Community Tourism — “The Way Forward” — Page 2

Community Tourism — “The Way Forward”

This page preserves the themes and wording of the original 2003 training material, with light punctuation and formatting cleanup for modern reading.

Marketing of Community Tourism

In recent years, questions were being raised globally about the contribution of tourism to poverty alleviation and to local social and economic development. The training material asked a key question: How can tourism become more pro-poor?

Pro-poor tourism focuses on expanding the local economic, social, environmental and cultural benefits of tourism. The programme also noted the World Tourism Organization's 1999 Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the need to move beyond “business as usual.”

Recommended visitor guidelines

• Travel to meet, not to conquer.
• Be culturally sensitive.
• Understand cultures in their own context.
• Do not create barriers.
• Be environmentally friendly.
• Be economically beneficial.

The Community Experience

The original training material described Community Tourism as appealing to visitors and travel agents interested in quality vacations with a strong “community experience.” It emphasized environmental care, preservation of culture and heritage, hospitality, cleanliness, and relationships that could lead to repeat visits and word-of-mouth recommendations.

The Countrystyle Community Tourism Network was presented as a partnership approach to development and marketing, while the Sustainable Communities Foundation through Tourism supported community participation and regional cooperation.

Typical village-tour elements

• A community welcome, often in a private home.
• A village tour with stops that encourage interaction with residents.
• Lunch in a hotel, restaurant or private home.
• Community attractions, culture, heritage and opportunities to make friends.
• Accommodation in smaller properties, farms or private homes when requested.