TECHNICAL & VOCATIONAL CURRICULUM FOR TOURCONSULTANTS IN MOZAMBIQUE
2011 - 2013
Dear readers, By now it is well-acknowledged that Human Development, as the UNDP states, is about creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests. The booming tourism industry, with over one billion tourists crossing international borders yearly, is such possible environment. Or as our Minister of Tourism Geert Bourgeois justly states in his policy: “Tourism is trade. Tourism is Economy. Tourism is Development.” At the time we started this project, in the summer of 2011, President Armando Guebuza confirmed, in a press conference after joining the UNWTO/WWTC Global Leaders for Tourism Campaign in Maputo, that the development of the tourism sector is of major importance to the Government’s agenda to fight poverty in Mozambique. “Given its impact in terms of jobs and income and considering its multiplier-effects in other areas of the economy, tourism has proven to be a sector of high relevance in the socio-economic development of our country”, said President Guebuza. At the ViaVia Tourism Academy we strongly believe that fundamental to integrating tourism as effective lever for sustainable local development, is the strengthening of the necessary human competences and capabilities of both private and public stakeholders so they can develop and secure for the longer term their local conditions of life economically as well as culturally and ecologically. It is within this context that together with our Flemish Ministry of Tourism; the Mozambican Ministry of Tourism (MITUR); the Instituto Nacional Do Turismo (INATUR); the COREP Executive Secretariat; and the Instituto Supérior Dom Bosco we envisioned the implementation of this project targeting the strengthening of the Technical and Vocational Education for Tour Consultants in Mozambique. It is with joy and a certain pride that we share our results in this publication, though we would like to emphasize that for the ViaVia Tourism Academy the end of this project is merely the finishing of a first chapter in a continuing story and we look forward to continue the fruitful collaboration with all partners involved!
Bob Elsen, Director ViaVia Tourism Academy
Persoonlijke ontwikkeling is een mensenrecht! De bloeiende toeristische industrie, met meer dan één miljard reizigers per jaar, vormt een omgeving waarin ieder zijn eigen potentieel kan exploreren in overeenstemming met zijn behoeften en belangen. Het is een motor die bijdraagt tot een verhoogde welvaart, of zoals minister Geert Bourgeois in zijn beleid stelt: “Toerisme is handel. Toerisme is economie. Toerisme is ontwikkeling.” De ViaVia Tourism Academy is ervan overtuigd dat het versterken van de capaciteiten in de publieke en private sector noodzakelijk is om bij te dragen tot verbeterde ecologische, economische en sociale levensomstandigheden. Het is binnen deze context dat we samen met het Vlaamse Ministerie van Toerisme, het Mozambikaanse Ministerie van Toerisme (MITUR) en hun uitvoerend agentschap INATUR, het uitvoerend agentschap COREP en het Instituto Supérior Dom Bosco de focus van dit project gelegd hebben op capaciteitsversterking voor een professionele bachelor voor Tour Consulants in Mozambique. Met vreugde geven we hier de resultaten van de vruchtvolle samenwerking weer. Dit eerste hoofdstuk in de capaciteitsversterking in de toerismesector in Mozambique werd afgesloten en we hopen spoedig een tweede hoofdstuk te mogen aanvangen!
THE CHALLENGE Multiple studies confirm the potential of Mozambique as a world-class tourism destination. With its 2700km of tropical coastline, its variety of ecological systems that are rich in species and a rich historic cultural heritage with Arabic, Swahili, Portuguese and African influences still visible, Mozambique is one of the few countries that can simultaneously offer a diversity of sun-sea-sand, ecotourism and cultural tourism products. With over 2 million international tourist arrivals, it is fair to state that Mozambique is becoming one of the most important destinations in Sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore in 2012 the total contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP was +/- US$ 1 billion (7.5% of GDP). It provided 621.000 jobs (6.7% of total employment) and visitor exports generated around US$286 million (8.2% of total exports) (WTTC, 2012). Although these numbers are indeed impressive, and recent forecasts by the World Travel & Tourism Council show promising, the total contribution by tourism to the socio-economic development of Mozambique could be bigger if certain challenges were tackled: a recent Value Chain Analyses of the tourism sector in Mozambique demonstrated, only between 5%-10% of all consumed tourism packages in Mozambique are designed and developed locally, most of them are produced and sold by foreign or international organizations. A reality which contributes significantly to the well-known “leakage phenomenon”, whereby potential contribution of the tourism sector to the GDP and the creation of employment, is not fully attained due to economic benefits flowing back to origin countries of foreign investors, or never even reaching the destination. In order to enhance this number drastically the Mozambican Ministry of Tourism wants to strengthen competences of existing and future local tourism stakeholders to design and develop tourism packages locally and create access to the linkages between local initiatives and global players, the so-called “tour consulting”.
