An amount of GHS 900,000 worth of equipment have been presented to four technical universities in the country to train students in the hospitality sector.
The four institutions namely, Tamale Technical University, Cape Coast Technical University, Kumasi Technical University and the Accra Technical University were presented with items including desktop computers, deep fryers, fridges, beds, smart televisions, tables and chairs, blenders and microwaves.
Sponsored by the World Bank, the presentation was part of the Ghana Tourism Development Project (GTDP) under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC) initiative to grow the hospitality sector and increase the tourist intake of the country.
Speaking at the event in Accra yesterday, Professor Gabriel Eshun, Technical Advisor of the GTDP, underscored the importance of the government and all stakeholder investment into the tourism sector as it was critical towards the socio-economic development of the country.
He stated that tourism was the ‘new gold’ in the country hence the need for the country to leverage it and increase revenue.
“The vision of the MoTAC and the world bank towards tourism is to generate over five billion US dollars by end of 2024,” he revealed.
On the government’s plan to make tourism the face of the service industry in the country, he stated that critical attention needed to be paid to training of the personnel that rendered services in the sector.
“These services are the physical ambiance, the personnel and the process, the personnel are people like these students who after the training are expected to delight clients,” he said.
The consultant of the project, Dr James Antwi, said that the project was aimed at supporting lower and upper-level tourism management and skills training institutes to enhance their curriculum, facilities and teaching methods.
This, he said, would ensure that students in the beneficiary institutions were provided with skills that met the demands of both domestic and international tourists.
The Pro-vice chancellor of the Accra Technical University, Professor AmeviAcakpovi, stated that the equipment presented to ATU would enhance the capability of the university in Technical and Vocational training.
He said due to the quality and quantity of equipment presented to ATU, it would be able to train more students effectively and efficiently.
BY JESSEL LARTEY THERSON-COFIE & CECILIA LAGBA
