Kalinagos receive professional tour-guide training skills at the Kalinago Barana Aute

A series of trainings are underway in the Kalinago Territory aimed at developing the capacity, skills, and expertise of local residents who are involved in the tourism sector as well as those interested in developing their own skills for future careers in the industry. The Dominica State College and the Discover Dominica Authority as certified entities are conducting the first session on tour guiding. This project forms part of the two-year Dominica Community-Based Tourism Cluster Project which began in January last year and is expected to end in December 2023.

This project is funded by the Caribbean Tourism Organization in collaboration with the Government of Dominica through the Ministry of Tourism and is expected to cover the overall cost. Ms. Darnel Green who is the cluster coordinator said, “the intention of this cluster project is aimed at providing technical assistance towards the improvement of community-based tourism products and services within two cluster communities in Dominica: the Kalinago Territory and DEOSC (Dominica Essential Oil and Spice Cooperative)”.

The Ministry of Tourism is also now undertaking more proactive steps in enhancing tourism sites and attractions in the Territory. This is done through a new Kalinago Pillar with its own assigned budget, complemented by the ongoing cluster project which is intended to develop products and services in the community.

Ms. Green further stated, “In addition to these efforts, the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance (WINTA) recently concluded a consultancy through the UNDP which was targeted at developing an Indigenous Tourism brand for the Kalinago community. This is a general move towards enhancing the tourism product and marketability and for improving Community-Based Tourism and Indigenous Tourism experiences”.

Participants for this tour guide training were selected through an open call for trainees, persons who were already involved in the sector, and people who needed to renew their certification. It is a timely opportunity for young
Kalinagos to pursue their interest in making a career out of this because most of the tourism sites require tour guides.

Sites such as the Horse Back Ridge, the Centipede Trail, Kalinago Barana Aute, L’Escalier Tete Chien, and more,
need tour guides. However, human resource is needed to help take tourism to the next level. Among the topics to be covered during the week-long training sessions will be: Effective Communication, Flora, and Fauna of Dominica, Kalinago Culture and Heritage, Biodiversity, and Conversation in Tourism, Bird watching, Indigenous Tourism, Customer Service, and Professional Development. The training session will end with an exam, both theory and practical and if successful the participants will become certified tour guides.