DE UITDAGING Met zijn 2700km lange kustlijn, gediversifieerde ecosystemen en rijk cultureel erfgoed, is Mozambique één van de weinige landen die simultaan zon-zee-strand vakanties, ecotoerisme en cultuur toeristische producten kan aanbieden. Statistieken bevestigen het belang van de toerisme sector voor de socio-economische ontwikkeling in Mozambique. In 2012 was toerisme goed voor 7.5% van het BNP, zorgde de sector voor 6.7% van de tewerkstelling en genereerde het 8.2% van de totale export. Deze socio-economische bijdrage van de toerisme sector in Mozambique zou echter een stuk hoger kunnen liggen. Momenteel worden namelijk slechts 5-10% van de reizen in Mozambique lokaal ontworpen en ontwikkeld. De meeste reizen worden ontwikkeld en verkocht door buitenlandse of internationale organisaties, wat bijdraagt aan het zogenaamde teruglek-effect. Ten einde dit aantal drastisch te verhogen, wil het Mozambikaanse Ministerie van Toerisme inzetten op capaciteitsversterking van bestaande en toekomstige toerisme ondernemers om toerisme paketten lokaal te ontwikkelen en toegang te creeëren tussen lokale ondernemers en globale marktspelers, het zogenaamde “Tour Consulting”.
THE OBJECTIVES The general objective of this project is to strengthen the Technical and Vocational Education and Training System (TVET) for Tour Consultants within the tourism sector in Mozambique, on three fronts:
1 I The development of a demand-led, competence-based curriculum for the technical and vocational education of Tour Consultants.
2 I The development and implementation of a train-the-trainer course for the “Tour Consultant”-specific modules as a strengthening of the local training-capacity of teachers for this curriculum.
3 I The development and implementation of a hands-on workshop ‘Tourist Experience Design’ for existing local tour operators and professional tour guides.
DE DOELSTELLING De algemene doelstelling van dit project was het versterken van het professionele bacheloronderwijs dat binnen het ‘technical and vocational education training (TVET) system’ valt voor Tour Consultants in Mozambique, op 3 gebieden: 1 De ontwikkeling van een vraag gestuurd, op competenties gebaseerd curriculum voor een professionele bachelor-nabachelor in Tour Consulting. 2 Ontwikkeling en implementatie van een train-the-trainer opleiding voor de “Tour Consultant” specifieke modules ter versterking van de lokale trainingscapaciteit van leerkrachten voor dit curriculum. 3 Ontwikkeling en implementatie van een praktijk-gerichte workshop ‘Tourist Experience Design’ voor reeds bestaande touroperators en professionele reisgidsen.
