Our Partners

ASSET - The Gambia
Our partner in The Gambia is ASSET (Association of Small Scale Etnerprises in Tourism in The Gambia) - an often mentioned association that has been successful in promoting small scale enterprises and working in responsible tourism. ASSET aims to "bring together, advocate for, and promote a large number of small scale enterprises that are active in the tourism industry in The Gambia." Tourism is one of the main incomes in The Gambia and the latest years ASSET has made an important role to spread the income from tourism industry to smaller enterprises as well.

Members of ASSET include craft market vendors, tourist taxi drivers, official tourist guides, juice pressers and fruit sellers, small hotel, guest houses, tour operators etc. Future goals are education and training of personnel, development of new products and implementation of industry standards.

One of the outcomes in The Gambia was the opening of the new college Institute of Travel and tourism of The Gambia in January 2008. During our travels to The Gambia we are visiting many of the members to hear their story. In 2005 ASSET won the Best for Poverty Reduction award during the Responsible Tourism Award 2005 held at the World Travel Market in London.

The Blue Yonder - India
Our partner in India is The Blue Yonder - a pioneer of responsible tourism in the country. The Blue Yonder "was set up as a travel company based out of Bangalore (Karnataka), four years back to bring in attention of the world to the status of sadly depleted and neglected Bharatapuzha River (River Nila) in the North of Kerala in India and to help raise funds for Nila Foundation that works to revive and regenerate the dying river."

The Blue Yonder uses responsible tourism as a tool to spread awareness of the river, folk art forms, culture and daily life. Working in partnership with the local communities The Blue Yonder has contributed to create better lives in destinations where they offer unique holiday experiences to travellers. Nila is no longer their only destination but communities in many Indian communities are being blessed by working with The Blue Yonder.

During our travels we will get to know "the grass root" blue yonder and see the impact of their work - first and foremost near Nila. Their work has been acknowledged by receiving two highly honourable mentions at the 2007 Condé Nast Traveler World Savers Awards and 2006 Responsible Tourism Awards at the World Travel Market in London as a tour operator for using tourism as a tool for poverty reduction and preserving and conserving local culture and tradition. Though in 2007 the most appreciated award was given by the community members near River Nila - an award to acknowledge the work they are doing in Responsible Tourism.