Author: SolimarInt

Destination Video Launch for San Andrés, Colombia

Written by SolimarInt on . Posted in Tourism Marketing.

Solimar, in conjunction with the National Geographic Society Maps Division, recently wrapped up work in the Colombian archipelago of San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina. The Geotourism program focused on improving market access for small and medium sized tourism businesses on the islands by sharing and promoting the stories of local people and the unique attractions of the islands.

Even though the project is over, we’ve reached a new milestone!

We are pleased to announce the launch of a brand new destination video, featuring local voices from San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina that tell the stories of their islands.

The video, created by project partner Gregg Bleakney gives a breathtaking overview of the region, and most importantly, introduces the viewer to the region from a local perspective- an aspect that makes it unique among most destination videos.

This destination video reflects the very important work the Geotourism program implemented in the Colombian archipelago, prioritizing and working with local communities, and making them the focus of sustainable tourism development in the region.

THE ARCHIPELAGO

The archipelago lies in the heart of the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, one of the world’s largest biosphere reserves. Given this location, there are myriad activities and attractions for tourists; yet due to environmental problems, high population density, and increasing poverty, the region has struggled in recent years. As tourism was identified as a key component to the stimulation and revival of the local economy, our challenge was to enhance the archipelago’s tourism offerings in a sustainable manner, incorporating preservation of local environments, cultures, traditions and people by improving market access for local businesses and tourism stakeholders to the tourism sector.

To this end, the video does a fantastic job of highlighting the people and places that make the archipelago and its environment so special. By combining the songs and voices of the people with beautiful, iconic imagery, the viewer gets a great sense of what the island has to offer.

SOLIMAR AND THE GEOTOURISM PROJECT

Solimar’s main role in this project was contributing to the creation of a National Geographic cobranded Geotourism website that would act as a platform for local businesses and vendors to tell their stories and select key messages, attractions, and experiences in the region to convey to potential visitors. The Geotourism website not only increased the number of visitors to the region, it also attracted the type of visitors most likely to enjoy the cultural and natural experiences of the archipelago.

After building the website, Solimar and its partners came up with a marketing strategy and targeted key travel markets that would be interested in the region. Aside from social media and online campaigns, a key component of this marketing strategy is this video, which has just been finished up and can be viewed right here:

THE DESTINATION VIDEO

As we have seen, videos have become more and more important to destination marketing campaigns and brand recognition. A 2013 study by Google reveals videos influence the choice of next travel destination of 63% of leisure travelers and 66% of business travelers. See the graphic below on how the travel funnel works, and the significant role videos play in the initial steps of the process.

The video tells the unique story of the locals and what they love most about their region through a combination of stunning visuals and beautiful audio. It stays in line with the theme of the campaign, conservation and preservation, while effectively marketing the magnificence of the location and its attractions to potential visitors, like the beaches, scuba diving, food, and music. It successfully conveys the authentic sense of place of the region and stands out from the advertisements you see everyday.

We’re convinced to go, how about you?

Workforce Development and Training in Chocó, Colombia

Written by SolimarInt on . Posted in Training & Education.

In today’s highly competitive global marketplace, it is difficult for destinations to compete without a well-trained workforce capable of delivering quality experiences for visitors. This is especially true when developing sustainable tourism in remote destinations—which is a challenging task. Engaging in sustainable practices requires a relatively high level of education and residents of remote destinations often lack adequate resources for education and proper training.

What does tourism training/workforce development look like on the ground? Let us look at a project Solimar finished earlier this year in the Chocó Department of Colombia to better understand the implementation of workforce development in sustainable tourism enterprises.

About the Project

In December of 2012, Solimar International was contracted to conduct a thorough destination assessment of Nuquí and Bahia Malaga, Colombia. The assessment identified two major weaknesses: lack of organizational and business capacity and insufficient marketing outreach. Then in November 2013, Solimar International was again contracted to address these weaknesses. This was part of an ongoing project funded by USAID called Biodiversity – Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (BIOREDD+).

A series of strategies and techniques were then enacted and implemented to address the lack of organizational and business capacity in 4 community tourism enterprises (CTEs). To build capacity Solimar conducted a tourism operations and management training course in each of the 4 CTEs. Prior to the first course, a baseline evaluation was held to serve as a benchmark for further assessments. The first course covered:

  • Introduction and Roles and Responsibilities
  • Financial Planning
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Personnel Management and Client Satisfaction
  • Emergency Action Planning
  • Conflict Management
  • Sustainable Tourism Best Practices

Following the course, a second evaluation was conducted to evaluate incremental increased capacity. When not in session, Solimar Sustainable Tourism Training Specialist Lucia Prinz traveled to the four CTEs, aiding them in implementing their new skills in day-to-day operations. Lastly, a final exam was conducted to evaluate the overall achievement of the training course since the baseline assessment. Participants were given quizzes and an exam to test their increased knowledge as a result of the course. On each of the tests, participants outperformed the previous exam’s average.

