FOLLOWING an agreement to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Guyana and Barbados, six tourism operatives from renowned hotels in Guyana are to benefit from a hospitality training programme in Barbados come mid-August. This three-month programme is being funded by the Government of Barbados in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Guyana and will commence on August 17th at the Crane Hotel in Barbados.
The Crane Hotel is the Caribbean’s first resort hotel and was established over 120 years ago. It is located at the famous Crane beach which was named this year as the “Caribbean’s best beach.” The majority of its customers are dignitaries who are in constant demand of its services.
The participating hotels and institutions are: Pegasus Hotel, Herdmanston Lodge, Roraima Group of Companies and the Carnegie School of Home Economics. The tourism operatives selected will be exposed to rigorous training for twelve weeks as they will be trained on how to deliver world class hospitality to customers.
This will aid in the growth of Guyana’s tourism sector by building capacity as the participants will impart their knowledge gained to other tourism operatives in their respective companies.
President of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Shaun Mc Grath, during a press briefing yesterday, said this is a “major investment” in the hospitality workforce as the industry is preparing for Guyana’s first Tourism and Hospitality Institute in the near future.
Currently, two interns from the South Rupununi are positioned at the GTA to aid in capacity building as Government is looking to establish a stronger tourism sector.
Minister of Tourism Cathy Hughes met with the private sector last week to afford some twelve persons from Kato, Paramakatoi and Monkey Mountain hospitality training at the Iwokrama and Surama Eco Lodge. This was done with the aim of upgrading the standards offered by hotels and companies in those villages.
Guyana and Barbados signed an agreement in July 2002 to establish a commission to examine ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation. The inaugural session of the Guyana/Barbados Joint Commission was held in October 2007.
Both countries also agreed on assisting each other in the areas of education, tourism and hospitality, transport, immigration, security and legal services, and investments and export. (Shivanie Sugrim)

By Shivanie Sugrim