The recent rural tourism training ended with participants presenting their entrepreneurial concepts and two of the four presentations attracting funding interest from the Antigua and Barbuda Development Bank. The desired outcomes of the workshop was to mobilize the country’s young people while expanding the current crop of tourism offerings; and it was a hit with 30 beginning the week long training and 32 completing it, by virtue of the fact that persons not previously selected to participate showed up on day one hopeful of earning a spot.
“It just goes to show the enthusiasm that we have among our young people and its it’s very inspiring for the future that we have these ideas that have the potential to be developed into viable and sustainable businesses,” said ABDB Operations Manager Julia Wallace, at the closing.
The training actually resulted from the coming together of several key stakeholders. On the ground, in Antigua and Barbuda, this included the Organizations of American States Office in Antigua and Barbuda; the Antigua and Barbuda Development Bank; Young Americas Business Trust – Antigua and Barbuda; the Departments of Youth and Gender Affairs, the Business Education Department - Ministry of Education; the Education and Training Department – Ministry of Tourism; and the Gilbert Agricultural and Rural Development Center. Support was also received from APUA I-Net who provided internet services and the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting who provided the computer equipment used by the participants to complete their projects during the workshop.
Internationally, support came from the Young Americas Business Trust in Washington; MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Cooperation – Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and the Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center (MCTC).
As ABDB’s General Manager, Donald Charles, explained, the training was an opportunity for participants – drawn from the youth demographic, i.e. 18 to 35 age range, and from primarily rural areas – to learn by doing; putting them into a position to create their own income-generating opportunities. Education Director and Youth Director, Jacintha Pringle and Cleon Athill, respectively, the former speaking at the opening and the latter at the closing, spoke of the timeliness of the venture. “The economy has slumped; this prevents business from expanding and employing people on any great scale; however, there is a lot of scope for enterprise,” Pringle said. She challenged the participants to be innovative as they moved beyond traditional tourism offerings. Athill, meanwhile, declared: “There has never been a time in our country’s history when the need to invest in young people has been greater. (They) constitute a critical mass of our communities (and) to ignore (them) would be fatal.” The country, she indicated, must remain resolute in its efforts to bring young people into the national development agenda.
But, of course, what entrepreneurs need, beyond a great idea and planning is investment. “The best thing that can happen to anyone,” Athill said, “is, when they are ready to make a move, the resources and support are available for them to make good the effort.”
Charles promised at the opening, “Once you come up with a good project, that’s viable and sustainable, we will come up with the financial support.” During the presentations at the Multipurpose Centre on the last day, he declared his intent to follow through with the two presentations that attracted his interest – Antigua’s Tropical Winery and Antigua’s Culture Trail. The former envisioned the development of a line of fruit wines in a tourist friendly facility, and the latter combined a rustic and hands- on indigenous cook shop concept with hikes along the less travelled nature trails.
There were four group presentations overall, and all declared that they’d learned – from the experience – steps necessary to successfully execute business ideas; including identifying customer base and possible partners, cost of production and revenue streams, obstacles and benefits, as well as how to draft a business plan and building a relationship with the community. All presentations – including 24-hour spa and daycare ideas – covered these bases and the participants were encouraged to be proud of what they’d achieved in less than a week.
The idea, as well, is that it shouldn’t stop there. “We ask you to take what you’ve learnt and share it with others,” said co-facilitators Rael Goodman and Guillermo Levinton of the Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Centre.
Additionally, Charles indicated ABDB’s intent to follow up with the group, perhaps in the area of costing which he identified as a weakness of the presentations as well as to guide them to further develop their business plans. Given the high interest, it’s almost certain that there will be other rural tourism – or similar – workshops with fresh groups of bright-eyed potential entrepreneurs.