Workforce Development Methodology

The Chocó Department of Colombia is one of the poorest departments of Colombia with 70% of the population living in extreme poverty. Solimar’s training methodology has been developed and revised over the years to best target informally educated learners. One important aspect of this methodology is constant monitoring and evaluation. Solimar recruited an intern to assist in the implementation of the newly acquired business operations and marketing skills. The intern also developed evaluation worksheets to gauge the CTE’s increased capacity. The results of these evaluations found that capacity increased in each of the 13 indicators used to measure the project’s progress.

The training courses mentioned above directly resulted in an increased business and organizational capacity which led to increased visitation to the area. Workforce development meant stronger economic growth, increased productivity, and expanded employment opportunities. This goes to show that the competitiveness of the tourism industry in an area rests ultimately on the capacity of its people to support it through their skills and enterprise.

Solimar Begins Work With The Great Himalaya Trail In Nepal

Written by SolimarInt on . Posted in Tourism Marketing.

In late 2014, Solimar International began working with the Great Himalaya Trail (GHT) in Nepal.  The GHT is a network of trails that currently span across the Nepali Himalayas. The experiences offered along these trails are rough, but unforgettable. Trekkers are afforded spectacular views of the most breathtaking mountain range on earth, they have meaningful exchanges with Nepali people and push their own physical limits in some of the world’s most challenging trails.  The GHT also seeks to promote responsible tourism in Nepal, and is used to unite the trekking industry around this concept.

Nepal is on the bucket list of most adventure travelers, specifically, the Everest Base Camp Trek, which is accessible but adventurous and provides a glimpse of one of the world’s great natural wonders. As a result, most tourists to Nepal visit the same well trodden destinations. The GHT encourages tourists to get out and explore the rest of the mountain range, which stretches across the entire country.

The GHT is currently being managed by the Samarth-Nepal Market Development Project, which is funded by DFID and contracted to Adam Smith International. They inherited this tourism product from a former DFID project and needed support from tourism experts to help transition the GHT to new management.

Management of the GHT comprises several components, namely product development, marketing and trail management.

Solimar was initially asked to focus on GHT tourism branding, a destination assessment and identify an organization to take over the GHT website. During this contract period, our team traveled to Nepal and met with GHT stakeholders from associations, tour operators, guides and government organizations. We provided Samarth-NMDP with seven possible scenarios for moving forward.

We were delighted to renew our contract with Adam Smith for 2015, and in the coming year Solimar will be working with GHT stakeholders to build a fresh website for the GHT, including compelling content for social channels and support the transition to a new management structure.

The GHT has the opportunity to be a truly iconic product for Nepal: it provides both a base for activities and a unifying concept for the variety of attractions the destination has to offer. It exemplifies the concept of site doing, not site seeing. Solimar is looking forward to working with Samarth-NMDP in 2015 to help the GHT realize its full potential.

Celebrating World Tourism Day 2014—Why Tourism is Important in Today’s Economy

Written by SolimarInt on . Posted in Tourism Development.

At Solimar we are often confronted with the question, “Why tourism?” How do our driving passions, sustainable economic development and conservation, fit with the tourism industry?

The answer is simple. Tourism is one of the largest and fastest-growing economic sectors in the world. When developed responsibly, tourism is a powerful tool for promoting economic and social development on local, national, and regional levels. World Tourism Day (WTD), sponsored by the UNWTO, is celebrated every year on September 27th to highlight this social, cultural, political, and economic value.

This year, official WTD celebrations are being held in Guadalajara, Mexico and focus on the theme of Tourism and Community Development—exploring the ability of tourism to empower local communities with skills and resources that create positive social change. For tourism to drive community development it must be done sustainably: economically, environmentally, and socio-culturally.

According to the WTD website:

With the special focus on the community, WTD 2014 highlights how tourism can be conducive to advancing sustainable development from the grassroots level. Community based tourism involves the local population in the decision making process according to local priorities. The opportunity to become part of the tourism value chain actively involves host communities in the development process. Tourism thus becomes a catalyst of social cohesion, going beyond the immediate impact of job creation and its positive economic consequences and enhances, for instance, local governance capabilities which multiply the tourism impact even further.

