MSc Responsible Tourism Management dissertation on how this can be done successfully.

To reach Tiwai, I was to take a 'Poda Poda' (local mini-bus) from Waterloo to Bo, then travel from Bo to Potoru from where I was told to catch an 'Okada' (motorbike taxi) to Kambama where you can take a speedboat to reach the Island.

One of the villages dotting the side of the highway

The journey from Waterloo to Bo went without any incidents. We stopped a few times to pick people up or drop them off and this gave me the opportunity to learn a bit more about the differences between the coast and the hinterland. At every stop, tradesmen/women would come to the vehicles windows selling plantain crisps, 'Benny Cake' (sesame seed and sugar), grilled meat, bananas, oranges, corn, water, etc... you could never go hungry. The road was perfect. No pot-holes anywhere. I later learnt that an Italian prospecting company had invested in tarmacking the road which has now made a big difference between a day-long journey and a 3-4 hour journey.

The image which says: "West Africa" to me.

Arriving at Bo, I noticed a lot of social campaigns which were going on. Billboards denouncing domestic violence, encouraging family planning, addressing the AIDS/HIV issue, promoting agriculture and community, and many more. It was also my first reminder that there had been a civil war not so long ago. Billboards promoting the 'Guns for Development' campaign where an NGO was buying guns off people (very successful), 'Social Integration' and 'Peace Development' were common words around the city, even Diamond re-sellers were called 'Peace & Love'. Bo and the Provinces were the hardest hit by the civil war and where the worst atrocities were committed.

Example of social development billboards (terriblyfabulous.wordpress.com)

From Bo to Potoru - a ‘junction town’ leading to several villages, one of which was my destination - the road was less favorable. The rainy season was just ending, so heavy rain showers were common place. Pot-holes and mega-puddles dotted the road, and our driver - who's name is William 'Bobo' Decker - expertly guided the 'Poda Poda' without even breaking a sweat. Orange vendors and Plantain Crisp sellers were everywhere. The smell of 'the bush' is something you never forget. The sweet scent of tropical flowers mixed with the damp earth smell, the odour of oranges and limes; this coupled with the landscape of lush green vegetation, small streams meandering across the dirt road, the bridges crossing over fast flowing mighty rivers; time seems to go slowly yet you don't see it fly by.

Road to Potoru. Notice the storm in the distance.

Potoru, which I later learnt was a rebel stronghold during the 1992 to 2002 war, was a quiet village which had a certain vibe about it. People were very friendly, respectful and eager to please. It was noticeably a trading hub too, being at the junction linking several villages together. We briefly stopped before we headed direction Kambama. Bobo Decker kindly offered to take me all the way as he had noticed that a tropical storm was brewing in the distance and knew that I would've gotten soaked if I had taken an 'Okada' (motorbike taxi).

The road was still dirt but was much better than the Bo to Potoru route. This was partly due to the small amount of vehicles that rode this way. We could see the storm approaching. Like a grey blanket, it covered the landscape, engulfed the forest, roads and villages. I thanked Bobo, as you can imagine. Finally, we arrived at Kambama. It was dusk and the distance rumble of thunder reminded us that we didn't have much time before another storm would unleash its wrath. I was guided down a path, from the village to the river bank and got on a speedboat captained by Ibrahim who told us a story about how crocodiles in the river and villagers had a mutual respect for each other.

Tiwai Island

Local guide from Kambama leading me into the jungle

When we set foot on the island, I felt like an explorer. This was the real jungle! Creepers were hanging from the forest canopy, the sound of insects was overwhelming, birds were nesting above us. We started walking towards the camp where I would stay the night, and suddenly I heard something moving in the branches above me. I looked up and saw a black and white blur. A double take revealed that it was a monkey, a Diana monkey to be more precise. Ibrahim said: "This is a good start, you have already been very lucky!" and he was right.

Can anyone identify this spider?

