Executive Training for the Middle East Region on “Tourism for Rural Development: A Practical Approach to Strategy and Product Development”

Executive Training for the Middle East Region on “Tourism for Rural Development: A Practical Approach to Strategy and Product Development”

UNWTO Regional Office for the Middle East, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - from 8 to 10 May 2023.

As part of the Tourism for Rural Development Programme, this first Executive Training for the Middle East region on “Tourism for Rural Development: A Practical Approach to Strategy and Product Development” addresses the underlying needs of member states for continuous skills development, ensuring up to date learning, adaptation, and innovation.

Its main objective is to support and provide technical-level managers with practical knowledge to develop, implement and measure a strategy on rural tourism and on how to create, develop and market tourism products/destinations at a national and international scale.

Executive Training for the Middle East Region

Provisional Programme

Monday, 08 May 2023 : Strategic Planning
09:00 – 09:15

Welcome remarks (online from UNWTO Headquarter)

  • Ms. Zoritsa Urosevic, Executive Director
  • Ms. Sandra Carvão, Chief of Tourism Market Intelligence and Competitiveness Department
  • Ms. Basmah AlMayman, Regional Director for the Middle East
09:15 – 09:30

Presentation of the training programme

  • Dr. Jad Abou Arrage, Training Instructor
09:30 – 11:00

Session 1: Strategic Thinking Applied in tourism

11:00 – 11:30
Coffee Break
11:30 – 13:00

Session 2: Design Thinking applied in tourism

13:00 – 14:00

Lunch

14:00 – 15:30

Session 3: Sustainable rural tourism planning processes: From theory to practice

15:30 – 16:00

Coffee break

16:00 – 17:30

Session 4: Rural tourism strategies: implementation and performance indicators

17:30 – 18:00

Wrap-up and evaluation

Tuesday, 09 May 2023: Product development
09:00 – 10:30

Session 5: Development of tourism products and experiences

10:30 – 11:00

Coffee break

11:00 – 12:30

Session 6: Rural tourism products and experiences: Specificities and particularities  

12:30 – 13:30
Lunch
13:30 – 15:00

Session 7: Marketing and promotion of rural tourism products

15:00 – 15:30

Coffee break

15:30 – 17:00

Session 8: Local community engagement and empowerment through community-based tourism

17:00 – 17:30

Wrap-up and evaluation

Wednesday, 10 May 2023: Applied knowledge
09:00 – 11:00

Preparation of assignments (individually and/or by group)

11:00 – 11:30

Coffee break

11:30 – 12:30

Presentation of assignments

12:30 – 13:30
Lunch
13:30 – 14:30

Open discussion: exploring future opportunities for collaboration

  • UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development team and participants
14:30 – 15:30

Evaluation and distribution of certificates

Closing

19:00 – 23:00

Desert Experience - to be confirmed