A Dominican delegation consisting of Howard Ambrose, Odile Jno. Baptiste, Marcy Gachette and Najwa Laflouf attended the ‘Tourism Promotion for Developing Countries’ seminar from August 22 to September 11, 2023. Held at the Central Academy of Cultural & Tourism Administration in Beijing, DaXing province, the intense training program examined key concepts, processes, and practices in tourism destination management based on lessons learned in China. Other topics included innovation in tourism, culture and tourism integration, cultural empowerment, heritage protection, architecture, management of sites, cultural (dance and opera) performances, rural and urban development, agro-tourism, ecotourism, tea culture, and the Chinese characters evolution.
The seminar included classroom lectures, interactive practical teachings, visits to museums, and outdoor learning experiences in other regional provinces, such as the UNESCO Great Wall of China. Carefully designed to equip tourism practitioners with knowledge, skills, and tools to integrate tourism with culture, the seminar provided a forum for discussion about important issues such as ‘Ways and Paths of Tourism Management’ and ‘High-quality Tourism Development.’
The seminar also provided an avenue to raise awareness of Dominica’s tourism and culture as presentations and interviews on Dominica’s tourism industry were conducted, highlighting the Nature Island’s many nature-based activities. The presentation also provided location information, how to get to the destination, accommodation options, as well as its challenges.
The three-week seminar was hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and was attended by other officials from Nigeria, Venezuela, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Suriname, Laos, Dominican Republic, Peru, and Egypt.
At the end of the course, the Dominican delegation was able to provide suggestions for the development of tourism in Dominica based on what was learned from the seminar and the activities. The training culminated with the closing ceremony on September 11th.
