International Institute for Peace through Tourism 1st International Community Tourism Retreat
KINGSTON, Jamaica – The first International Community Tourism Retreat will be staged from June 20-24, 2008 in Kingston, Jamaica at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel under the auspices of the US based, International Institute For Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) in association with the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association (JHTA), the Ministry of Tourism, the Jamaica Tourist Board, the Countrystyle Community Tourism Network, Sustainable Communities Foundation, HEART Trust/NTA, UWI Hospitality & Tourism Institute, Ministry of Tourism, Tourism Product Development Co (TPDCo), Jamaica Trade & Invest, Pragma Consultants, University of Technology, Heather Little-White & Associates, Jamaica Conservation Development Trust, Panos Caribbean, Charles Town Maroons, Walkerswood and other community partners.
The theme for the Retreat will be “Tourism Entrepreneurship – Sustaining and Transforming Communities.” Patrons for the Conference are Mr. Lou D’Amore, President & Founder IIPT, Mr.Jason Henzell – CEO Jakes Village Treasure Beach.
A number of Communities, Community Based Organizations, Non-Government Organizations, Public Sector, Private Sector (Corporate Jamaica), the local tourism industry, special interest organizations, educational groups and International Special Interest Tour operators and travel agents will be invited to participate in this inaugural Conference and Communities Trade show.
In order to prepare participants for the Conference, Trade show, tours and the hosting of delegates in communities, HEART Trust/NTA will conduct a series of training workshops for community members. These workshops will focus on Community Tour Guiding, Team Jamaica, Customer Service, Entrepreneurship and Events Management.
On the prospect of the 2008 Community Tourism Retreat fulfilling its goal of tourism entrepreneurship sustaining and transforming communities, IIPT Caribbean President & Co-coordinator of the IIPT Community Tourism Network, Diana McIntyre-Pike said “this Community.
Tourism Retreat will sensitize everyone to the business of community tourism and give us an opportunity to present Jamaica’s two year community tourism entrepreneurship programme, the Ministry of Tourism’s Spruce up Programme to community representatives here and internationally and allow them to interact with established community tourism entrepreneurs”.
Community Tourism encourages the visitor to discover the appeal of indigenous attributes within a community, along with their local resources and talents.
Through visitor-community interaction, respective cultures are explored, ideas and information are exchanged and new friends are made. Community Tourism fosters opportunities at the community level for local people to participate more fully in the tourism industry.
These opportunities range from establishing bed and breakfast accommodation in a rural home to creating income-generating commercial tourism opportunities for an entire village.