Red Colobus Monkey

The next morning, after a beautiful night's sleep, I went with a local guide on a 3 hour jungle trek where I saw a group of Red Colobus Monkeys, Black & White Colobus', Diana Monkeys, Suti Mangabe's, Hornbills, 'big-as-your-hand' spiders building their webs which shone golden-greenish hues when reflecting the sun’s rays, and the cream of the crop: 2 duikers; a very rare sighting according to my guide. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, we did not come across the elusive pygmy hippo. Maybe next time.

Solar power at Tiwai. Tent hut in the distance.

Traditional building where the food was prepared

During my stay, I also took a canoe onto the Moa River and learnt about traditional fishing techniques, wildlife, plants and pygmy hippo habits, as well as how to call monkeys by pinching your nose, mouth and emitting a cry so that they come to you thinking that you are a baby monkey in distress. The local language is Mende (from the Mende tribe) of which I learnt how to say:

'Hi Man/Old Man/Young Woman/Children' = 'Dake/Keke/Niande/Dupui Boaa'

'How are you?' = 'Ka hui ye na?'

'I am fine' = ' Ka ing goma'

The next morning, I took the speedboat at 4am in the morning to catch the local transport back from mainland. I will never forget speeding up the River Moa lit only by moonlight. That was definitely an experience.

In the next installment, Part 3: Back to the Peninsula - Coconut & Poyo Paradise, Thomas visits the communities located on the Western Peninsula to discover the tourism projects already put in place and the potential for implementing the responsible tourism concept.

To learn more about Responsible Tourism in West Africa, you can either visit the West Africa Discovery web portal, or join the growing community of West Africa passionate people here.

Tips on How to be a Responsible Tourist (in West Africa ) by Sandy Asuming

Sandy Asuming, a student from the Gambia, shares with us her passion for the development of the responsible tourism concept in West Africa by explaining how the tourists themselves can help implement very simple changes in behaviour which can have major impacts on the sustainability of destinations and the local communities living there.

Responsible tourism is about tourists making environmentally friendly, sustainable, ethical and respectful choices when travelling and minimising the negative impact of tourism. Being responsible is something all tourists needs to take into consideration when making a decision on travelling to a destination.

Responsible travel can be considered as the most enjoyable way to travel because it brings you closer to local people and culture, it gives you the chance to experience the authenticity of the destination. It shares some of the benefits of tourism more widely with local communities, and helps minimised some of the negative impacts tourism might often have. No matter the type of travel you’re involved in, tourism brings both positive and negative impacts to a destination but responsible travel and tourism maximises the benefits of tourism and reduces some of the negatives.

The majority of us travel to experience new cultures, take on new challenges, experience new activities, or even to discover ourselves. Travelling gives us the opportunity to take a break from our typical daily routines and to reflect on the importance of life. But yet almost all travellers show an abject ignorance of anything other than a westernised world view. Being a responsible tourist can make a big difference by supporting the type of tourism that is not harmful to the environment and is supportive of local communities who lead the effort to gain or maintain sustainable livelihoods.

Contact between tourists and local people may result in mutual appreciation, therefore tourists need to be aware of local customs, traditions and to show respect to the host community in question. Residents will then be open minded and will be more willing to be educated about the outside world without leaving their homes, while their visitors significantly learn about a distinctive culture. Local communities are benefited through contribution by tourism to the improvement of the social infrastructure like schools, libraries, health care institutions, internet cafes, and so on. If local culture is the basis for attracting tourists to the region, it is important to preserve the local traditions and handicrafts.

If tourists’ attitudes change and they allow themselves to become responsible travellers, the host communities will benefit from this by protecting endangered wildlife, as the importance of preserving and conserving this resource will become more apparent. Many of West Africa’s countries depend on their wildlife as tourist attractions and if it’s not protected, there will be a decline of tourist numbers and as a result will have a bad effect on the economy. For example every year around 23000 tourists visit the Bijilo forest park in the Gambia and because the park is close to Banjul which is the capital city, it is easy for tourists to commute from the park to the town. However, the number of incoming visitors tends to be high which causes overcrowding. This causes damage to local wildlife especially the green monkeys which no longer find the need to look for food but instead sit beside nearby road sides and wait for tourists to feed them. In addition, tourists purchase bags of peanuts for the animals and litter the grounds with the empty bags. This is a danger for the monkeys who attempt to ingest them. Also, by over feeding these monkeys, they become over-friendly and become susceptible to theft by poachers.

