Umhlangano wokucobelelana ngolwazi wesifunda mayelana nokuphathwa kwendawo okuyiwa kuyo okusimeme nokukhangisa uphelile e-Saint Lucia ngokuzibophezela kwababambe iqhaza ekwenzeni ngcono umkhiqizo wezokuvakasha kanye nokubandakanya ababambiqhaza.
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.
“I-workshop ibaluleke kakhulu. Kunikeza ababambiqhaza ithuba lokubheka ezokuvakasha ezisimeme, ezibaluleke kakhulu ezindaweni zethu nasemazweni aseCaribbean,” kusho uPercival Hanley, umphathi jikelele weBrimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society e-St. Kitts.
"Ezokuvakasha zingenye yezimboni ezinkulu emazweni ethu futhi zinenjongo kakhulu emnothweni wethu, futhi ingenye yezimboni ezikhulayo ezizothinta kakhulu indawo yethu, hhayi nje manje kodwa nasesikhathini esizayo," engeza.
Phakathi nesemina yezinsuku ezinhlanu, ababambiqhaza babelane ngemikhuba engcono kakhulu, okuhlanganisa impumelelo yezindawo ezingaphandle kwe-Caribbean.
Kube yithuba lokuvula amehlo ku-Elecia Myers, umqondisi omkhulu wezokuhlela nokuhlola amasu kumnyango wezokuvakasha waseJamaica, othe manje uzobheka ukuphathwa kwendawo okuyiwa kuyo okusimeme kanye nokumaketha ngendlela enamasu.
“Bengilokhu ngibheka ukuthi ngingazisungula kanjani izinhlelo ezingeni likazwelonke ukuze siqinisekise ukuthi kukhona ukulandela ngaphakathi kwezinhlaka zethu, kanye nangaphakathi kwababambe iqhaza - abanikazi bamahhotela, izindawo ezihehayo, abahlinzeki bezokuthutha - ukuthi bangalufaka kanjani ukuhlelwa kwamasu ngendlela enenjongo futhi ngendlela elinganisekayo ukuze sikwazi ukuyilandela ngokuhamba kwesikhathi,” kusho yena.
Eziqhingini zaseTurks naseCaicos imihlangano ibibaluleke kakhulu ngoba izwe lisempambanweni yezindlela zokuthi lifuna ukuya kuphi mayelana nokuthuthukiswa kwezokuvakasha, kusho uBrian Been, isikhulu esiphezulu sokuthuthukiswa kwemikhiqizo eTurks and Caicos Tourist Board.
"Noma nini uma sikhuluma ngokusimama, sivame ukuncika ohlangothini lwezemvelo, futhi singaqapheli ukuthi kufanele kube nendlela elinganiselayo," esho.
Umhlangano wokucobelelana ngolwazi ufike ngesikhathi lapho izindawo eziya kuzo zibheke kakhulu ukuthuthukiswa kwemikhiqizo, kanti nezinkundla zokuxhumana zishintsha indlela okwenziwa ngayo ukukhangisa ngezokuvakasha.
Phakathi kwezindawo ezibalulekile ezihloliwe kwaba ukusungula izinto ezintsha kwezokukhangisa, ukuncintisana ngendawo okuyiwa kuyo, ukuthuthukisa ulwazi olusimeme lwezokuvakasha kanye nezindlela eziyimpumelelo ekuphathweni nasekukhangiseni izindawo okuyiwa kuzo. Abahlanganyeli bakwazi futhi ukukhipha inqubo yokufunda kuleli gumbi bangena emhlabeni wangempela ngokuya ohambweni lokufunda baye e-Fond Latisab Creole Park, e-Lushan Country Life naseSulfur Springs kanye ne-Volcano ukuze bathole ulwazi lwempilo yangempela.
“Ukuphathwa kwendawo okuyiwa kuyo okusimeme kanye nokumaketha kuyindawo iningi lamazwe esifundeni sethu ayibhekisisa ngokujulile – ukuthi singamaketha kanjani ngempumelelo futhi silawule izindawo esiya kuzo ukuze sikwazi ukuncintisana nomhlaba wonke,” kusho uBonita Morgan, umqondisi we-CTO wokuhlanganisa izinsiza kanye ukuthuthukiswa.
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.
