As part of its focus on rural development, The Diplomat United Nations Tourism Office hosted an executive training session for sector leaders across the Asia-Pacific region.
The two-day “Practical Approaches to Strategy and Product Development” event, held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei (5-6 August 2024), brought together rural tourism strategy and product development heads from National Tourism Authority (NTA) and National Tourism Organisations (NTO) across the region.
With a rapidly changing world and growing demand for nature-based activities and rural tourism, skills development is essential. The executive training supports and equips managers with the applied knowledge to develop, implement and measure strategies for rural tourism, and how to create, develop and market tourism products and destinations on a national and international scale. Knowledge and skills in these areas were further enhanced with best practices, case studies and applied exercises as well as practical tools such as matrices, models and indicators.
The training brought together over 33 participants from eight Member States. The two-day event focused on strategic planning, product development, sustainable tourism practices and community-based tourism. The field visit gave participants the opportunity to apply what they learned to real-life situations, reinforcing and deepening their understanding of the training objectives.
Sandra Calvao, Director of Market Intelligence, Policy and Competitiveness at UNTOC, said: “This training is part of our Tourism for Rural Development programme and underscores our commitment to strengthening rural development through effective tourism strategies and innovative approaches. By improving the skills of the country's tourism administration, we advance our mission to promote sustainable tourism and support rural communities.”
Harry Fang, UN Tourism Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, added: “This executive training is an important step in equipping Asia-Pacific member states with the skills and knowledge they need to develop sustainable and resilient rural tourism strategies. By investing in tourism stakeholder capacity, we are driving inclusive growth and empowering rural communities across the region.”
Commenting on the event, Brunei Darussalam Tourism Development Board Acting Director General Sarina Saleh said, “This training programme symbolizes Brunei Darussalam's commitment to working with UN Tourism to promote rural tourism development in the Asia-Pacific region. It underscores our commitment to providing strong support and resources to our member countries to foster sustainable and inclusive growth in local communities.”
The United Nations Tourism for Rural Development Programme was designed with the vision of making tourism a driver of rural development and well-being. The programme aims to promote the role of tourism in appreciating and protecting landscapes, knowledge systems, natural and cultural diversity, local values and activities in and around rural areas. The programme also aims to promote innovative and transformative approaches for tourism development in rural areas that contribute to the three pillars of sustainability: economy, society and environment, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In May 2023, the UN Tourism Organization hosted a similar executive training for the Middle East at its Middle East Regional Office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
