Formulation Mission – Support to local economic development through the Tourism sector – “Ruta del café”

Detailed description of project Back

During the meeting of the second Commission of Associate Countries that took place in November 2005 in Managua, the Nicaraguan Institute for Tourism (INTUR) presented a request for the financing of a National Programme of Support of Economic Development through Tourism. The request was composed of 4 components:tourism as a factor of local development, strengthening of small food businesses, reinforcement of investment in and promotion of tourism associated with conservation areas and development of rural and communal tourism. The zone of intervention included 6 departments of the centre and north of the country, grouped under the concept of the Tourist Routes of Nicaragua: Boaco and Chontales (“Ruta de las Haciendas”), Matagalpa, Jinotega, Estelí and Nueva Segovia (“Ruta del Café”).

The government wants to bring development through tourism in those regions, where poverty is a major problem and which lie outside the areas where currently tourism investment is concentrated. The project aims at the strengthening of the tourist sector, through multiple interventions of organizational type, support to the local governments, creation of small businesses, financing of service providers, reinforcement of the promotion of the tourist products of the region, support to private investments and training of part of the population.

The Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its department of Cooperation and Humanitarian action, has taken this opportunity to support the tourist sector which represents an import axis of development and source of income for Nicaragua. In March 2006 it mandated Lux-Development for the formulation of a 2 to 4 year project, though limited to the “Ruta del Café” only, and this is the objective of the current mission.

Type of services provided

PROMAN provides the services of an expert in local development with experience in the tourism sector and the development of SMEs.

The main tasks of the expert are :

• Assessment of the current situation;
• Definition of project objectives, targets, and design criteria in consultation with stakeholders;
• Elaboration of a project document.

PROMAN HQ is providing backstopping and quality control.