With tourism accounting for approximately 15% of the national GDP, The Gambia recognises the sector's economic importance. However, its benefits are currently concentrated in coastal regions offering traditional beach holidays. The National Development Plan emphasises diversifying tourism products to include culture-centred experiences that benefit rural communities. River communities possess valuable cultural assets such as Ninki Nanka folklore, which could form the basis for authentic tourism experiences that generate sustainable livelihoods whilst safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.

The Ninki Nanka folklore represents a significant yet underutilised cultural asset. This mystical creature representing a mysterious dragon which is said to inhabit the river’s creeks. It features in stories, music and traditions across The Gambia and neighbouring West African countries. As modern influences reshape community life and traditional storytelling evolves, safeguarding this heritage becomes increasingly important. Yet local entrepreneurs often lack the skills, capacity and market access to develop cultural products for tourism, missing opportunities to control their cultural narrative and grow their income. TUI Colourful Cultures Gambia addresses these challenges by responsibly capturing, developing and integrating Ninki Nanka and other cultural content into tourism experiences, handicrafts and educational materials.

The project establishes the Ninki Nanka Centre in Kotu as a dedicated space for cultural preservation and enterprise development. The centre includes a visitor information centre, training facilities for the crafts and creatives incubator, a shop selling locally produced handicrafts and branded merchandise, volunteer accommodation, and a rooftop performance space. It will serve as a hub for developing the Ninki Nanka Trail and for providing technical support, mentoring and market access for local entrepreneurs.

Story collection activities will document Ninki Nanka folklore through participatory research and audio-visual recording. Four competitions in storytelling, craft, writing and performing arts will encourage community participation. Collected stories will be preserved in the Gambian National Archives for future generations. Training programmes aim to build capacity in storytelling, guiding, performing arts and experience design for cultural groups, artists and tour guides. The project will develop Ninki Nanka performances, music and theatrical productions for trail itineraries and local audiences, as well as providing up to 10 Gambian writers with mentoring in travel writing about their cultural heritage.

The project will also develop handicrafts and branded merchandise featuring Ninki Nanka designs using wood, recycled materials, glass art, cloth, beads, leather and basketry. A children's storybook, showcasing collected folklore and local artwork, will be produced and sold through multiple distribution channels with profits reinvested into project activities. Six tourist experiences combining workshops and storytelling will be developed to engage 1,350 international tourists yearly. The centre will also host educational visits for local students.

The project will directly benefit more than 500 people, including cultural groups at community-based tourism villages, women’s groups, creatives, artists, craft producers and tour guides. It will also engage with 12,000 community members along the Ninki Nanka Trail. Cross-border collaboration will extend the project’s impact through partnerships between The Gambia, neighbouring countries, and international partners, laying the groundwork for potential regional expansion of the Ninki Nanka concept.

TUI Colourful Cultures Gambia is part of the international TUI Colourful Cultures Programme that preserves cultural heritage and supports creative communities in tourism destinations around the world.