Warsha ya kikanda juu ya usimamizi endelevu na uuzaji wa marudio imemalizika huko Saint Lucia na kujitolea na washiriki kuboresha bidhaa ya utalii na ushiriki wa wadau.
The 27-31 March workshop, organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and the United Nations agency, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), brought together 26 stakeholders in the tourism industry from 12 CTO member countries to explore ways to make their destinations and the region more globally competitive.
“Warsha hiyo ni muhimu sana. Inawapa wadau fursa ya kuangalia utalii endelevu, ambao ni muhimu sana kwa wilaya zetu na nchi za Karibiani, "alisema Percival Hanley, msimamizi mkuu wa Jumuiya ya Hifadhi ya Kitaifa ya Brimstone Hill huko St. Kitts.
"Utalii ni moja ya tasnia kuu kwa nchi zetu na ina maana sana kwa uchumi wetu, na ni moja ya tasnia inayokua ambayo itaathiri sana eneo letu, sio sasa tu bali hata katika siku za usoni," akaongeza.
Wakati wa semina ya siku tano, washiriki walishiriki mazoea bora, pamoja na mafanikio ya maeneo ya nje ya Karibiani.
Ilikuwa ni kufungua macho kwa Elecia Myers, mkurugenzi mwandamizi wa upangaji mkakati na tathmini katika wizara ya utalii ya Jamaica, ambaye alisema sasa ataangalia usimamizi endelevu wa uuzaji na uuzaji kwa mwangaza zaidi wa kimkakati.
"Nimekuwa nikitazama jinsi ninavyoweza kuanzisha mifumo katika ngazi ya kitaifa kuhakikisha kuwa kuna ufuatiliaji ndani ya mashirika yetu, na ndani ya watendaji wetu - wauzaji hoteli, vivutio, watoa huduma za usafirishaji - jinsi ya kuingiza mipango ya kimkakati kwa maana zaidi na njia inayoweza kupimika ili tuweze kuifuatilia kwa muda, ”alisema.
Kwa Visiwa vya Turks na Caicos vikao vilikuwa muhimu sana kwa sababu nchi iko njia panda ni wapi inataka kwenda katika suala la maendeleo ya utalii, alisema Brian Been, afisa mwandamizi wa maendeleo ya bidhaa katika Bodi ya Watalii ya Turks na Caicos.
"Wakati wowote tunapozungumza juu ya uendelevu, huwa tunategemea upande wa mazingira, na hatutambui lazima kuwe na njia nzuri," alisema
Warsha hiyo ilikuja wakati ambapo marudio yanazingatia zaidi maendeleo ya bidhaa, na media ya kijamii inabadilisha jinsi uuzaji wa utalii unafanywa.
Miongoni mwa maeneo muhimu yaliyochunguzwa ni uvumbuzi katika uuzaji, ushindani wa marudio, kukuza uzoefu endelevu wa utalii na mifano bora katika usimamizi wa marudio na uuzaji. Washiriki pia waliweza kuchukua mchakato wa kujifunza kutoka kwenye chumba hiki na kwenda kwenye ulimwengu wa kweli kwa kwenda kwenye ziara za kusoma kwenda Fond Latisab Creole Park, Maisha ya Nchi ya Lushan na Sulphur Springs na Volcano kwa uzoefu wa maisha halisi.
"Usimamizi endelevu wa uuzaji na uuzaji ni eneo ambalo nchi nyingi katika mkoa wetu zinaangalia kwa umakini - jinsi ya kuuza kwa ufanisi na kusimamia maeneo yetu ili tuweze kuwa na ushindani wa ulimwengu," alisema Bonita Morgan, mkurugenzi wa uhamasishaji wa rasilimali na CTO maendeleo.
The executive training workshop was organized by the CTO and the UNWTO through its Themis Foundation, and was held in collaboration with the Saint Lucia ministry of tourism and the board of tourism.
“This UNWTO/CTO workshop main objective was to constitute a participative platform where we all could share experiences and knowledge as well as instruments that can be applied back in participants’ countries, institutions, businesses and destinations. And I believe we have achieved that objective by bridging theory and practice in a very participative workshop,” said Alba Fernández Alonso, the course coordinator at the Themis Foundation, the entity responsible for implementing the UNWTO’s education and training program.
