TUI Futureshapers Dominican Republic
Almost a fifth of the population in the Dominican Republic aged 15 to 24 do not have access to employment and education, a statistic that is even higher amongst 20 to 24 year-olds. This issue disproportionately affects women, who represent almost two thirds of this group. Regional disparities exist, and the southwestern part of the country presents a higher need for differentiated strategies to address youth unemployment and encourage entrepreneurship as a solution for their inclusion in the formal labour market.
TUI Futureshapers Dominican Republic strengthens the capacity of young people and five sustainable tourism businesses they are running by delivering workshops on legal and financial empowerment, marketing and negotiation, gender inclusivity and environmental impact. The programme also facilitates market links to the tourism industry in the less developed southwestern region of the Dominican Republic.
TUI Futureshapers Dominican Republic empowers and strengthens youth entrepreneurship by supporting the growth of five youth-run businesses. These tourism enterprises, called Eco Routes, support a lower carbon, inclusive economy by offering sustainable tourism experiences.
The programme provides the 80 people working in the five Eco Routes projects with technical support, which includes multiple workshops on environmental education, life skills, female leadership, legal advice and tax issues. Additional learning objectives covered by the workshops include knowledge on the development, establishment and positioning of a brand, the expert usage of social networks and promotional strategies. Through the programme, the Eco Routes leaders strengthen their skills in negotiation, savings, communication and decision making with a gender focus, which is a key component to break the existing male-dominated gender norms.
TUI Futureshapers Dominican Republic also creates links with existing hotels in the area and an understanding of how best to develop these partnerships, since the Government declared the southwestern region as a priority for tourism development in the coming years and infrastructure development has already started here.
The programme also covers the presentation of the Eco Routes to 320 people including community leaders as well as local governments and institutions. The conclusion of the project coincides with the creation of four additional Eco Routes to provide further employment and growth opportunities for young Dominicans within the tourism industry.
Project Partner
Plan International is an international development organisation working in over 80 countries worldwide to support vulnerable children, with a particular focus on equality for girls and young women. With the support of thousands of sponsors, companies and (institutional) donors, Plan International works to improve the lives of children and young people on a global scale.
