Community Tourism ensures an inclusive and sustainable approach in the development of tourism. The training project intervention offers a foundation, on which key community stakeholders recognize the value of their natural and cultural assets, and how they can enhance and mobilize those to produce income, through tapping into the international market (visitors during vacation, as well as post-vacation). This will continue to position communities toward export orientation, due to the foreign exchange earnings developed.
The training intervention is successful in building the foundation, through which further interventions are recommended for it to bear sustainable fruits. Using the model of the ‘Business Model Canvas’, Community members will be empowered to:
- Identify community assets
- Build a value proposition based on those assets
- Identify appropriate customer segments that will find benefit in those assets offered/packaged
- Identify appropriate channels for getting targeted customers
- Identify resources and activities required to deliver on a promised experience
- Identify key partners required in developing a community tourism business
- Understand the revenue and costs involved in a community tourism business
- Understand the importance of clustering and working together to produce an experience
The raw passion and pride of place and country will always be the impetus for a quality destination offering, with people at the centre. Therefore, as a way forward, it is encouraged that the participants continue to receive support in building each element of their business model, through appropriate public-private partnership after the training.
The Countrystyle Community Tourism Network (CCTN) is a community-based membership organization working in partnership with the Villages as Businesses organization (VAB) which is focusing on developing local communities as sustainable business enterprises offering a range of products and services which will enable communities to earn income from these businesses that can include offering community experience tours where local and international visitors can experience the lifestyle of the villages, the people, the heritage, the culture, the cuisine and so much more.
The Community Tourism Entrepreneurship Training has paved the way forward for several communities in Jamaica and the Caribbean that participated and will give them international exposure in the CCTN/VAB ‘pick a project’ and ‘adopt a village’ programmes when submitted..