Employment opportunities have always been a focal point in any discussion concerning the economic advantages of tourism in The Gambia. The industry has arguably the capacity to create more jobs than any other sector of the economy. Conscious of the significance of human resource development, the Ministry of Tourism in its 2006 Tourism Development Master Plan stressed that; “The Gambian people represent a real opportunity for the country to differentiate itself from other tourist destinations”.
However, due to the volatility of the Gambia Tourism Market, the training need for the local workforce at all levels, and in all categories remains critical. In addition to the requirement to improve service levels in existing tourism businesses, the Tourism Master Plan recommended that; there is also the need to ensure adequate supply of trained personnel available to meet the industry’s growth demand. Part of the plan was therefore to upgrade the ‘then’ Gambia Hotel School into a National Tourism Training Institute which is today known as the Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute (GTHI).
It is refreshing to see that the Ministry of Tourism through support from the Spanish Agency for Cooperation and Development and the World Bank, was able to successfully implement and oversee the completion of one of the objectives of the Tourism Development Master Plan. As a result, the newly transformed Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute (GTHI) was born. The Institute thereby held its first ever graduation ceremony on Friday 18th December 2015 awarding certificates and diplomas in various tourism and hospitality disciplines to 551 students.
Mind you though! it’s always a great pride to achieve academic success but it’s entirely a different thing to be able to transform and maintain such success at the professional level. So as the first ever graduating class of this noble institution, it is vital that you always try to portray yourselves as true ambassadors of your alma mater. One fundamental mistake that often befalls most fresh graduates is the reluctant to grow and progress. Remember this is just the beginning of a very long journey, so you need to grab every opportunity that comes your way with both hands. I have no doubt that with the right attitude, a wonderful career beckons you all in this beautiful industry.
However, due to the volatility of the Gambia Tourism Market, the training need for the local workforce at all levels, and in all categories remains critical. In addition to the requirement to improve service levels in existing tourism businesses, the Tourism Master Plan recommended that; there is also the need to ensure adequate supply of trained personnel available to meet the industry’s growth demand. Part of the plan was therefore to upgrade the ‘then’ Gambia Hotel School into a National Tourism Training Institute which is today known as the Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute (GTHI).
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| New Structure of The Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute, Kanifing. Source: GTHI |
This is a great step in the right direction as far as HR development in the tourism industry is concern. We therefore should all applaud the efforts of the Tourism Ministry, the Spanish Government and the World Bank for making it possible. And to the graduates we say; welcome to the real world dear brothers and sisters. A world full of challenges but equally full of opportunities. It all depends on how hard-working, how optimistic and how dedicated one is of course. Combine those three keywords (hard work, optimism & dedication) with a little bit of luck, there is no limit to what you can achieve in your careers.
Mind you though! it’s always a great pride to achieve academic success but it’s entirely a different thing to be able to transform and maintain such success at the professional level. So as the first ever graduating class of this noble institution, it is vital that you always try to portray yourselves as true ambassadors of your alma mater. One fundamental mistake that often befalls most fresh graduates is the reluctant to grow and progress. Remember this is just the beginning of a very long journey, so you need to grab every opportunity that comes your way with both hands. I have no doubt that with the right attitude, a wonderful career beckons you all in this beautiful industry.
Such good news to be really proud of, 551 graduate students..Lets hope this young people will have good positions with fair wage.
ReplyDeleteIn my home country Turkey it can be a dream being served from trained personnel in a restaurant, just lately there in Istanbul, waited 15 minutes in vain that the waiter notices me, in order to pay the bill, first he was busy observing young girls passing by, then with his phone!Then he dissapeared in the direction of kitchen to smoke a cigarette!
Absolutely proud! also hoping that they all are able to get good jobs and better pay. Interesting comments about the waiter at your Istanbul restaurant. He surely forgot the importance of customer service in the hospitality industry.
DeleteThere is actually good bilateral relationship between Gambia and Turkey especially in area of defence. May be we could lobby to include tourism in the relationship in order to spread the Gambian hospitality spirit over there.
I would wish very much bilateral tourism relationships with Gambia, I never saw any Gambian soldier neither a Gambian tourist in Istanbul though! I am only informed that some Turkish businessman invest in Kenya und open new beach hotels,Indian Ocean coast of Kenya.I am not a entrepreneur, even can`t estimate or build an opinion if such investments are good or aims one sided profits. I Would wish actually Gambian entrepreneurs in their own home country with all profit and also the risks of the tourism sector without being servile as it was in the past and is in my home country Turkey. I have somehow mixed feelings about being a touristic country, sustainable way of tourism would be preferable for the nature, for own cultural identity and the traditions of homeland.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the exchange.
We used to have some Turkeys military official sent to help train the Gambia Armed Forces back in the days. More info on Gambia/Turkey relations here: http://www.mfa.gov.tr/relations-between-turkey-and-the-gambia.en.mfa. Indeed Tourism has negative consequences but certainly the positive impacts outweigh the negative ones. I always advocate for responsible and sustainable tourism where locals are not exploited and the environment not compromised in anyway.
ReplyDelete