Met dank aan onze trainers: Manu Minne, Ine Van der Stock en Marc Van der Stock
T H E R E S U LT S OUTPUT: A 1-year vocational curriculum for Tour Consultants was developed, as an advanced education for students who successfully completed their bachelor in Tour Guiding. This level 5 curriculum contains 7 modules of 50 credits in total or 500 class hours. A Train-the-Trainer Training of 80 hours in Tour Consultant Training was taught to 17 teachers. The group of trainees consisted of three teachers from the Instituto Superior Dom Bosco, where Teachers in Tourism are educated; twelve teachers from the Instituto Comercial de Maputo, where Tour Guides are educated, and the President of the Maputo Association for Tour Guides, which organizes workshops for professional Tour Guides. In addition 9 existing tourism professionals were trained during a 3-day workshop in ‘Tourist Experience Design’. Seven of them work as Tour Operator and two of them are professional Tour Guides. The total budget for the project was € 116.266 of which 75% was funded by the Flemish Government. Approximately 70% was used for the development of the curriculum and related didactical materials, leaving 30% for the training of future trainers and existing SME’s or +/- € 1300 per trainer/SME. Last but not least, the Instituto Superior Dom Bosco was also supported through a donation of 10 contemporary tourism textbooks for their library, and also 50 flash USB-sticks, containing all didactic contents of the Tour Consulting curriculum, were disseminated.
OUTCOME: Mozambique has an advanced technical and vocational curriculum in Tour Consulting to strengthen their tourism sector: ➔ With this curriculum INATUR has an instrument to strengthen their procedure for the education and valorization of local Tour Consultants. ➔ The didactical materials form the base for the short term development of concrete local technical and vocational trainings for Tour Consultants. 17 trainers are ready for immediate implementation. ➔ The module for the development and implementation of the curriculum can be multiplied in other regions in a cost-efficient manner. ➔ The national accreditation of the curriculum Tour Consultants by the Ministry of Education has been applied for by COREP (PIREP), in collaboration with ISDB and INATUR.
The aim is to have the curriculum accredited and start teaching teachers by February 2014. Although not explicitly part of this project, the ViaVia Tourism Academy will offer support where necessary.
T H E T O U R C O N S U LT I N G M O D U L E S MODULE 1: PRODUCE A TOURISM PRODUC T
8 CREDITS
A good tourism experience starts with a good tourism product. What are the necessary tools to make a tour? And how can you think creatively and value the places you visit in a tour? It is about market analysis, tour development and brainstorm techniques.
MODULE 2: DESCRIBE AND TELL MEMORABLE STORIES
4 CREDITS
We all live in an experience economy. That is why visitor interpretation is crucial. How can you optimize visitor interpretation by using the right presentation techniques and telling a memorable story? It’s about visitor interpretation, presentation techniques and storytelling.
MODULE 3: CUSTOMIZE TOURISM PRODUC TS TO THE TOURIST ’ NEEDS
6 CREDITS
Each tourist is different and each person’s mood can change at every moment. How can you adapt your tour according to the moods and motivations of each tourist? This module is about customization and adaptation to different moods and motivations.
M O D U L E 4: H A N D L E I N T E R - C U LT U R A L E N C O U N T E R S
8 CREDITS
A tourist may stay in a destination where other cultural norms, values and beliefs are active. Therefore an open and dynamic interaction and exchange between the visitor and the visited is necessary. It’s about cultural insights, cultural encounters and intercultural service design.
MODULE 5: RECOGNIZE SUSTAINABLE IMPAC T IN TOURISM
8 CREDITS
How can the tourism sector take into account the impact of visitors on the ecology, the economy and society without losing the pleasure factor? It’s about the impacts of tourism, sustainable tourism development (people – planet – profit – pleasure) and the added value of sustainable tourism.
M O D U L E 6: C R E AT E M E M O R A B L E TO U R I S M E X P E R I E N C E S
8 CREDITS
It’s all about giving the tourist a tailor made experience that exceeds his expectations. The experience has to be memorable and forms the base for the story tourists tell at home. This module contains tools to make every experience unique! It’s about customer journey mapping, memorable experience tools and the tour canvas model.
MODULE 7: MAKE A SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN
8 CREDITS
The memorable tourist experiences need to be promoted. The use of social media can be of great help. Social Media are easy media for customer service design and for brand management. It’s about social media opportunities, the ‘social’ in social media and conversation management.
