National Guides Online Training on Ecotourism and Biodiversity

The Ministry of Tourism and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon – SPNL conducted a training course on ecotourism and biodiversity, on November 17 and 18, 2020, via Zoom, under SPNL’s Migratory Soaring Birds Project and Homat Al Hima Porgramme. The training workshop comes within the implications of the partnership agreement between the Ministry of Tourism and the Society that aims to develop the capacity of national guides on concepts related to nature protection, biological diversity and the protection of migratory soaring birds. More than fifty five national guides attended the training program from all over Lebanon.

The workshop was scheduled during the national lockdown to decrease the number of Covid19 cases. It was rather a good distraction for all of us, participants and presenters. The participants were very engaged and asked a lot of questions. Their enthusiasm towards nature and the environment was highly visible. They showed a lot of dedication, virtually gathering and discussing subjects that concerns nature and the local community which ensures the needed connection between man and nature. It is important to note that the efforts of the national guides along with the efforts of SPNL would definitely guarantee a constructive positive impact on Lebanon’s environment and natural resources. They are the agents of change within the tourism sector.
The training curriculum and workshop was developed under the Migratory Soaring Birds project, funded by Global Environment Fund-GEF, that aims at mainstreaming MSB concerns within economic sectors such as Hunting, Tourism, and Agriculture; and developing constituency towards positive change for the conservation of MSB species.
The participants received certificates of participation certifying them as MSB friendly national guides.