You may be wondering how large the tourism sector actually is. Take a look at some of the figures:

The sector is growing in all regions of the world,

‘International tourist arrivals increased by 5% worldwide in 2013, reaching 1087 million’

  • Myanmar’s tourist arrivals increased by 52%
  • Peru’s tourist arrivals increased by 11%
  • Morocco became the 1st African country to have surpassed 10 million international arrivals

This growth is especially evident in developing countries.

‘The market share of emerging economies is expected to reach 57% by 2030, equivalent to over 1 billion international tourist arrivals.’

Tourism is the leading export in over half of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). No other industry commands this kind of impact. Sustainable community-based tourism presents a unique and lucrative way to tackle incredibly difficult development goals in LDCs. Tourism is a labor-intensive industry, which means job creation in areas where tourism is being developed. Sustainable tourism also creates economic value for wildlife, culture, and natural resources which, in turn, incentivizes their protection. Job creation means reduced migration (from rural to urban areas) which contributes to overall political stability in an area.

The full potential of tourism’s transformative power can only be reached with everyone’s participation. The conscious traveler must be a sustainable one.Tourism’s major role in economic, social, and sustainable development gives us all important parts to play. That’s why we do what we do.

Solimar wishes everyone a happy World Tourism Day!

Myanmar Investment Outreach Forum with Don Hawkins

Written by SolimarInt on . Posted in Tourism Development.

On September 24th, Solimar International Chairman Don Hawkins was a panel speaker at the first Myanmar Investment Outreach Business & Investment Forum, held in New York City. The event, which was headed by Myanmar Minister at the President’s Office U Soe Thane, was organized to promote and encourage foreign direct investment in the Southeast Asian country, which is undergoing significant political and economic reform. The panel convened to discuss a myriad of topics across all sectors of the Myanmar economy.

Dr. Hawkins’ panel was asked about Myanmar’s tourism sector. After opening its doors in recent years for the first time in decades, Myanmar shows promise in becoming a major tourism destination. The Minister of Hotels and Tourism, Htay Aung, announced foreign tourist numbers have been steadily rising, up from 800,000 in 2011 to about 2 million in 2013. Such a surge in visitors has put a blatant strain on the industry, which suffers from a lack of development and infrastructure.

With such great potential, how can the sector become a pillar of the economy?

Dr. Hawkins emphasized investment. Myanmar’s international visitor arrivals are growing at about 46% a year, and in the first five months of 2014 tourism generated US$ 552 million. This figure is expected to easily surpass $1 billion by the end of the year. This is fast growing tax base which should be used to finance investment in health, education, and infrastructure, Dr. Hawkins explained.

Another important aspect Don pointed out was the industry’s high labor intensity. The tourism sector is forecasted to create over 1 million new jobs in Myanmar by 2020. The sector’s growth is poised for success, Dr. Hawkins explained, because of its foundation. The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism is one of the few ministries to have prepared a sector master plan, which lays out strategies and actions focusing on poverty alleviation, community involvement, environmental protection and good governance.

How does the country implement sustainable tourism, retaining the profits while adding value for the international players involved?

In addressing the development of sustainable tourism, Dr. Hawkins was keen to call attention to the Smithsonian Institution’s involvement in Myanmar. The Smithsonian Institution has joined the Ministry of Environmental Conservation & Forestry (MOECAF), UNDP, and Green Economy Green Growth Myanmar (GEGG) to organize a stakeholders workshop—“Building the Foundation for Natural Resources Stewardship for Sustainable, Inclusive and Equitable Development: Towards a Ten-year Strategy Framework (2015-2025)”. This workshop, which brought together Myanmar environmental NGOs and international NGOs, aims to develop a national plan for natural resource management and begin a targeted program for expanding and managing protected land and seascapes. This workshop is just one of many that are being held with regional and international stakeholders in the pursuit of sustainable development.

Over 350 people participated in the Myanmar Investment Forum, almost 150 more than expected. Such turn out reflects the promise and buzz around Myanmar’s potential.  Phyo Wai Yar Zar, chairman of the Myanmar Tourism Marketing and joint secretary of the Myanmar Tourism Federation, recently announced the possibility of a “Visit Myanmar” promotion year in 2016. The tourism sector is growing rapidly and shows no signs of slowing down. Sustainable development of the sector will be of utmost importance moving forward to ensure continued success.

“We rely confidently on Solimar's deep technical experience and professionalism as tourism consultants. You always are exceeding our expectations.”
Leila Calnan, Senior Manager, Tourism Services Cardno Emerging Markets
More testimonials

Contact us

  • Address

    641 S Street NW, Third Floor
    Washington, DC 20001

  • Phone

    (202) 518-6192

  • Email