Hospitality, tourism education key - HOTCATT Director
The Director for the Hotel, Catering and Tourism Training Institute (HOTCATT), Petrina Etu-Mantey Ampah, has called for transformation in hospitality and tourism education delivery in the country.
According to her, such transformation would make the desired impact on national development.
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Speaking at an orientation programme for 37 newly admitted students of the institute, she called for strategic attention in every facet of tourism and hospitality education in the country, adding that it would impact positively on the industry and make the country a competitive tourism destination.
New interventions
Mrs Ampah also mentioned some new interventions the institution had put in place to meet the current world trends.
She explained that the institution's curriculum had been revised to incorporate greening which would enhance environmental sustainability and in the long run boost the tourism and hospitality industry.
"By enhancing the student's knowledge and understanding of environmental sustainability practices, it is expected that they will inculcate the ideals of greener production and services practices at their workplaces and thus sustain the environment," she emphasised.
She also added that the institution had introduced a blend of the classroom-based learning with the electronic learning (E-learning) to meet the current digitalisation trend.
"The HOTCATT training programmes are focused on training individuals through experiential learning, while incorporating a strong brand identity," she said.
Investment
Speaking to the fresh students, Mrs Ampah said the tourism and hospitality industry required investment of both time and money.
She, therefore, assured the students that the institution had an organised framework that would ease their fears and provide a platform that would make the learning process easier.
A tour guiding instructor at the institution, Cosmos Atasrah, also advised the students to be professional and disciplined in all their dealings.
He urged the students to take the training courses seriously and make it part of their lives even after the training.