C0MMUNITY TOURISM REVIVAL FOR TOURISM
Hurricane Melissa has now provided an opportunity for community tourism to be focused on the planning and upgrading of the communities that are already involved and also those that wish to be included in the community lifestyle experience vacations and tours.
For example, Treasure Beach as the first village to have been selected by the late Desmond Henry as the first community when we branded community tourism in 1978 and Mandeville as the first town. Treasure Beach has developed into a model for community tourism with the dynamic leadership of Jason Henzell and his family and the first Home of Community Tourism together with Mandeville which was recognized by the Founder of the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) Dr. Louis D’amore.
Also, Bluefields/Belmont under the leadership of Keith Wedderburn, owner of the Bluefields Organic Farm and Wolde Kristos, leader of the Birds tours there – both have spearheaded improving and upgrading their community.
Since then, IIPT has formed the IIPT International Community Tourism Network as a model for sustaining communities. We have developed the Community Tourism Entrepreneurship Hospitality training programme which we introduced throughout the Caribbean mainly in Dominica, St Lucia, Grenada, Antigua, St. Vincent, Trinidad, Barbados and St. Eustatius The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) requested us to introduce community-based tourism (which is where the entrepreneurship lies) in 10 Caribbean countries to share our over 30 niche markets to communities to show that tourism can be developed as an additional market besides sun sand and sea. They were taught that Community tourism is community development which is a mindset change required for all countries and even resort and large properties can be involved like Sandals with their Sandals Foundation. Examples of Community-based tourism are ecotourism. Health and wellness tourism, cultural heritage tourism, post office tourism, church tourism, home gardens tourism, sports tourism, graveyard tourism and so much more which opens the opportunities for community lifestyle experience vacations and tours that can be offered from any accommodation.
Since the IIPT branded JAMAICA AS THE HOME OF COMMUNITY TOURISM we requested the Founder of the IIPT Dr. Louis D’Amore to agree to add the Caribbean also which he endorsed and now we are planning a marketing campaign for JAMAICA AND THE CARIBBEAN HOME OF COMMUNITY TOURISM which was scheduled for 2026 but since the Hurricane Melissa destroyed many of our communities in Jamaica, we have decided to postpone it to 2027 and focus on giving support to assist the government, the Diaspora and international organizations and other countries to provide the upgrading information required from communities already involved in community tourism and to attract others to register with the Countrystyle Community Tourism Network (CCTN) Villages as Businesses.
We see this period of rebuilding Jamaica as an opportunity to offer local and international visitors a more diversified vacation experience from any location with all-inclusive, small hotels, villas and homestays. Some years ago, we designed an All-inclusive Community Lifestyle Experience vacation which was for 7 or 10 days and included Mandeville and the south coast together with Sandals South Coast and it was very well received by many visitors. We also introduced ‘PICK A PROJECT’ while on vacation where we attracted 7 groups and had planned to introduce ‘ADOPT A VILLAGE’ programme too which we can now do in 2026/27 to help the communities that were seriously affected by the hurricane.
Jamaica’s infrastructure also more than ever needs improvement which includes roads, bridges etc and well needed is improving our natural environment which includes educating our communities and involving our schools too.
The Institute of Tourism CEO Reza Soltani who is also involved with the IIPT created an International Community Tourism Association and appointed us as the Caribbean chapter representative. All projects and tours can be featured on this website www.ctourism.org/america and includes our website which he created www.visitcommunities.com/jamaica.
Jamaica and the Caribbean being marketed as the Home of Community Tourism includes Community tourism study tours for two weeks will be featuring the 5-day Community Tourism Entrepreneurship training programme certified by the Northern Caribbean University (NCU) Morris Entrepreneurship Centre and visits to communities involved with our Villages as Businesses programme. In addition to this, we will have the official launch of the IIPT/CCTN Community Tourism Youth Ambassador programme led by Britanie Hanson a graduate this month from the UWI in Tourism Management who is our Community Tourism Youth Director whom we have groomed for three years and is geared to take over the leadership with her team of community tourism.
We see great opportunities in marketing Jamaica and the Caribbean as the Home of Community tourism and our Caribbean community tourism partners are interested in giving support to Jamaica and being involved with the planned Community tourism study tours
We would like to thank the University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus for their support in providing certification for the training we offered in the past and Professor Ian Boxill for being our chairman for over three years. Dr Luz Longsworth was very instrumental in this past partnership and is now with Sandals Corporate University.
We have many community tourism partners and Consultants from Jamaica and the Caribbean who are available for implementing contracts for training and development of communities.
Our Destination Management company partner is Asterix Tourism with the dynamic leadership of Mr. Roy Page to market our Community Lifestyle Experience vacations and tours.
We also have Diaspora partners giving support too as we see the Diaspora interested in assisting with community projects development which we will share with them
Here is a quotation from a message written by Tyrone Thompson a Diaspora partner which was very relevant to our mission and vision for community development
Jamaica is a nation of great talent, humour, and endurance. We have come through slavery, storms and hardships before, and we can do it again. But our survival has always depended on unity and faith. Let this disaster remind us that God has not abandoned us – He is calling us to live better, and to build a society where righteousness, not corruption or fear, sets the tone. If we take that call seriously, Hurricane Melissa may yet be remembered not only for what it destroyed, but, for what it awakened in us: a new resolve to love one another and to live uprightly
We look forward to the Ministry of Tourism and the government agencies collaborating with us to develop a renewed Jamaica for community tourism
For further information please contact
Diana McIntyre-Pike, Community Tourism Consultant/Trainer
Tel: 876-507-6326
iiptcaribbean@yahoo.com villagesasbusiness@yahoo.com
Blessings and peace
Diana McIntyre-Pike
Founder/President
Countrystyle Community Tourism Network