Bearing this in mind, it is advisable for tourists to be educated on the effect of their ignorance. In doing so, tourists will become responsible for their actions while enjoying the experience.

At the end of the day by protecting and enhancing favourite destinations, future enjoyment for visitors and local resident will be sustained.

Another point is that tourists need to recognise that water and energy are precious resources which need to be used carefully. It’s important to buy from the local stores, use local taxis, local tour guides etc. All these little transactions help the local community. In the Gambia, for example, there is an excellent selection of good quality restaurants, therefore by eating in local restaurants you are ensuring that your visit benefits the wider community.

Applying the WCED’s definition of sustainability¹ to tourism, as coined in Bruntland’ Commission, the reason for responsible travel to be practised is “to meet the needs and aspirations of the present without compromising the ability to meet the need and aspiration of future generations.” The core issue is conserving resources. There is a need to balance social, economic and environmental impacts for both tourists and host communities.

To learn more about projects that work towards implementing responsible tourism principles in the Gambia, you can view out selection here.

You can also learn more about travelling in and around West Africa by joining our growing community of 1000+ people passionate about West Africa and its beautiful local heritage.

¹ World Commission on Environment and Development (1987). Our Common Future. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Tourism as a Tool for Poverty Reduction in West Africa - by Sandra Asuming

Every year different NGO’s, and other private organisations come together with one purpose: to raise money to reduce poverty in the world. This gesture extends to the whole of the African continent. The idea of these fund-raising activities is to help improve the lifestyle and betterment for the poor. There are numerous NGO's with different aims to reduce poverty in Africa. Orphan Aid Africa helps families of children at risk of abandonment and gives them secure futures within their communities in Ghana, Igbo Charitable Association Inn is an organization delivering community level poverty alleviation support to people in Eastern Nigeria and creating employment opportunities for young people in all of Africa and the Helping Hands Healing Ministries Inc is also another charitable organisation helping the poorest of the poor with educational, medical, social, and spiritual needs. All of these organisation have one thing in common to provide any help they can in education, employment, security and safety for the young and old.

Poverty alleviation is an important issue for many developing countries within western Africa. It is believed that poverty can be alleviated mainly through achieving higher sectoral growth and ensuring that the poor have a share in that growth. Both the tourism industry and community development are still at a very early stage of understanding what will actually work most effectively in reducing poverty through tourism development, there is evidence that tourism contributes a lot to the economic growth, especially in countries with poor economies through foreign exchange earnings, creation of employment opportunities and provision of public revenues. Therefore with proper intervention, such economic benefits can play a crucial role in the process of poverty alleviation.

Tourism can be a tool for poverty alleviation but the challenge is 'how' and 'where' tourism can intervene to provide opportunities, employment, and security for the poor at the local level and boost economic growth at the national and regional level. It is a fact that tourism is one of the few industries in which many developing countries actually have a comparative advantage over developed countries in term of cultural heritage, climate, wildlife etc. Therefore tourism can be an effective tool to bring about these synergies. By focusing on rural areas instead of the urban areas (capital cities) in western Africa, pro-poor tourism can be used to not only promote tourism in unknown areas but also to provide opportunities and access for both tourists and local residents.

