CONSTRUCTION of the first National Hospitality Training Institution in Berbice, Region Six will commence this year, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has announced.

The Head of State made the disclosure while addressing citizens at a sod-turning event over the weekend in New Amsterdam, Berbice.

“Our national hospitality training institute that will be connected to training institutions across the world will be built right here in Region Six and will commence this year,” President Ali said.

To complement this, several other massive investments are being made in the region.

“The international stadium, the first couple of piles, has already been driven and an international stadium will be built right here in Palmyra. This will be followed by already approved internationally branded hotels, private hospital, roads, bridges, and infrastructure.”

Currently, construction is underway for several world class hotels across the country.

The establishment of a Tourism and Hospitality Training Institute has been on the cards for several years now.

In 2014, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government had budgeted some US$4 million for the construction of the institute. Later in 2019, the Coalition Government had announced the award of a US$250,000 contract to finance the building’s design. At that time, the land for the project was being finalised.

In December 2020, shortly after the PPP/C was voted back into office, the government said that the Caribbean Development Bank has approved a US$11 million (approximately $2.3 billion) loan for the development of the institute.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President, with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, confirmed that as part of the national 2021 budget, $185 million has been allocated towards continuing the long-awaited project.

Dr. Singh had said that once established, the facility will accommodate some 1,800 students annually. The institute is also projected to have the capacity to offer certificate, diploma, associate degree, and degree courses in areas relating to tourism and hospitality.

Singh said that the advancement of the tourism sector has been severely hampered by significant skills gaps existing at all levels. This has often been compounded by the fact that there exists few opportunities for trainings to be done locally.

“To address this glaring mismatch between demand and supply, in 2021, work will commence on the construction of the Hospitality Tourism Training Institute (HTTI) for students to be trained and certified annually,” Dr. Singh told the House.

He said that the institute is being pursued as a means of supporting the growth and development of tourism as a rapidly emerging sector that should be equipped to provide a world class experience in service delivery.

In 2021, it was reported that the country has in excess of 150 hotels, along with 30 resorts and lodges that provide an approximate room capacity of 3,400.