Montego Bay, Jamaica – Countrystyle Community Tourism Network Jamaica (CCTN) lead by its Founder and President Diana McIntyre-Pike, community tourism pioneer welcomes its satellite group Country Style Community Tourism – South Africa (CCTN-SA) to Jamaica for the first time, this afternoon at Sangster’s International Airport.
The group of approximately 12 professional community tourism specialists from academic, legal, tourism and entrepreneurs, lead by Nikki de Pina, Lead Partner and Consultant and Public Relations Specialist will have an official welcome by the Jamaica Tourist Board and will be met by members of the CCTN Jamaica Administrative team. Additional CCTN-SA members will be arriving on Thursday to join their colleagues. The group leaves the island on Feb 26.
The purpose of the study tour is to learn about the internationally-recognized ‘Villages as Businesses’ Model of Community Tourism, which highlights the village lifestyle built on unique natural, cultural and human capital. Nikki De Pina in anticipation of the trip said “It is our intention to learn about the successful Jamaican Model and to apply it to a South African context… Video clips of the Jamaican Study Tour will be showcased at South Africa’s Tourism Indaba later this year”.
The CCTN Jamaica team has coordinated a full agenda of tours, meetings and presentations during their visit, which begins with a welcome reception sponsored by the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Jamaica Tourist Board and CCTN Jamaica, which will be held at Palm View hotel this Thursday evening.
On Friday the CCTN-SA group attends The Villages as Businesses Presentation in Sky Beach, Hopewell. The highlight of the tour will be the Marcus Garvey Fair scheduled for February 19, 2012 in Resource, Manchester where Mr. Louis D’Amore, President of the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) is the keynote. In addition, the South African High Commission will make welcome remarks. Entry fee is J$1,000; part proceeds goes to Resource restoration project. Residents of Resource receive free entry.
For more information on the tour and Garvey Fair please contact Diana McIntyre-Pike at 876-507-6326 or email: [email protected]