Since tourism operates through different geographical areas such as remote mountainous, coastal and forest environments, it can be an important tool which could reduce poverty at national, rural and urban levels. For example when visiting Ghana, instead of spending all their time on Labadi beach in Accra, tourists can be more adventurous and go on a mountain biking excursion on Mount Afadjato in the Akwapim-Togo Ranges. In doing this tourists’ spending can provide economic gain through the creation of full time or part-time employment, it has the potential to reduce rural ‘out-migration’ to urban areas, or create other livelihood benefits such as access to potable water, roads which bring poor producers through, improved access to markets, improved health or education.I therefore believe tourism is an appropriate mechanism for poverty reduction. Tourism contributes to economic growth, and also has a positive effect on social, environment and cultural benefits; but having said that, it also has it negative aspect to it. Tourism can create high level foreign ownership which leads to a high level of economic leakage and minimizes local economic benefits; however this can be seen in any other industry. This has led to the creation of The Association of Small Scale Enterprises in Tourism (ASSET) by the British High Commission in 1999 and established in 2000 in the Gambia. ASSET brings together 40 small and micro enterprises including craft market vendors, tourist taxi drivers, official tourist guides, juice pressers and fruit sellers. It also includes a number of small hotels, guest houses and ground tour operators. Its main objective is to enable small-scale tourism enterprises to benefit from the industry by putting pressure on the government and local leaders to do more for them such as tax relieve easy business set-up processes and infrastructure development such as markets. Also, through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the government received an International Development Assistance (IDA) to help build road networks linking the hotels, the airport and the main urban centres.

So, considering the above, with the effect and contribution of the tourism industry to the world and especially developing countries, the continuation and improvement of these measures will surely help sustain and improve the local economies at the receiving end of tourism.

For more information on tourism projects in West Africa which are working towards reducing poverty and creating opportunities for local economies through their activities, visit the West Africa Discovery web portal, or join a community dedicated to travel in West Africa by clicking here.

Have you ever wanted to be the member of a tribe?

Ever wanted to be part of a tribe? Or just like the idea of chilling on a beach, going snorkelling, catching some fish for the evenings dinner, or just getting your hands dirty in some community development work... Well, for all those of you who have the 'outdoors instinct', the need to get away, or the want to experience something different and make a difference along the way, here is what you have been waiting for; a new community-based cultural exchange tourism project based in Sierra Leone, West Africa, courtesy of the award-winning Tribewanted team.

The Tribewanted team have proven that this kind of project can work well for both those wanting to be part of a like-minded global community of over 10,000 members and the community in the chosen destination where members can visit and take part in the everyday life. This pioneering project started off in Fiji, in 2006, and since has gained recognition as an excellent model for sustainable community development through cultural exchange programmes using Responsible Tourism practises as a basic doctrine.

The Tribewanted Sierra Leone project has launched today, and will welcome the first tribe members in October this year. For your reference, we have added a description of the project on the West Africa Discovery web portal to show you what it is all about.

Ben Keene, the co-founder of Tribewanted, explains: "Tribewanted on Vorovoro in Fiji has become a way of life for visiting members and the local community. People find it very hard to leave - they feel like they’ve come home. It’s been clear for a while we should try and take the model elsewhere.”

“Tribewanted Sierra Leone aims to do this and more. When you take part in the project you’re not sacrificing your hard earned time-out for an intense volunteer programme nor are you replacing a much-needed beach holiday. You can sunbath, build, swim, cook, canoe up river, trek, fish, play beach football, share skills, teach, drum round bonfires, and eat great seafood. You’re living alongside a local community whilst connecting with a global network of like-minded people.”

At West Africa Discovery, we are thrilled to have listed them on our Responsible and Sustainable Tourism listings, as we feel that tourism can be a tool to develop local communities in a sustainable way, raise awareness towards the rich local cultures in the destination, and change the image of a country which is generally known for the wrong reasons. Tribewanted Sierra Leone aims to do just that, and we think that it will have a positive impact on all those involved.

To learn more about the Tribewanted project, click here.

For more information, please email us at info@westafricadiscovery.co.uk.

West Africa Discovery partners with the award-winning Tribewanted project, in Sierra Leone!

