A wide variety of clients
Our clients cover a variety of agencies operating in the tourism sector, including national ministries of tourism, tourism boards and business associations, and tourism training institutes. Since their primary responsibility is developing the local or national tourism sector, these organisations are distinctly positioned to bring about enduring changes in the industry from which the poor can truly benefit.

Our clients’ capacity constraints
Although revenue from tourism is the primary source of foreign exchange earnings for most of the Least Developed Countries, tourism revenues in these countries often are rarely shared with those who need it most.

National and local governments often lack the knowledge and experience to involve communities in tourism planning and design policies that contribute to the fair distribution of wealth. Most local communities have little understanding of the tourism industry and lack the capacity for generating sustainable profits and the confidence to work with government to develop policies that are in their favour.

SNV helps clients to overcome these obstacles and to transfer their commitments to poverty reduction into sound policies and effective practical action. We work to strengthen their capacities in policy development, advocacy and service delivery to their members, clients and local communities.

By developing the capacity of clients it is envisaged that:

• tourism businesses will develop more pro-poor strategies (inclusive business strategies); 
• local capacity builders (public and private) will become more capable of delivering pro-poor sustainable tourism capacity development services; 
• women, marginalised and excluded people will be better connected to mainstream tourism activities; 
• new tourism destinations, products and value chains will be developed benefiting the poor; 
• national and local governments will develop and improve tourism pro-poor tourism policies and plans

SNV’s advisory services

Tourism value chain analysis and development
The advisory services which SNV provides include market scans; value chain analysis; identification of investment opportunities; product development; business development services, including market analysis and marketing; and promotion of the business case in pro-poor sustainable tourism - ‘inclusive business’ approach.

We work with tourism businesses and training associations, NGOs, and local communities to improve their capacities in business management, marketing and tourism product development for local communities. We improve their abilities to train local populations in the financial and technical skills to serve tourists through providing meals, tour guiding, building trekking trails, etc.

Assistance to the Tanzania Tourist Board included tour development and guide training for local people in 20 different areas. These tours are now booked by about 20,000 tourists each year, bringing in $500,000 USD annually for the local people that organize the tours.

Policy and strategy development
We support with organisations from national to local levels that are responsible for tourism by helping them to transfer their commitments to poverty reduction into sound policies and practical action. Our advisory services include multi-stakeholder analyses, strategy, policy and legal framework development.

For example, SNV advised the Vietnamese national government in drafting a law that linked tourism development to poverty reduction. We involved the government in a consultative process with multiple stakeholders to incorporate development objectives and local needs into the law. The participatory process helped the government draft a comprehensive law that includes conditions for community participation and creates opportunities for poor people to benefit from the booming sector.

Community mobilisation
Our work in community mobilisation is done primarily with local governments, national park authorities and tourism business associations. We support these organisations in involving local communities in their planning processes and maximising tourism benefits for the local poor.

We advised the Sa Pa District People’s Committee in Vietnam in setting up a tourism centre that not only promotes tourism but also supports local villages in alleviating poverty through profit-sharing. The centre helps villagers form community agreements that place 20 to 30 percent of the village’s tourism revenue into a fund that is used for community services like education and clean water.

Better policies and practices
As a result of our services, clients are better able to design policies and practices that develop tourism in an economically viable, equitable and ecologically sustainable way. All of these elements work together to ensure that not only countries, but poor communities can see long-lasting benefits from tourism. The benefits are not always economic, but often include participatory relationships between communities and government, environmental and biodiversity conservation, and improved living conditions for poor communities.

SNV’s sustainable tourism services are part of our contribution to the worldwide fight against poverty, specifically as it relates to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We work toward eradicating poverty through tourism development that provides employment and income for the poor. Sustainable tourism also contributes to environmental sustainability by promoting a good understanding of the value of biodiversity conservation and providing an economic incentive to protect the environment.