Community-based Lodges Training Programme

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31 Aug 07
31 May 12

Project title: COMMUNITY-BASED LODGES TRAINING PROGRAMME
Country: MOZAMBIQUE	Region: AFRICA
Current status: Ongoing Concluded	Duration (est.)/dates: September 2007 – June 2012
Partner entities: Ministry of Tourism of Mozambique, Municipality of Maputo, Flemish Government, LUPA NGO, SNV Mozambique, UNWTO Themis Foundation
Source(s) of Funding: ST-EP Foundation
Executing Agency: Ministry of Tourism of Mozambique
Main project objective: to consolidate the capacity of human resources in the areas of Limpopo National Park (Massingir) and Maputo Special Reserve (Matutuine), so that local communities can autonomously run the existing community-based tourism lodges (Madjadjane, Tinti Gala and Covane Lodge) and other tourism business opportunities; and to enhance the access of the lodges to the tourism market and the operational capacity of the lodges in relation to the market demand.
Activities:
Activities were divided in various components. Community awareness, tourism management and conservation: Awareness raising workshops were held with over 100 participants. Extensive training involving members of the communities where the lodges are located and small entrepreneurs and members of the communities adjacent to the lodges were carried out on the following topics: English language, management skills, housekeeping, waiters, maintenance skills, tour guiding and conservation. Exchange visits to other operating CBT initiatives were also organized. Product development and marketing: Training centres have been established at Covane and Tinti Gala and a conservation centre has been established at Madjadjane. Various tourism circuits have been designed and promoted in tourism fairs in Maputo and during a fam trip with tour operators. Income generating activities: Training on chicken breeding, beekeeping , handicraft production and were organized (18 courses/ 253 participants/ 142 women). Exchange visits for artisans were also organized.
Main project outputs/deliverables: Enhanced management of the CBT lodges: Community Tourism Committees have been established in each of the locations. In Covane, the Community Committee signed an agreement with a private investor for the operation of the lodge as a joint venture and received technical assistance from LUPA NGO to carry out various improvements in the lodge. The agreement establishes that 90% of the workers will be local. The offer is diversified: The number of visitors to the lodges remains limited. However, since the conference facilities were developed, the lodges have received several groups of trainees and researchers (130 researchers in 2010). In Covane, since the joint venture was established it is possible to organize fishing excursions in the lake. Community members participating in the supply chain and local markets: 14 honey producers (all women) and 12 pineapple producers (6 women) and 20 fishermen are selling their produce at the local market of Ponta d’Ouro and supplying the lodges upon request (e.g. Covane handicraft shop).
Remarks: Over 100 people from the 2 project sites have registered improvements in their situation or managed to develop an income generating initiative.