Geneva, 24 April 2009 - With its desert, its nature reserves, and its 720 km of coastline, Mauritania has tremendous tourist potential that it fully intends to exploit in its efforts to fight poverty.
To help realize this goal, UNCTAD organized a training seminar on e-tourism in Nouakchott, Mauritania, from 26-30 April, for government officials and tourism professionals.
UNCTAD experts presented ICT (information and communication technology) tools that can be used to support Mauritanian tourist services and to prepare a practical action plan for the management and promotion of tourist activities.
The use of ICT and the Internet make it possible to promote tourist destinations, encourage the development of public-private partnerships, and enhance professionals´ knowledge of the various opportunities for promoting, positioning and marketing their services. It also makes it possible to evaluate and select the management models best suited to Mauritania and thereby to raise the Internet profile of Mauritania as a tourist destination.
The seminar trained participants in the use of free software developed by UNCTAD as an entry-level electronic tourism platform. It also helped them to understand the practical issues involved in e-tourism.
UNCTAD launched its e-tourism initiative in 2004 to help least developed countries promote their tourism sectors using ICT. In the case of Mauritania, the aim is to develop an autonomous and customized development model so that tourism can become a growth sector that is economically and socially beneficial to the local population. The "knock-on" effects of a tourism sector managed by and for Mauritanians are potentially significant for reducing poverty and promoting the country´s cultural heritage.
