JOINT MARKETING OF COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM ITINERARIES
The Community-Based Tourism Itinerary Marketing Center, an initiative of the Nhandereko Network, aims to reduce the vulnerability of communities in commercial relations. The Center trains community members to market their CBT itineraries in a joint and collaborative manner.
PROBLEM SOLVED
Reversing the predatory logic of mass tourism is a fundamental premise in the struggle and resistance of traditional peoples, who seek to build a differentiated form of tourism, based on community experiences and life experiences, led by themselves. The insertion of Community-Based Tourism (CBT) products, services and itineraries into the hegemonic and standardized market of conventional tourism chains represents a complex challenge for many of these communities.
Accounting and financial management in the marketing of CBT businesses is still in the process of development among the communities involved in the activity. Marketing strategies focused on market niches, the formation of partnerships with responsible tourism companies, NGOs and universities, as well as the use of social networks, are still in their infancy. However, these practices are essential to strengthen the autonomy and sustainability of CBT initiatives.
SOLUTION ADOPTED
The TBC Tours Marketing Center is a collective management mechanism whose strategy is to connect and strengthen the experiences taking place in each community.
The main objectives of the TBC Marketing Center are: i) to sell tourism services, products and cultural assets; ii) to value the culture and identity of each community; iii) to strengthen the image of traditional communities in society; iv) to improve the income and sustainability of communities with TBC; v) to promote connections between unique tours and products from various communities; vi) to ensure an adequate marketing strategy; vii) to identify spaces for institutional markets and viii) to compete in markets.
The expected results for the communities include the strengthening of cultural identities, contributing to the structuring of actions that reinforce these identities. The Center also supports the political education of young people, enabling them to act consciously and engagedly in TBC activities. In addition, the collection and analysis of socioeconomic data on TBC, with comparisons to conventional tourism in the region, are essential to understanding and improving practices. Finally, the Center seeks to expand understanding of the concept of TBC in other communities in the region, promoting the dissemination of good practices and knowledge.
RESULT ACHIEVED
The Community-Based Tourism Marketing Center (TBC) is in the process of being institutionalized to begin operations in 2023, initially in five communities: Quilombo do Campinho, Quilombo da Fazenda, Aldeia Boa Vista, São Gonçalo and Trindade. The qualification and structuring of existing services, as well as the expansion of collective businesses in these communities, represent a significant increase in opportunities for employing local workers, generating income, especially for young people and women. These ventures are based on the formation and management of their own businesses, contributing to the strengthening of their cultural roots and the maintenance of traditional culture.
In 2017, the proposal to establish the Community-Based Tourism Marketing Center of the Nhandereko Network won a DESAFIO BIG award, standing out as an innovative and promising initiative in the field of community tourism.