The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Tourism Development Corporation(TDC) held a Community-Based Tourism workshop at the University of The Bahamas (UoB) in a bid to create more entrepreneurial opportunities.

Under the theme, Empowering Bahamians, Encouraging Entrepreneurship, the corporation and university teamed up to develop a business model for community-based tourism throughout The Bahamas.

“It’s all about entrepreneurship and creating entrepreneurs within the community that are going to benefit from what assets there are in that community,” the corporation’s executive director, Janet Johnson, said.

“It’s bringing enlightenment in the community, and showing a new and refreshed face to tourism, and going into those heritage communities such as Fox Hill, Bain and Grants Town, Adelaide and looking for the assets that they have and trying to get people to understand that those are what people want to see.”

Dr Vikneswaran Nair, UB’s professor of sustainable tourism, who has experience in spearheading the development of rural tourism in south-east Asia, made a presentation on the issue and its implications for development in Bahamian communities. His presentation was followed by a “question and answer” session.

“The biggest take away is that we need to take a step-by-step approach. We have to first prepare the community for what tourism is all about, then we develop the product and, in the final stage, we do all we can to sustain the product,” Dr Nair said.

“I see the interest that is coming out of this programme. I think if you give young people the opportunity, they can be more innovative than their parents. We need the youth to be a part of this thrust toward community-based tourism.”

Ms Johnson said plans are under way to launch community-based tourism pilot workshops in two communities: Bimini and Bain Town. Similar workshops will be rolled out in other islands of The Bahamas.

“We have to have the toolkit that would be adapted for The Bahamas and each individual island because their characteristics are all so different. It’s going to be a labour of love, and we are going to enjoy the deep dive that we have to do to come up with the formula that’s going to work for The Bahamas,” she said. “TDC is ready to get on with the work that’s required.”