25/08/2011 | C. Martin
Thousands of informal sector workers in seven developing Asian and African countries are to be given professional tourism training under a new project backed by the UN.
The High Impact Tourism Training initiative taken up by SNV Netherlands Development Organisation will cover Benin, Ghana, Mali and Mozambique in Africa, and Cambodia, Nepal and Vietnam in Asia.
Around 8,000 workers and entrepreneurs will receive vocational training to improve their services and derive the maximum benefits from tourism.
The organisation has received a ?2 million grant from the EU to run the project, in addition to support from the world tourism body UNWTO.
Tourism has been a key generator of employment and revenues in many African nations which have become popular destinations for safari holidays and other adventure activities.
Countries in the developing sub-Saharan region may be able to realise their tourism potential better with greater support from international groups.
The latest initiative is aimed at informal sector workers to enable them to develop technical and management skills and integrate more efficiently with the mainstream.
Copyright Press Association 2011