The Tribewanted adventure started in 2006 on a small island in Fiji called Vorovoro and on an online community on the internet. Soon after, their success was felt not only on a local level for the members of the Fijian islands community but also on a global level by more than 10,000 on-line tribe members worldwide.

The project got a contract with BBC2 to film a five part series called ‘Paradise or Bust’ about the development of the community on the island, Ben Keene (the co-founder of Tribewanted) released a book about the experience of setting up such an ambitious project, and the Tribewanted.com team won a prestigious award for being ‘the best-social networking website’ beating the likes of Myspace, not to mention the glowing reviews from national and international media.

However, the most important part of this project was the benefits felt by the local community on Vorovoro through community development projects and sustainable living projects, the cultural-exchange opportunities experienced by the on-line and on-island tribe members and the unique adventurous experience bringing like-minded people together for an unforgettable journey.

Three and half years after the start of Tribewanted, a new project has been developed, and this time it will be located on the West Coast of Africa, in Sierra Leone!

In October 2010, a new group of visitors will arrive on Sierra Leone’s John Obey Beach, 20 miles south of the capital, Freetown, and begin to build a new life alongside the local fishing community.

Tribewanted Sierra Leone has formed a partnership with the government, landowners and the local John Obey community in Sierra Leone to create an eco village community over the coming years to support sustainable development in the area.

For the visiting tribe members it will be a unique opportunity to experience a peaceful, beautiful and vibrant country seeking a new beginning a decade after being ravaged by civil war.

Ben, co-founder, said about the project: “Tribewanted on Vorovoro in Fiji has become a way of life for visiting members and the local community. People find it very hard to leave - they feel like they’ve come home. It’s been clear for a while we should try and take the model elsewhere.”

“Tribewanted Sierra Leone aims to do this and more. When you take part in the project you’re not sacrificing your hard earned time-out for an intense volunteer programme nor are you replacing a much-needed beach holiday. You can sunbath, build, swim, cook, canoe up river, trek, fish, play beach football, share skills, teach, drum round bonfires, and eat great seafood. You’re living alongside a local community whilst connecting with a global network of like-minded people.”

Tribewanted Sierra Leone is a local organisation and its non profit partner, Shine On Sierra Leone - www.shineonsierraleone.org, has been working in the region successfully for five years, sponsoring 6 schools and computer centres around the country as well as providing microfinance to over 5,700 women across the country.

Filippo Bozotti, producer of VH1 documentary Bling, which took several hip hop stars to Sierra Leone to show them the reality of the diamond trade, has teamed up with Ben Keene, founder of Tribewanted to start this new project.

Their third partner, Sierra Leonean Michel Sho-Sawyer, confirms that all profits generated from Tribewanted Sierra Leone will be re-invested in the local John Obey community, in education and microfinance through Shine On Sierra Leone.

Tribe members will have the opportunity of joining in with the development of the new village alongside the local team and community. The project will be pioneering a new building technique called ‘Superadobe” developed at Cal Earth, www.calearth.org, a technique that uses only local earth and material.

West Africa Discovery (www.westafricadiscovery.co.uk) has been in talks with Tribewanted co-founder Ben Keene about the development and marketing of the project, and will act as an information portal for tribe members looking to find out what other sustainable and responsible tourism projects are available in surrounding countries.

The West Africa Discovery web portal is a reference point with expert knowledge of the west African region and is in the process of creating an extensive database of tourism projects which concentrate on offering unique experiences to the traveller whilst benefiting the local communities in the destinations they visit.

Thomas Armitt, founder of West Africa Discovery, comments: “We are excited to be part of such a great project. We really feel that tourism can be a tool to develop local communities in a sustainable way, raise awareness towards the rich local cultures in the destination, and change the image of a country which is generally known for the wrong reasons. Tribewanted Sierra Leone aims to do just that, and I think that it will have a positive impact on all those involved. ”

To learn more about the Tribewanted project, click here.

For more information, please email us at info@westafricadiscovery.co.uk.