MINISTRY TOURISM AGROTOURISM INITIATIVE... Friday 30th September 2011
The Ministry of Tourism has joined with the Gilbert Agriculture & Rural Development Centre (GARDC) who is the local partner for the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA) in their initiative to develop information management and partnership strategies needed for policy formulation and implementation.
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA) was established in 1983 under the Lome’ Convention between the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and European Union Member States. CTA’s tasks are to develop and provide services that improve access to information for agricultural and rural development, and to strengthen the capacity for ACP countries to produce, acquire, exchange and utilize information in these areas.
The GARD Centre is located on the historic Gilbert's Estate in Antigua and Barbuda in the Eastern Caribbean. It evolved as an entity from a two year pilot project which was implemented in 1989 as a collaborative effort amongst the MCCA, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)/Canada Training Awards Project (CTAP), and the Government of Antigua-Barbuda. The mission of this pilot project was to train young people in practical agriculture and to demonstrate and promote farming as a worthy and viable occupation.
A brief ceremony was held at the Ministry of Tourism with Sue Evan Wong, Information Officer at the GARD Centre, Ms. Jennifer Maynard, Agrotourism Consultant within the Ministry of Tourism and Mr. Corthwright Marshall, Director Tourism Policy and Planning. Thus, to increase visibility and distribution of its publication which has been designed for farmers, backyard gardeners and entrepreneurs – including those running or developing an Agrotourism related business. These publications have been placed in display cabinets in strategic locations and any person who requires information on any of the books can request them from the GARD centre.
The Ministry of Tourism hopes that this initiative will foster awareness of Agrotourism among its Tourism partners.
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