Countrystyle Community Tourism Information

Introduction - Projects for Community tourism - Social Responsibility - Marketing of Countrystyle Community Tourism - Conclusion

PROJECTS FOR COMMUNITY TOURISM

- A projects handbook is being planned where local and international visitors can choose their project in advance to determine their travel itinerary or while they are in vacation. The is also to provide project resource information to funding agencies, organizations, companies, bankers and private sector individuals of what projects need assistance in kind and financially.

- Pick-a-project and Adopt a Village -while on vacation – this is being marketed successfully through Countrystyle together with the Astra Country Inn, Mandeville, Jamaica at present but it is open to all other accommodation throughout Jamaica and the Caribbean region

- The Clean-Up Jamaica Project which is now supported by the recently formed UNIQUE JAMAICA programme through the Responsible Tourism Committee as the main project for the next three years

MAIN ACHIEVMENTS OF COUNTRYSTYLE and its COMMUNIY TOURISM NETWORK

The five main achievements of Countrystyle are:

a. The training of over 3000 students in Basic Hospitality Skills (85% have jobs locally and overseas) through our Countrystyle Institute for Sustainable Tourism (CIST) which is based at the Astra Country Inn Mandeville. The people that benefit most from this training are the people who fall below grade 9 levels, but given an opportunity to receive training in practical skills in waitering and housekeeping; including a focus on personality, entrepreneurship and patriotism. Due to the success of this programme, we have responded to three communities who wanted to have CIST based with them – one is now in Sandy Bay Hanover and the other is in Morant Bay, St Thomas and this is being done through our NGO and government partners (especially Social Development Commission (SDC) and MPs) Other communities have now requested us to do the same which covers all regions of Jamaica

b. Received J$10 Million through the Sustainable Communities Foundation (SCF) for The Jamaica Community Tourism Project which was funded by the Caribbean HRD Programme for Economic Competitiveness (A CIDA funded project) where we were the Lead Consultants and Trainers. 50 Trainers from every parish in Jamaica have been trained by us and now mandated to sensitize and train others across the island (which is in process)

c. The continuous sensitization of communities and groups across the island in Community Tourism; paving a way for communities to take hold and build their community as a destination which we are promoting through the Japanese concept of the One Village One Product Movement. The most notable among them is the Resource Community in South Manchester. More recently, Old Harbour Bay in St Catherine will benefit now from our community tourism training through the St Catherine Chamber of Commerce
d. The development of the first Community Tourism Public Liability group programme which was offered first to Unique Jamaica and now for any entity wishing to participate in tourism.
e. The Jamaica/Caribbean Home Experience programme which promotes homestays together with the Countrystyle Community Experience vacation.

Social Responsability >>>