MALI

Train the trainer ’tourguiding’ in the province of Mopti (Bankass, Koro en Douentza)

LOCATION	Dogon-region, Mali
PERIOD	2010 until 2012
OBJECTIVE	Implementing a complementary formation (guide techniques, alternative tourism, sustainable development, interculturality, storytelling, etc.) to 52 officially registered travel guides over 3 years (27 guides Bankass, 7 and 18 in Koro in Douentza)
PARTNERS	Office Malien du Tourisme et de l’Hôtellerie (OMATHO) – provincie Mopti ° Karavaan vzw (volunteers) ° ViaVia Mopti (host organisation)

FUNDING	10.000 € (annual), Projectfunding Karavaan & Joker
DESCRIPTION	The aim of the project is to contribute to capacity building in the tourism sector in Mali. The training is organized for officially registered guides, and run in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism (Mopti region). As tourism has strongly developed in the last 10 years, there is a need for improvement in tourism service. A national development plan (schedule manager) was made for the tourism sector, with support from the Worldbank. 8/2010: The first 14-day training for 20 guides took place in August 2010 in Mopti. The participants are local guides from the Dogon region (Bankass), whom usually learnt the principle of guiding by doing. They have been officially registered with the tourism department of the province and their district. The training consisted of a theoretical training on various topics and issues related to sustainable tourism and interculturality, group dynamics, dealing with negative criticism, etc. These theoretical training was supplemented by practical exercises and situation simulations, case studies and role play, in their own working environment.
RESULTS	Outputs: in 3 years 51 to 60 local guides were formed at a rate of 17 to 20 per year. In 2010, 20 guides received a supplementary training. • Product: Cahier du Participant (teaching materials)
CURRENT SITUATION	Project finished.