SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | SDG 1: No Poverty
Institutions: Ministry of Tourism | Ministry of Rural Development
The UN Tourism agency launched its first-ever set of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) dedicated entirely to rural tourism under the Tourism for Rural Development Programme. The two free courses: ”Product Development and Marketing for Rural Areas” and “Design Thinking for Rural Tourism Development”, are immediately available to entrepreneurs, local officials, and communities in both English and Spanish.
The objective of the program is to provide practical tools for community-led tourism development, enabling local residents to discover and leverage their unique assets. Through modules like Design Thinking, the courses emphasize a human-centered approach using ideation, prototyping, and co-creation alongside local communities to foster sustainable and inclusive development. The courses are accessible on the UN Tourism Online Academy and integrate global case studies and best practices, allowing participants to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges at their own pace.
This initiative directly supports the Ministry of Tourism’s mandate to promote rural and sustainable tourism, providing a ready-to-use, globally standardized training resource that can be scaled nationwide to enhance local capacity and entrepreneurship.
What are Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)?→ Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are specialized educational programs delivered online and offered for free or at low cost to a virtually unlimited number of participants. They are typically designed by academic or international organizations to provide accessible, flexible, and often practical training on a specific subject, allowing individuals in remote areas or with time constraints to gain knowledge and tools at their own pace.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: To what extent will the Ministry of Tourism establish a formal mechanism with UN Tourism to track the post-training revenue growth and job creation in Indian villages that adopt these MOOC principles?
Follow the full news here: https://www.untourism.int/news/un-tourism-launches-online-training-on-tourism-for-rural-development