How Community Tourism Creates Opportunities for Women and Youth

Community tourism provides opportunities for women and youth to gain skills, earn income, and take on meaningful roles in their communities. Today, we’re sharing the stories of two inspiring initiatives within our Global Community Tourism Network that are making a difference.

Train & Travel with Women for Africa: Opportunities for Women in C?te d’Ivoire

In C?te d’Ivoire, limited access to education and employment has left many women economically and socially marginalized. Train & Travel aims to change this by providing women with training opportunities to engage in the tourism sector.

In 2022, they applied for Planeterra’s Global Community Tourism Fund to create feminist walking tours in Abidjan. These tours not only spotlight landmarks influenced by women but also raise awareness about women's rights in C?te d'Ivoire.

Thanks to the grant, the organization successfully launched these tours, involving women aged 18–25 as guides and key community stakeholders. The initiative is fostering awareness of women's rights, engaging local authorities in sustainable tourism, and creating income-generating opportunities for women guides.

The impact is clear: women are becoming more involved in their community's tourism activities, building confidence, and earning income while sharing important stories about gender equality.

Jamao Ecotours: Forging New Paths for Youth in the Dominican Republic

Jamao Ecotours combines the protection of the local environment with opportunities for local youth. Through activities like kayaking, hiking, and canyoning, they provide visitors with eco-friendly adventures while generating income for the community.

A standout offering is their youth-led kayaking tours, but limited equipment was holding them back. In 2023, they applied for the Global Community Tourism Fund to expand their capacity. With the grant, Jamao Ecotours purchased life vests, an extra kayak, and delivered training in first aid and customer service.

This support allowed them to host larger groups, opening up more jobs for local youth and building partnerships with larger tour operators. The ripple effects include steady income for the enterprise and wider community benefits through transportation and meal services.

For guides like Rissatory Matias, a member of the Jamao Ecotours team, these improvements have been transformative. He recalls the challenges of meeting visitor expectations without adequate equipment—issues that are now a thing of the past. In addition to the new equipment, Rissatory has gained valuable skills and connections through the Planeterra Learning Hub’s webinars.

Help Planeterra Create More Opportunities

This holiday season, you can help us support more initiatives like Train & Travel with Women for Africa and Jamao Ecotours. Your donation to our Wish List Campaign will directly contribute to grants and training that empower women and youth through tourism.

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