Share your Story with Tourism Mobile Apps

The CES team works with indigenous and rural communities across Canada and abroad to develop unique community economic development opportunities using tourism as a catalyst. In this age of technology, linking traditions with technology has become a critical aspect of community-based tourism development.

CES's TechTours™ is a downloadable tourism app for smartphones that provides an interactive storytelling experience using audio, video, Augmented Reality (AR) and GPS triggered technologies. The stories are captured on the ground by community Elders, leaders, youth ambassadors, and local guides, creating ownership and community pride. The stories are the foundation of the product and it is enhanced by innovative technology.

Contact CES for more details at  1-877-444-5550  or at ces@cesclients.com.

Pando Terra - A Holistic Approach to Sustainable Tourism Development

Pando Terra™ uses 7 holistic elements to create an organic approach to implementing sustainable community development. Pando Terra™ - loosely translated from Latin, means ‘to spread earth’. It represents the root for development by way of community initiatives and projects; encouraging community advancement, and assisting people with keeping clear, concise objectives.

Pando Terra™ is both a planning and implementation process that strives to be in harmony with local traditions and ‘on the ground’ realities. It helps to guide organizational structure and create accountability within a dynamic process. Pando Terra™ includes seven critical elements that link to one common goal for sustainability.

CES has been working with Aboriginal communities across Canada in developing Pando Terra™ Community Tourism Plans. Following the same approach and principles described above, these Plans focus primarily on tourism development initiatives, ranging from training programs, partnership opportunities to community infrastructure requirements.

We have worked with:

• The Cree Nation of Nemaska
• The Cree Nation of Ouje-Bougoumou
• The Cree Nation of Wemindji
• Great Spirit Circle Trail and the Aboriginal Tourism Ontario Strategy
• The Cree Outfitting and Tourism Association

These communities and organizations have benefitted from an integrated approach to developing tourism. They've been provided with an in-depth plan that is practical, easy-to-use and flexible over the long-term. The plans created are in tune with local realities and respect the community's culture and traditions.


We have also completed Pando Terra Go Forward Plans for the following communities:

• Chippewas of Georgina Island
• Sto:lo Nation
• Metlakatla First Nation
• Bear River First Nation
• Kitselas First Nation

In these Go Forward Plans we conducted an initial assessment and resource inventory of the community's tourism opporunities and provided a concise Go Forward Action Plan to set direction for tourism development.

If your community is looking towards tourism as a sustainable economic development initiative you can get started by completing a concise Go Forward Plan Action Plan, or a more in-depth Communtiy Tourism Plan. Contact Jessica at 1-877-444-5550 or jessica@cesclients.com.

Press Release: Innovative Community-Driven Engagement Services for Indigenous Communities & Industry

July 31^th, 2012, Toronto – CES, a leading provider of community engagement services and sustainable community development, today announced the launch of their new ‘Community-Driven Engagement Services’ for indigenous communities considering partnerships with the resource extraction sector. 

Indigenous communities across Canada and abroad receive a constant flow of resource extraction companies knocking at their door. Relationships between communities and companies can be fragmented and there is often a lack of cultural understanding. This inspired CES to develop community engagement services that work towards creating a sustainable relationship between communities and companies alike.

CES recently worked with Teck Resources Ltd., to develop a beta-testing model for a mobile app that provides access to two-way transparent communication and support between communities and resources extraction companies. Ray Proulx, Teck Community Liaison for the Northeast BC region, spearheaded the project by acknowledging the need to create an accessible open dialogue between Teck and the communities they work with.  From working side by side with Teck’s Community Liaisons and community leaders, CES became familiar with the time constraints and conflicts that communities and companies have to deal with.

Our Community-Driven Engagement Services bridge the communication gap by creating meaningful dialogue between communities and companies. The services include the following tools to share each community’s story:

·         Community Engagement Guidebook – Working with our Community

·         Community Video – Sharing our Story

·         Interactive Guidebook – Communicating with Technology

These tools give communities the edge and control to negotiate the best opportunities for them, saving valuable time and resources. Additionally, companies have the opportunity to understand the land, culture, governance and how community’s work from their (the community’s) perspective in a variety of engaging formats. This allows companies to make equitable business decisions by understanding a community’s cultural values and what’s important to them.  As a result, Community-Driven Engagement Services prevent potential conflicts and misunderstandings resulting in a triple bottom line: sustainability that impacts economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity.

Whether you are a community working with resource extraction companies or a resource extraction company hoping to create a more sustainable relationship with the communities you work with, contact CES for more information at 1-877-444-5550 or ces@cesclients.com.  

About CES

CES is a community & tourism development firm.  They provide turnkey products & services for entrepreneurs and organizations, from idea to implementation and everything between.  CES incorporates innovative coaching and planning methodologies that use technology to enhance projects and take them to a whole new level.

CES’s expertise lies in Aboriginal & Indigenous Peoples’ community development, stakeholder consultation and strategic planning. For the past 15 years, they have worked with Aboriginal entrepreneurs, communities and organizations in often remote areas to find innovative solutions for sustainable economic development. They have established an ability to work closely with their clients to assure that planning and business development initiatives are integrated with local conditions.

Over the past 15 years CES has collaborated with over 70 clients on 85 projects across Canada and internationally in Chile, South Africa, Singapore, Paraguay and Honduras.

