"During my 4 years at university, whilst doing a degree in Marketing and French, I had the opportunity to spend a year in Senegal researching the possibility of developing community based ecotourism and how to market it to the UK. Subsequently this piece of research was published. Thanks to this experience, I developed a passion for responsible tourism, and decided to create West Africa Discovery." Email me at thomas@westafricadiscovery.co.uk

“My passion for Africa began whilst studying Anthropology at Sussex University. Since then I have always been interested in the possibilities of sustainability and development in the West African region. Having been a global marketing executive I have a wealth of experience in coordinating marketing projects. I am currently studying for a Professional Certificate in Marketing and planning my next trip out to West Africa in 2010." Email me at harry@westafricadiscovery.co.uk

"I am a student in Ghana of tourism and finance and have been involved in the Ghanaian tourism industry as part of my studies. I offered West Africa Discovery my research and photographic skills in order to allow them to have a better understanding of Ghana, its people, natural habitats, history and culture.

I work closely with tour operators in the country and am passionate about implementing responsible tourism policies in the industry as I feel that it will provide many opportunities for the local communities on an economic scale but also will develop respect for the heritages we are so proud of in Ghana." Email me at manuel@westafricadiscovery.co.uk

"As a state Coordinator of the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE), I care deeply about the development of the volunteer sector in Nigeria. With an interest in Volunteering, I have been nurturing an idea to improve the issue of voluntourism in Africa which has lead to the initiative of “African–European Volunteer Network”. After having an opportunity to attend MBOKA 2008 (The Gambia), I found it worthy to connect tourism with volunteering. After series of meeting with other participants I found West Africa Discovery as an avenue to have more experience about tourism and to expand my volunteering in other areas." Email me at taiwo@westafricadiscovery.co.uk

"For most of my career I have worked in various positions looking after programmes for sustainable development, responsible tourism development and Millenium Development Goals along side organisations such as the WTO and MDG-F.

Today, with my experience, I follow, support and strengthen various Responsible Tourism structures in the Northern Senegalese regions of Louga and St. Louis. I advise and train small tour operators operating in the region so that they respond to Responsible Tourism criteria and make sure that the host families included in the projects are trained to deal with tourists needs.

I also am strongly involved in the Higher Education system where I teach tourism orientated BA, MA & PhD courses in various institutions in Senegal and Mali, and for more than a decade now, have intervened as a sustainable tourism and ecotourism expert in the training of students attending the CRESP centre, in Yoff, linked to the University of Massachusetts, Boston."