Tourism Business Trainer

Project Description

Lend your digital marketing skills to promote community-based tourism in Ecuador!

The Yachay Museum project is a strategic initiative led by Yachay Tech University to preserve and showcase the scientific, geological, and cultural heritage of the northern region. The project addresses the underlying development need for sustainable economic growth in the area by leveraging the university's specialized research in earth sciences, energy, and environment. Although the museum has preliminary exhibits, the project is in its early implementation phase. The museum currently lacks a formalized tourism and outreach strategy to effectively connect its scientific collections with the community and international visitors.

As a Tourism Business Trainer, you will bridge the gap between academic research and community development. Sharing your digital marketing expertise, you and the staff at Yachay Tech University will design a sustainable tourism framework that promotes geological and scientific tourism. By creating visitor protocols, designing promotional materials, and training community members, you will ensure the museum becomes a primary driver for community engagement and economic diversification.

Required Skills

Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or hospitality and tourism.
AND
Three years of experience in tourism marketing and/or hospitality planning and project implementation.

Living Conditions

The Volunteer will live independently in an apartment at or near the university and museum site in a small town located in the Imbabura province. At the university, there will be a computer, high-speed internet, and landline phones available. The Volunteer should anticipate traveling to nearby rural communities to conduct workshops and explore potential tourist routes. Transportation will typically involve walking within the campus or using local public buses and university transport.

Activities

Design and implement tourism marketing strategies and hospitality planning for the museum project.
Conduct specialized training and workshops for community-based tourism promotion.
Apply digital marketing skills to expand awareness and reach of the museum's collections.
Coordinate community-based tourism activities to ensure local involvement in the museum's development.
Support the development of sustainable tourism products based on the museum's scientific and cultural assets.
Document all marketing and training protocols.
Organize final review sessions and a hand-over plan to ensure the long-term management of tourism initiatives and museum's tourism operations.

You may also work on additional projects that meet the community's interests and priorities, such as English tutoring for adults in the tourism industry or digital literacy workshops.

Training

After a 1-week orientation on topics such as health and safety, you will move to urban university campus where you will collaborate with the staff to assess the local needs and develop a work plan in line with their established goals.

Peace Corps/Ecuador will equip you with Spanish language resources and you may work with a tutor who can help you build basic language skills to connect with the community.

Job Highlights

Gain international, sustainable tourism experience in a popular South American destination.
Strengthen Spanish language skills through daily collaborations and interactions.
Make a lasting impact by sharing your skills and strengthening a town's tourism.