Keeping it real in Mo' Bay: How the Travel Foundation is encouraging guests to explore beyond their hotels

Creating a new excursion: The Rastafari Indigenous Village

The charity worked with the existing Rastafari Indigenous Village, a short drive out of Montego Bay, to improve the tour experience and meet the standards required for international tour operators. As part of a programme of training for the community enterprise, Tui provided business and customer insights and the village has since been incorporated into its “City and Culture” tour. Other tour operators have also included the village on their itineraries since the improvements were made.

First Man, a founding member and resident of the village, says: “The Travel Foundation opened our eyes to the business of tourism. We thought we knew what we were doing until we got into partnership with them. They showed us how to price our business and provided training, financial and other support for us to sign a contract for the first time with a major tour operator.”

Creating a better attraction: Harbour Street Craft Market
A declining number of visitors to Harbour Street Craft Market meant falling sales, which threatened the livelihoods of the 256 local market traders and exacerbated an issue of feeling “hassled to buy”, which some tourists said they experienced.

To address this, the Travel Foundation has worked with a local agency to provide training and support to 93 traders so far. They’ve had guidance on the types of products tourists are looking for, how to approach tourists more effectively and improve sales techniques, as well as tips for running a profitable business. It is now working on encouraging more tourists to visit the market.

Melody Haughton, Harbour Street Craft Association president and market trader, says: “It has been excellent. The programme touched the very sensitive areas which will improve our business and put Harbour Street Craft Market back into earning.”