Why Lebanon Is A Unique Opportunity

An innovative community-based sustainable tourism programme was chosen as DOT’s “NetCorps Lebanon” ICT-based theme.  In December 2003, the NetCorps Lebanon Community Tourism pilot program was launched by Mrs. Bahia Hariri and HE Abdullah Khalil, Minister of Tourism to demonstrate the potential impact, results and profile that ICT could have at a community level in Lebanon.

Key principles guiding the training provided under this theme include: sustainability and benefit to community members; leveraging of technology in the development of tourism within the community; community approach to developing and marketing community tourism assets and; importance of exploiting synergies between national, regional, and local tourism initiatives.

NetCorps Lebanon demonstrates the power of partnership.  We celebrate YMCA Lebanon and Cisco Systems Foundation for their leadership to engage the imagination of partners including Ministry of Tourism, Hariri Foundation, UNESCO, Microsoft, Central Bank, Safadi Foundation, USAID, IDAL, PCA, and Central Bank of Lebanon.

Impact

• To date, the results from the pilot project have been impressive, with a total of 21 interns providing training to 116 participants in five communities (53% women), complemented by the establishment of 4 telecentres.
• In all, some 43 community projects have been assessed, with 15 implemented, including a project concept to coordinate and develop tourism projects at the national level.
• Interns who participated in the project continue to be engaged with the program and some have established tourism-related businesses such as: the creation of a handicrafts website and market (in Saida); establishment of a campsite and marketing of local produce (in Kfardibean) and; organization of a summer/festival and tours of religious/historic sites (in Hasbaya).
  

What's Next

Currently the NetCorps Lebanon program is being designed for national roll-out and interested partners are encouraged to join the team!  The roll-out will support Lebanon’s reconstruction needs and will focus on marginalized groups and communities.  It will develop an ICT-enabled approach to community economic development and empower individuals to build  entrepreneurial skills and small businesses.