Cultural Tourism Program

Cultural Tourism Program

In a brand-new vocational training program by AEI in the academic year 2017-8, 20 participants from the Bethlehem area are supported to find a job in the local tourism sector, both at offices and in starting up a home-based tourism business. The training follows a one-year curriculum of four courses of each 80 hours:

  1. 1.Organizing and accompanying day programs for visitors including the setting up of workshops and small events to show Palestinian culture.
  2. 2.Oral communication with visitors, tourism English, and the effective presentation of one’s personal, family and community stories.
  3. 3.Effective use of Internet and social media in relation to tourism: the appropriate use of Facebook and Twitter, how to update a website and present oneself and one’s business/office to international audiences.
  4. 4.Basic administrative and communication skills in computer use, handling emails, Word and Excel, and financial administration.

The courses are provided by a team of excellent local specialists. There are regular visits of international guest lecturers, and the training will over time include international relations and exchanges.

Among the participants there will be those who want to start a home-based enterprise in the hospitality industry. They will be coached in finding the right combination of services that help them to communicate their stories to visitors. Moreover, a planned cooperative led by AEI will:

  •           raise publicity to the network of businesses and their services
  •           arrange Palestinian (Arab)-type drinks and meals
  •           organize programs for incoming individuals and groups, small or larger
  •           protect quality of services
  •           arrange traveling for visitors, including accompaniment
  •           develop small events for visitors
  •           explore the development and selling of souvenir articles.

The project is supported by the Diozese Stuttgart in Germany and Stichting BVA in the Netherlands.

Contact:

Elias Abu Akleh

For more information about this program, see this brochure