Empowering Communities through Capacity Development: The Case of Misfat Al Abriyeen Project

Abstract

Tourism in rural communities has attracted a growing interest from nature and cultural tourists. This has led to the emergence of rural tourism as a socio-economic tool for development. However, some destinations are confronted with problems such as the residents’ lack of awareness or limited understanding of tourism and inadequate capacity. Capacity development is fundamental to achieve sustainability, where communities are well-engaged and empowered to create better opportunities. A local, small-scale community project in Misfat Al Abriyeen, Al Hamra, Sultanate of Oman that transformed idle resources into useful, tourism assets, reveals the significance of community empowerment through capacity development, resulting to local people’s improved source of income, deeper understanding and cultural interactions with tourists and appreciation of community assets. The project plan was administered between April 2014 and September 2015, with an approved implementation period of five years (2016-2021) under the supervision of Ministry of Tourism (MoT). Furthermore collaborative approach between the public sector and local community plays a significant role in the effective imple Mentation of capacity development programmes in rural destinations like Misfat Al Abriyeen.