On Thursday 25th March 2010, ASSET in partnership with other tourism stakeholders launch a Community Excursion Folder with the view to diversify the product the country is offering and to make tourism more beneficial for the local communities.

The Gambia is a small country in West Africa dominated by charter tourism. Tourists come mainly for the beach and good weather. However there is a demand for product diversification and the launch of this Community Excursion Folder is a step in the right direction. 

The launch took place at Cultural Encounters. 30 people attended the launch including tour operators, media and some of the small scale enterprises. The event started with the presentation of the new products by Mr Daouda Niang, General Manager of ASSET. After the presentation Mr Marcel Hendrickx of Kombo Beach Hotel, one of the biggest hotels in The Gambia, concluded his speech by saying “we must all work hand in hand” and contribute to local economic growth. The presentation was followed by a networking gathering.

The Community Excursions folder consists of six different excursions – all local projects which will benefit the local people and communities in The Gambia. The next step forward will be to organize a “Fam trip” for tour operators located in The Gambia in April and jointly work together towards the next season. As for now the folder consists of;

BAFROW: Local Community Involvement Experience. The Foundation for Research on Women’s Health, Productivity and the Environment (BAFROW) is a Non-Governmental Organization that aims to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of the people in the three main areas of health, empowerment and environment. The foundation is set up and run by women. A visit to BAFROW (a community model village) gives the traveler the change to take part in activities together with the women.

BEREFET CULTURAL CAMP: Drumming and Dancing with the Locals. Berefet is a community-based camp famous for its drumming and dancing lessons. Here the travelers will have the opportunity to interact with the locals and learn how to play the drums as well as the different traditional dances in The Gambia. This is a real cultural treatment which ends the day with a performance by the community members and the travelers together. 

SOLAR PROJECT TILOO: A Real Solar Cooking Experience. This is a solar cooking and baking experience where the travelers will see how solar energy is working in practice while making their own solar cooked lunch. Travelers will also visit one of the schools where the project supports educational programs on solar energy and its environmental benefits.

LAMIN FISH FARM: “Catch your own lunch!” This excursion gives the traveler the opportunity to select their own vegetables directly from the women farmers at the Women’s Garden in Lamin Village. From there the travelers will go to Lamin Fish Farm and catch their own fish for lunch.

STORYTELLING and PAPER RECYCLING SKILLS PROJECT: “Cultural Encounters” . This is a combination of two projects that include the traditional Gambian storytelling by renowned Jallies in the Gambia. From there the travelers go to Paper Recycling Skills Project where they will make their own recycled paper.

Tie & Dye Experience. This is an opportunity for travellers to create their own fabric and design using natural products and tie & dye methods. This is offered in the hotels by the local artists and tailors. A few days later the travellers can wear their new outfit in a fashion show at the hotels.

All the excursions will be uploaded on ASSET’s webpage and travellers can also book them at Cultural Encounter – ASSET Information Centre and through Ethical Travel Portal.