Our Journey into
Community Based Tourism
The First Sparks: 2009-2010
​The idea began on the banks of the River Gambia.
Frequent visitor Jane Smith, inspired by the stories told by the late Hon. Foday Jibani Manka, recognised that the island’s history deserved to be shared by its own youth. Visitors were coming upriver, staying overnight just to see the hippos, yet few local people were benefiting directly. Together, Jane and Foday began shaping a plan to change that
— to train young islanders as storytellers, guides, and protectors of heritag
Out of these conversations grew a small volunteer project named Just Act Gambia (Janjanbureh Uniting Sustainable Tourism and Community Training) that would later be known widely for its community-based approach to tourism. Its aims were simple but ambitious: to enable local people to lead their own development, to connect culture with livelihoods, and to make tourism a source of pride rather than dependency.
​​2010–2014: Training and Partnerships
The first training sessions took place in 2011, funded by Just Act Gambia, supported by educationalist the late Tony Johnson, whose background in business and vocational education helped create a structure for youth learning. Local expertise was involved with Hon Manka providing a sound grounding in any aspect of the Island.
Over twenty young people were trained that summer in history, guiding, and local ecology.
New partnerships followed with Dr Adama Bah and Daouda Nyang, then of ASSET, working alongside the Gambia Tourism Board to provide further accredited training in 2013.
2015–2016: From Idea to Organisation
By 2015, the guiding initiative had become a recognised youth organisation under the National Youth Council taking the same name and principles, JUST ACT.
It represented a generation determined to turn knowledge into employment.
Yet progress was soon tested. Political unrest during the 2016–17 elections forced a temporary halt to tourism as visitors were evacuated.
The community waited, hopeful that calmer days would return.
2017: Janjanbureh Becomes The Gambia’s Second Tourism Destination
When political stability returned, recognition came quickly.
In late 2017 Janjanbureh was officially designated as The Gambia’s second national tourism destination — a turning point that placed the island firmly on the map beyond its coastal counterparts.
Fourteen young people underwent intensive training through
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the Institute of Travel and Tourism of The Gambia (ITTOG),
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National Centre for Art and Culture (NCAC),
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the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP)​
Five outstanding trainees were then selected for advanced Training of Trainers (ToTs), courses led by international tourism experts Potjana Suansri and Peter Richards.
Those five became the heartbeat of a new generation of Gambian tourism professionals — their skills now reaching far beyond Janjanbureh.
One of these trainees, Omar Jammeh, has since gone on to serve as the community’s elected National Assembly Member (NAM),reflecting the wider leadership pathways that emerged from this period.
2018: The First Kankurang Festival
In January 2018, the first Kankurang Festival was born through partnership with NatureFriends International (NFI). Over seventy visitors from Europe travelled for the inaugural celebration, joining local audiences in honouring the Mandinka masquerade traditions that define the region’s identity.
The festival’s success established Janjanbureh as a cultural hub and strengthened international ties that continue today.
2018–2019: Community-Based Tourism Expands
Following the festival, training extended into surrounding villages such as Jamali and Tabanani, introducing the concept of Community-Based Tourism (CBT) — tourism led by local people and rooted in everyday life with the Trainers of Trainers taking the lead.
Guided by the “Fresh from the Field” methodology developed by Suansri and Richards, the young trainers assessed potential destinations and together with those communities, designed new experiences, and built capacity for long-term sustainability.
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By 2019, the Janjanbureh Tour Guide Association was formally registered as a charity
— adopting the working name 'Destination Janjanbureh'.
2020 and Beyond: A Growing Movement
From river kayaking, hiking and cycling to heritage walks and craft experiences, the island now offers visitors a rich, responsible alternative to coastal tourism.
CBT initiatives in nearby villages bring income directly to families
while preserving traditional skills.
Each January, the community led Kankurang Festival continues to grow — drawing diaspora visitors, students, and travellers seeking authentic cultural connection
as well as total enjoyment of the local population.
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What began as a handful of young guides has become a regional model for sustainable tourism. Many of those early trainees now mentor new cohorts under programmes supported by the International Trade Centre (ITC)
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Looking Ahead
Sustainable tourism in Janjanbureh remains a work in progress with the cohort of newly trained guides in business development working alongside the existing system
— one shaped by resilience, creativity, and community spirit.​
Though the founding charity Just Act Gambia is no longer active, its founder continues to support.
Its legacy lives on in the confidence and professionalism of the island’s guides and entrepreneurs.
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The late Hon. Foday Manka never saw the flowering of what he helped to start,
but his belief in the power of storytelling still guides the island’s path.
From local stories to global connections —
Janjanbureh shows that small communities can redefine tourism on their own terms.