DECATUR — The Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association is hosting two participants of the U.S. Department of State’s Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative Professional Fellows Program.
Rafael Alfonso Martinez Lombao of Venezuela and Vanessa Quispe Catari of Bolivia have been placed with AMLA through July 7. The program will help them advance their entrepreneurial ideas and gather best practices to take back to their countries.
“AMLA is excited about this new cross-cultural exchange and the opportunity to build business connections between the USA and other countries while empowering young business professionals,” said AMLA President and CEO Tami Reist. “Through job-shadowing and participating in AMLA’s day-to-day operations, we hope to offer these young professionals some insight into the tourism industry here in the United States and to equip them with new skills and resources where they can effectively contribute to social and economic development in their communities and businesses back home.”
Launched in 2015, YLAI empowers emerging entrepreneurs from the Caribbean and Latin America through an online network and in-person fellowship exchange. The 2022 exchange will bring together more than 280 young leaders from 37 countries in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Canada.
The fellows will learn from U.S. counterparts by participating in day-to-day operations at their host organizations and collaborating on a joint project. Through the program, the fellows will develop stronger ties with their peers from Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as with their U.S. fellowship hosts.
The young professionals arrived in Decatur June 13 and will be in North Alabama for four weeks to further develop their business plans in skills-building workshops.
As part of the program, the YLAI fellows will shadow a member of the AMLA staff for four days each week.
Members of AMLA’s team will discuss tourism marketing trends, social media trends, marketing techniques and best practices. Other topics include understanding grants and other income resource opportunities and creating itineraries and press trips.
They will also have an opportunity to attend an AMLA executive board meeting, visit the birthplace of Helen Keller for the production of “The Miracle Worker” and travel to Guntersville for the annual Hydrofest on Lake Guntersville.
Lombao, who works with the E-ROQ Project, is a bilingual medical doctor leading an organization dedicated to increasing literacy, through the teaching of English, in communities with a high potential for tourism.
The E-ROQ Project is the only nonprofit organization in Venezuela dedicated to teaching demographically adapted English in tourist destinations.
Catari works in tourism leading Epic Experiences, a tour operator focused on creating unique and authentic visits in rural Bolivia.
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