The fact that tourists who travel to Bahia can access
high-quality products and services delivered by renowned resorts
such as Costa do Sauípe, Super Club Breezes, Reserva Imbassaí,
Iberostar, Ecoresort Praia do Forte and Vila Galé Mares Hotel
Guarajuba, might be old news.
What makes this worth writing
about are the stories hidden behind the facts. The stories of
hundreds of the people in the region that have had their lives
deeply touched and transformed by such initiatives designed to
foster employment, improve salaries, preserve cultural heritage,
integrate women, and help the development of small producers.
Everyone knows that when it comes to doing business, poor people
can suffer the disadvantages of little or no education and
connections to those who can help them expand their business in the
formal economy.
The ITC programme links local
communities with the value chains of the products and services they
can supply. It works with the communities to help them organize
themselves locally or regionally to improve skills through training
and business assistance. Since its implementation in the region in
2003, more than 2000 jobs were created. The revenue in the
community coming from tourism increased 500% and the attendance in
the local primary schools increased eight times.
The programme is designed to enable hotels and tourists to
jointly contribute to the realization of inclusive tourism. The
results have been impressive. On the one hand, the needs of
tourists are met more effectively. On the other, the local
population benefits directly from the same tourism they once
resented.
Inclusive tourism enhances the experience of the guests who find
it satisfying to know that the same resorts that offer them
international standards of comfort also contribute directly to the
development of the local community.
ITC, with the support of several local partners, encourages
community involvement in value chains, related both directly and
indirectly to tourism. Various developments still under
construction will generate more than 20,000 new jobs in the next
four years. Slowly, villagers are being empowered and the effect of
this in each local family is major. One example of such empowerment
is a cooperative of 60 women that has already been established to
produce uniforms for hotel staff. The number might seem small, but
60 women means 60 mothers and 60 wives who now have a better chance
of raising their children in a more dignified way. The first hotel
school in Bahia (established through ITC support) will annually
train 950 people from local communities and resort staff, enhancing
the base of professional qualifications.
In the agricultural sector, 500 small-producer families are
being offered technical and financial assistance to produce
vegetables for the resorts, with an added incentive to use clean
production technology. Organic agriculture is being supported to
stimulate soil recovery through the use of organic fertilizers
produced from the accelerated biodegradation of the organic waste
generated by the hotels themselves. It also allows in excess of 500
farmers to purchase organic fertilizer at subsidized rates.
A warehouse for agricultural products - managed by a cooperative
composed of 105 stakeholders - has been constructed and is
marketing honey and other organic produce from the region.
Bahia tourism is also looking to promote cultural
entrepreneurialism by sponsoring the development of small cultural
and entertainment businesses, with a view to enhancing the cultural
experience at resorts. This is expected to generate additional
employment and business opportunities for about 350 local
entrepreneurs.
Local sourcing of products related to tourism in Bahia currently
extends to fruit and vegetables, soaps and shampoos, clothing,
seafood, art and craft.
Technical training is also being extended to computer skills and
civil construction services related to resort development.
These developments mean not only an improvement in the financial
resources of the region, but also the chance of a better life for
the local community.