EFFORTS towards Guyana’s first state-of-the-art Hospitality Institute are well underway as a plot of land, awaiting final confirmation, has been identified for construction while a US$250,000 contract has been awarded for the building’s design.

The progress comes as the Government, in the latter part of 2018, pledged to prioritise the request of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) for the setting up of a local hospitality institute.

The project is being executed through the Ministry of Education and the land is being provided by the Government while the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) will be funding the construction of the institute.

For many years, THAG has lobbied for the establishment of an institute which it believes will not only become an asset to Guyana’s tourism industry but will open the door opportunity for vulnerable groups.

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, THAG President Mitra Ramkumar, provided an update from a recent National Committee meeting attended by the Association. There, it was announced that the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) and Go-Invest were written to in relation to the land for the proposed institute.

The institute is expected to be located in Providence, East Bank Demerara at the back of the Massy Supermarket, a location the association has found favour with. “They’re awaiting the formal letter from CH&PA concerning the exact location that it will be but it’s in that same vicinity,” Ramkumar explained.

Meanwhile, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) has issued an award for the design of the Hospitality Institute to the joint venture consortium Deen + Partners Architects in association with Consulting Engineers Partnership Ltd (CEP) and Leverage Consulting Inc. for the sum of US$250,953. Based upon the design of the building and the engineers’ estimate, this cost will be put forward to the CDB for support.

BIG BOOST TO TOURISM
In most cases, persons employed within the local tourism industry come without much training but are being trained on the job. While this has been the custom for years, Ramkumar said that it costs the industry to get employees up to the standard where they can deliver quality service.

“What the institute will do is create a pool of people for the industry to pull on and when those people graduate and come out of the institute then they will be equipped with both the theory and the practical which is a huge advantage,” he said.
Apart from those already interested in the field, Ramkumar noted that school drop-outs and single mothers are some of the largest beneficiaries of the tourism industry and can also receive training through the institute.

“This institute will offer a wide range of courses,” he stated. “If someone starts with landscaping they can also do tour guiding or they can start with Front Office and they can decide that they want to switch and do something in food and beverage; control and management going right up to hotel management.”

Even as the groundwork is still being laid; focus is being placed on developing institute’s curriculum; identifying facilitators and accreditation, processes which be assisted by the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the Ministry of Education.
“When someone is a graduate of this institute it will give them a certificate that can give them regional and international employment because it will have a curriculum that people can appreciate and respect,” the THAG President said.

The soon-to-be institute’s competitor will be a similar institute in Barbados but Ramkumar believes that Guyana may have an edge in some regards with its unique focus on eco-tourism. “The hospitality aspect of the training, although the main areas will remain, they will be adjusted for Guyana’s particular product,” he said.
In recent years, there has been a global growth of popularity for eco-tourism destinations. At the same time, as Guyana heads into oil production which is expected to drastically change the country, THAG has increased its appeal for greater focus to be placed on the development of local tourism which can be a sustainable means of funneling revenue into the country.

“There is huge amount of synergy between the two industries—oil and gas and tourism— 1) it brings a high level of standards to the sector because in order for you to be eligible to host guests at your facility there are a number of criteria and standards that you have to meet in terms of health and safety. What it’s doing, informally, is raising the bar of the sector in that area. And 2) it increases the number of customers in our country. Although they’re coming to work, there will actually be a boost from in the industry and that is why we see the synergy between the two,” he detailed.
As Guyana seeks to meet the needs of the developing sector, it is expected that persons attending the institute will be able to both work and study to implement and practice new skills as they learn them.