Community Tourism Center
“COUNTRYSTYLE COMMUNITY TOURISM NETWORK/VILLAGES AS BUSINESSES Community Tourism Centres will be located in different communities in Jamaica and the Caribbean.The proposed plan is for these Community Tourism Centres, serving both local and international visitors and community entrepreneurs, to include:
1) Information Centre – including marketing of community lifestyle experience tours, potential community entrepreneurial projects for investment and marketing, available training programmes from The UWI Open Campus and the Academy for Community Tourism;
2) Training Centre – providing niche marketing training in lifestyle businesses and community development, featuring CCTN’s Community Tourism 5 day Entrepreneurship training programme and Basic Hospitality Skills course and relevant UWI Open Campus courses;
3) Internet Cafe – providing administrative support for communities, a research centre for local and international students and internet access for local and international visitors;
4) Holistic Restaurant – providing healthy menus utilizing local fruits, vegetables etc.;
5) Community Museum – showcasing the heritage, culture and lifestyles across the Caribbean;
6) Community Theatre – offering special cultural performances by arrangement;
7) Community Tourism Research Library – providing information on diverse niche markets, sustainable community development and cultural marketing;
8) Community Gift Shop featuring locally made village art, crafts, and souvenirs featuring Countrystyle’s CUPID CRAFT brand.
It should be noted that all services do not have to be located in one facility but need to be offered nearby the Community Tourism Centre.
ABOUT COUNTRYSTYLE COMMUNITY TOURISM NETWORK (CCTN)
MISSION
To support the development of community tourism in Jamaica, the Caribbean and internationally while educating all stakeholders of its importance to the cause of peace, poverty alleviation and sustainable development and to offer local and foreign visitors diverse ‘community experience’ vacations and tours.
OBJECTIVES
- To promote partnerships with the public and private sector; To educate and foster understanding of all community assets;
- To serve as a meeting ground for practioners and stakeholders;
- To encourage the economic development of a community;
- To share the best practices and resources internationally of sustainable community tourism;
- To provide resource information on funding agencies and organizations;
- To foster peace and understanding through community initiatives;
- To develop marketing strategies for communities;
- To ensure the protection of community business interests and products;
- To build capacity in sustainable community tourism promotion and development;
- To represent community enterprises and assisting them to develop their vision;
- To assist in the development and promotion of community tours;
- To provide information for local and overseas visitors;
- To facilitate investment and grant funding for community business projects.
ACADEMY FOR COMMUNITY TOURISM (ACT)
Employees are a company’s greatest asset; rightly trained and motivated they give a competitive advantage in a demanding economic environment. Jamaica and the Caribbean region is dependent on Tourism. It is therefore crucial to provide guests/visitors with a first-class experience so that their trip is memorable, and they will become repeat visitors and tell others of the wonderful time they had. Training is the key to empower employees to deliver a first-class service all the time.
The 5 day Community Tourism Hospitality Entrepreneurship training programme is accredited by the UWI Open Campus and is included in the Countrystyle Community Tourism 10 Day study tours to Jamaica.
The Mission Statement for the Countrystyle Community Tourism Network/Villages as Businesses (CCTN/VAB) Academy for Community Tourism (ACT) is: “Develop future hospitality leaders through education and practical training while fostering goodwill and friendship.”
For further information, please contact:
Diana McIntyre-Pike, President/Founder – Hospitality & Community Tourism Consultant/Trainer – tel: 876-5076326
diana@visitcommunities.com
www.accesscommunitytourism.com www.villagesasbusinesses.com www.peacetourism.org www.peacetourism.org/car