Building a sustainable future: Training program in agroecological tourism for women in Barinas, Venezuela

Abstract

Training programs are emerging as a unique opportunity to foster empowerment and contribute to achieving the sustainable development goal. These programs should focus on providing women with the tools and knowledge necessary to actively participate in the development of agroecological tourism. The objective of this research is to generate a training program in agroecological tourism for female empowerment at the Manuelita Sáenz Socialist Training Center, Barinas, Venezuela. A qualitative participatory approach was used to identify the needs, interests and expectations of the participants, as well as the characteristics of the rural environment. The analysis units were 50 participants, who were trained quarterly in the areas of adventure tourism guide and administrative assistant, with the purpose of providing empowerment tools in the communities through the tourism engine. The data collection techniques were in-depth interviews and direct observation, using an interview script with open questions. For the analysis of the information, categorization, triangulation and interpretation of the results were applied, using double-entry matrices and content analysis. Based on this information; by combining theory and practice, the program offers participants the necessary tools to design and manage sustainable tourism experiences that promote the development of their communities.