Programmes

The project seeks to foster economic regeneration and job creation by developing community-based agritourism and strengthening linkages between the agriculture and tourism sectors in eight regions of Azerbaijan (Guba, Gusar, Shabran, Siyazan and Khachmaz in the north and Salyan, Jalilabad and Lankaran in the south), contributing to overall economic and social development in the target regions.

Objectives

The specific objectives of the project are to:

• support the growth of rural agritourism value chain actors (smallholder farms, MSMEs, cooperatives, etc.);
• promote and establish clusters, cooperatives and professional associations in the agritourism value chain;
• diversify the agritourism product mix and enhance marketing approaches;
• increase employability and entrepreneurship of youth and adults through careers in agritourism;
• facilitate public-private partnerships in agritourism as a sustainable local development strategy.

Beneficiaries

Beneficiaries include small-holder farms and MSMEs in the agritourism/tourism sector, rural youth, job seekers, and local government and non-government representatives. 

Activities

• Public awareness programme to promote agritourism and mobilize interested community members
• Carry out agritourism sector value chain analysis and draw up agritourism inventory list in target regions
• Establish and promote Agritourism Demonstration farms
• Support agritourism start-up development with a focus on young entrepreneurs
• Provide training and advisory services to agritourism value chain actors (small-holder farms, MSMEs) in business and management
• Support the creation of agritourism clusters, cooperatives and other partnerships, and create business development plans for them
• Upgrade existing agritourism product packages in communities, and introduce new innovative services and products
• Design and implement marketing strategies for agritourism companies
• Foster partnerships between agritourism and hospitality industry
• Support agritourism value chain access to finance (awareness raising on sources of finance and support to MSMEs in preparing applications)
• Train local VET trainers to ensure continuity of training, and collaboration with VET schools
• Regional career fairs
• Agritourism internship programme
• Design of coaching & mentorship programmes for young entrepreneurs
• Establish Regional Agritourism Councils and development action plans
• Small-scale social infrastructure rehabilitation projects

Results

By the end of the project, results should include:

• Eight demonstration farms established and supported, with long-term growth plans developed for each
• At least 5 agritourism start-ups or initiatives established, and at least 10 agritourism entrepreneurs and farm owners registered as formal enterprises
• Individual advisory services and consultancy for 100 agritourism VC actors
• Three agritourism clusters established and operational in the target regions
• Twenty new agritourism products introduced in the target regions, with 50 entrepreneurs receiving support for development of new products
• Twenty-four new agritourism projects receive funding support for implementation
• Virtual Agritourism Map of the Regions, regional vacation guides and brochures developed
• Two Agritourism Forums and Exhibitions organised
• Eighty agritourism business owners supported in applications to banks, micro-credit institutions
• Two Career Fairs organized, with at least 250 youth and adults taking part
• 24 agritourism internships for members of target communities
• Eight Regional Agritourism Councils established, and action plans developed and implemented
• Three community infrastructure projects identified and implemented

Website

www.lga.az