D E R E S U LTAT E N OUTPUT: Een professionele bachelor-na-bachelor voor “Tour Consulting” werd ontworpen als een voortgezette opleiding voor Bachelors in Tour Guiding. De opleiding bestaat uit 7 modules met een totaal van 50 credits of 500 lesuren. Een train-the-training opleiding in Tour Consulting van 80 lesuren werd gegeven aan 17 docenten. Zestien deelnemers waren docenten in de toerisme- en leraren-opleidingen aan het Instituto Superior Dom Bosco en het Instituto Comercial van Maputo en één deelnemer vertegenwoordigde de reisgidsen-associatie. Verder namen 9 bestaande lokale touroperators en reisgidsen deel aan een 3-daagse workshop ‘Tourist Experience Design’. Het totaal budget voor het project bedroeg € 116.266 waarvan 75% gesubsidieerd werd door de Vlaamse Overheid. Ongeveer 70% hiervan werd gebruikt ter ontwikkeling van het curriculum en gerelateerde didactische materialen. De overblijvende 30% stond in het kader van de opleiding van toekomstige leerkrachten en reeds bestaande professionelen, wat neerkomt op een € 1300 per KMO/leerkracht. Daarnaast ontving het Instituto Superior Dom Bosco 10 actuele toerisme-handboeken en werden er 50 flash USB-sticks verdeeld met al het didactisch materiaal voor het curriculum Tour Consulting.
OUTCOME: Mozambique heeft een professioneel banaba-curriculum voor “Tour Consultant” met als doel het versterken van de lokale toeristische sector:
➔ INATUR beschikt met deze opleiding over een versterkend instrument in de procedure voor het opleiden en valoriseren van competente lokale tour consultants.
➔ Er bestaat een standaard basis van waaruit beroepsopleidingen voor tour consultants op korte termijn kunnen worden ontwikkeld. 17 trainers kunnen hiertoe onmiddelijk ingezet worden in 2014.
➔ Er bestaat een model voor curriculumontwikkeling en implementatie dat op een kostefficiënte wijze kan geïmplementeerd worden in andere regio’s (multiplicator effect).
➔ De nationale accreditatieprocedure ter valorisering van het curriculum door het Ministerie van Onderwijs werd reeds ingezet en wordt getrokken door COREP (PIREP) in samenwerking met ISDB en INATUR. Doel is om het curriculum officieel door het Ministerie van Onderwijs erkend te hebben en de eerste leerkrachten opleidingen te starten tegen februari 2014. Hoewel dit niet meer binnen de opzet van het project valt, blijft de ViaVia Tourism Academy graag ondersteuning bieden waar nodig.
“As a teacher I will apply almost everything to my students. I will share the knowledge with my colleagues who didn’t have this opportunity.” Farai, teacher in tourism at Instituto Comercial de Maputo.
“I will recommend this to my fellow-students, as this approach is important. We have to think about the DNA of a destination, to know different kind of experiences, to be able to do a SWOT and an evaluation, and to design tours combining all this knowledge. We have to include care/dare/share moments and use social media.”
“I will translate this course to my own course for my students and I will try to apply this methods in my daily work.”
Francisco, student-teacher in tourism at Instituto Superior Dom Bosco.
Muchanga, teacher in tourism at Instituto Comercial de Maputo.
“The workshop is 100% recommended to other professionals. The most important is the focus on the clients expectations and experiences. I will brief my colleagues in the office about what we have learnt. And I will not forget to apply the ‘after-experience’ of our tours.”, Telu, tourconsultant and transport coordinator at Dana Tours, Mozambique
“I was not taking care of what the customer really wanted. I was only looking for profits for the company. Now I will make packages from the customers point of view and take into account their experience before, during and after their journey. I will teach my staff how to do these things well and this will help growing our business.” by Ana, manager of Kyknos Travel Tours, Mozambique
Verantwoordelijke Uitgever: Manu Minne, ViaVia Tourism Academy (Living Stone Dialoog) Geerdegemvaart 96-98 I 2800 Mechelen I T: 0032 475 79 32 10 I www.viaviatourismacademy.com Fotografie: ViaVia Tourism Academy Staff - Realisatie: Frisco bvba Deze brochure werd gerealiseerd met de financiële steun van de Vlaamse Overheid.