Ghanaian tourism pros receive training in Morocco

Accra Dec. 23, GNA - Twelve professionals in the hospitality industry returned home on Friday after a month training in Morocco at the instance of the Ministry of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City and the Moroccan government.

The training programme followed an agreement signed between the Ministry and the Moroccan government in 2004 to help train Ghanaians in the hospitality industry to enhance services to their clients. The participants selected from the Hotel, Tourism and Catering Training Institute (HOTCATT), the Accra Polytechnic Catering Department, Tour Guides Association and the tourism private sector on arrival commended the sector Minister for the initiative and described the programme as a real eye opener.

At a ceremony to welcome the participants, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Tourism and Modernization of the Capital City, said the programme would be extended to enable the private sector tourism practitioners benefit from the training programmes in Morocco.

"People working in the five-star hotels could be assisted to go to Morocco for attachment with five-star hotels in Morocco to learn from them," he said.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey commended the Moroccan Ambassador to Ghana and said the government very much appreciated the gesture.

Ms Fati Dakobu, Director of HOTCATT, said the Ghanaians undertook training in handling food and beverages, house keeping; tour guiding and hotel management, which she said, was very helpful.

She mentioned language barrier as a major problem they faced but said they were able to manage it and called for the teaching of French in tourism training institutions

Ms Dakobu promised that the knowledge gained from the training would be shared with all people in the hospitality industry.