Tourism trainers receive certification
It has become the mainstay of Belize’s economy…and unlike other major foreign exchange earners, the fortunes of tourism are not tied to the fickle fate of world commodity prices. But while the tourism industry is looking good its future is only as strong as the people who work it… as News 5’s Patrick Jones discovered this morning.
Patrick Jones, Reporting
Aggressive marketing and international branding of Belize as ?mother nature?s best kept secret? have been reaping substantial returns over the last seven years. And while in excess of five million dollars is being spent yearly on advertising and public relations, the Belize Tourism Board has been simultaneously investing in the human resource base that is a vital part of the equation. Today?s certification ceremony marks the successful completion of a series of training courses which make it possible for these one hundred and five graduates to find employment in their chosen field of work, anywhere in the world. President of the Belize Hotel Association, Maria Otero, says training is a smart investment.
Maria Otero, President, Belize Hotel Association
?It is very important for us to learn how to serve the people that are coming to Belize properly and at international standards. The people of Belize are very nice and they have a very nice nature, but still there are basic principles that we have to follow, and it?s only with training that that knowledge is acquired. I think it is very important, the programme that the B.T.B. ran throughout the year last year was very important for tourism as a whole.?
Just how important was emphasized by Minister of Tourism Godfrey Smith who says all the investments in infrastructure improvement mean nothing if the frontline people in the industry are not singing from the same song sheet.
Godfrey Smith, Minister of Tourism
?We are actually riding a creature, an animal that is alive and growing. We have a chance to shape it, to grow it. We have to handle it carefully, in a sustainable way, so that it can continue to grow to benefit all of us. It?s an industry that is alive and vibrant. Now you all play a key role in that as other speakers before me have alluded to. We have all this growth, we have cruise tourists who are here walking the streets of Belize, we have to ensure now that having wished for the growth, having spent money on the growth, the growth being here now, that we can handle it.?
And the proud graduates say they are ready.
Renny Riverol, Chef, BATSUB
?It will help me greatly because by being more skilled in these fields, especially in the tourism industry which is growing, I can bring exceptional service to tourists, which in return can bring more income into the country.?
Orlando Gomez, Bartender, Princess Casino
?We need to sell Belize right and to start it we have to start with the people. So it?s not only myself as an individual, but all Belizean citizens on a whole. We need to promote ourselves as a people in hospitality, in treating people right. I mean there is no better way to sell Belize than firsthand, word of mouth or something like that. When we work in this industry we meet a lot of people and I mean, equipped with knowledge and training that we get, especially with something like this, we can always tell people about ourselves, about our country and help to market Belize in anyway we can.?
And while the emphasis is on specific training, the graduates also believe that they have a stake in something bigger than just their own job.
Renny Riverol
?I fit in perfectly, uniquely; it?s like fitting in a piece of the puzzle. I?m apart of this big puzzle in the tourism industry in Belize.?
Maria Otero
?We always try to promote within. And I think all the people who went through the training are already part of the industry at some level. I think that everybody that grows, starts as at a low level, they can learn and grow and become supervisors and some day, general managers or directors. It?s a business where you have to be hands on and a lot of the things have to be learned by experience. So definitely, I think everybody has an opportunity to grow within tourism and to make their career.?
Careers, which, with the continuing growth in visitor arrivals by land, sea, and air, promise to be rewarding, both for the individual and the country. Patrick Jones, for News Five.
Smith says that to ensure that the training in tourism is sustained, the Belize Tourism Board is forging a working relationship with the University of Belize and other tertiary level institutions to incorporate the programmes into their curriculum.