Indigenous Tourism Apps – can they assist with bridging the digital divide?

The CES team works with indigenous and rural communities across Canada and abroad to develop unique community economic development opportunities using tourism as a catalyst. In this age of technology, linking traditions with technology has become a critical aspect of community-based tourism development. 

CES’s TechTours™ is a downloadable tourism app for smartphones that provides an interactive storytelling experience using audio, video, Augmented Reality (AR) and GPS triggered technologies. The stories are captured on the ground by community Elders, leaders, youth ambassadors, and local guides, creating ownership and community pride. The stories are the foundation of the product and it is enhanced by innovative technology.

Since the majority of our clients live in remote communities, often they don’t pursue this product because of challenges accessing information technology or funding, or they are unfamiliar with the benefits and how to use the technology. This is known as the digital divide – the gap between those that have access to information technologies and those that don’t. 

So how can we bridge this digital divide? I just watched Aleph Molinari’s Ted Talk presentation on bridging the digital divide and was happy to see innovative companies such as RIA (Red de Innovación y Aprendizaje) empowering the digitally excluded by giving them access to computers and the know-how to use them. RIA is a group of education centres that offers members of underserved communities in Mexico access to computers, the Internet and quality education. 

The Internet and access to computers is a necessity in the 21^st century in order for communities and entrepreneurs to prosper. It is important to support organizations like RIA that provide these services. Access alone won’t help a community move forward, but when combined with the education on how to use it and how to create unique economic development opportunities it will create sustainable benefits. 

The XI Indigenous Nations Games in Brazil

As part of the development process of TechTours, the CES team works on the ground with community members empowering them to use the app and measure the results. If access to information technology and funding is an issue for your community, CES can assist with securing development funds and/or connecting you with an organization such as RIA.

Contact Amanda at amanda@cesclients.com or at 1-877-444-5550 if your community wants to explore unique economic development opportunities using mobile technology.

Press Release: CES and Open Africa Join Forces to Coordinate Best Practices Missions for Indigenous Tourism Development

August 8^th, 2012, Toronto – CES, a leading provider for Indigenous Tourism Development, today announced its partnership with Open Africa. CES and Open Africa are pursuing opportunities to coordinate Best Practices Missions focused on Indigenous Tourism Development in Southern Africa with the option for a reciprocal exchange in Canada.

This partnership is designed to share best practices for tourism and economic development as well as to provide an opportunity for a cross-cultural exchange and transfer of knowledge between Indigenous communities in Canada and South Africa respectively. CES and Open Africa quickly found that they were like-minded organizations that are passionate about building relationships with people and places across the globe and enabling people to share their story and culture.

Clinton Belcher, CEO & President of CES says “It’s important we walk the talk and give back to the communities in which we work with.  We are grateful for the opportunity to work with and learn from Indigenous communities.” 

Francois Viljoen, General Manager of Open Africa says “It’s time to go beyond our borders in Southern Africa and exchange local expertise and cultural values across the globe for the benefit of all Aboriginal and Indigenous communities alike.”

CES has been working with Indigenous communities across Canada and abroad to develop unique cultural tourism products. For the past 15 years, they have worked with Aboriginal entrepreneurs, communities and organizations in often remote areas to find innovative solutions for sustainable economic development.

Open Africa is a social enterprise that works with communities to establish off-the-beaten-track, self-drive travel routes in a network supported by local enterprises, linking and protecting the splendours and knowledge of rural Africa. Each route clusters travel attractions and services in an area, enabling travellers to tailor their experience according to their interests, time and budget (similar in concept to a wine route).

The CES and Open Africa initiative believes that a Best Practices Mission and cultural exchange would be an ideal opportunity for community leaders, entrepreneurs, and economic development officers to learn about sustainable business practices and innovative marketing initiatives from successful Indigenous tourism businesses abroad. Participants will be inspired to exchange and preserve cultural values while sharing innovative ways to use tourism as an option for sustainable economic development. 

If you are interested in being a part of this mission or would like to learn more about it contact Amanda Huculak at amanda@cesclients.com or call 1-877-444-5550.

About Open Africa

Open Africa is a social enterprise that uses tourism as an economic platform to create and sustain jobs for rural communities in Africa by developing and marketing the strongest network of self-drive travel destinations in Southern Africa.

Open Africa works with communities to establish off-the-beaten-track, self-drive travel routes in a network supported by local enterprises, linking and protecting the splendours and knowledge of rural Africa. Our routes are then marketed through a comprehensive and welcoming travel portal (www.openafrica.org) and other initiatives, connecting communities to travellers.

 

About CES

CES is a community & tourism development firm.  They provide turnkey products & services for entrepreneurs and organizations, from idea to implementation and everything between.  For the past 15 years, they have worked with Aboriginal entrepreneurs, communities and organizations for sustainable economic development.

CES’s expertise lies in Aboriginal & Indigenous community development.  CES has been welcomed into nearly 50 indigenous communities throughout Canada and abroad, including the homes of the Cree, Ojibway, Gitxsan, Inuit, Mi’kmaq, Tsimshian, Métis, Chippewa, Sto:lo, Odawa, Pottawotomie, Guarani, Rapa Nui, Garifuna, and Zulu. More information about CES can be found at www.cesclients.com.