2023-04-25 20:07:17
The Red Room of the Cotonou Convention Center hosted, on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, the ceremony for the presentation of certificates to the beneficiaries of the Capacity Building Program for THR professionals (Tourism-Hotels-Restaurants). It took place in the presence of the Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Jean-Michel Abimbola and his colleague for secondary, technical and vocational education, Kouaro Yves Chabi as well as the stakeholders.
The government of President Patrice Talon is continuing its actions to make Benin a major tourist destination on the continent and in the world. Following the training of 54 tourist guides, the Beninese government launched in 2022, the capacity building program for the benefit of professionals in Tourism-Hospitality-Catering (THR). After several weeks of training, nearly 600 professionals received their certificates on Tuesday, April 25.
“It is the culmination of a very long period of hard work from the design of the program to its implementation”, said the Director of Tourism Development, Faïzath Kora. After the selection process, she informs, 683 candidates met the requirements of the defined criteria. “But we registered 611 participants. On arrival, 583 regularly reached the defined pass threshold”, underlined Faïzath Kora. According to him, the reports of trainers on the acquisition of skills by learners show “their ability to now face the heavy responsibility; that of qualitatively raising the level of hotel and tourist services in our country”.
The Capacity Building Program for THR professionals is supported by the World Bank through the Cross-Border Tourism Competitiveness Project (PCTT) and led by the French firm SFERE. According to their branch of trade, the professionals received in the communes of Cotonou, Abomey and Parakou, continuous training on four different modules, namely hygiene and food quality; reception techniques and the quality of services; the design and marketing of tourist products; the heritage, culture and history of Benin.
Suzie Testevuide, Project Manager at Cabinet SFERE was delighted with the success of the program implemented thanks to the investment of all stakeholders.
The Cabinet has developed a set of recommendations for the evaluation of the long-term impact of the actions carried out within the framework of the programme. “We are now confident that the sector has all the keys necessary to continue strengthening the continuing education offer”said Suzie Testevuide.
For the PCTT Coordinator, Nathalie Blanc Chékété, tourism in Benin has a bright future ahead of it. “The government is working to develop the next steps in the strategy initiated at the start of President Patrice Talon’s mandate. (…) Very soon, we will have an application school in the tourism, hotel and catering trades which will allow us to strengthen initial training and harmonize training curricula in the sector”, added Nathalie Blanc Chékété.
Succeed in the bet of an attractive and competitive destination
Happy with the realization of this capacity building program, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, urged the recipients to “more professionalism in their role as ambassadors of the destination to capture and satisfy the tourist flows that will be drained by the new infrastructures in progress in the various tourist poles”. “Tourism and culture, the second lever of public investment, job creation and wealth following agriculture, needs seasoned professionals and highly skilled personnel to stick to the government’s vision. This is why the various profiles of candidates had been the subject of a rigorous selection”, underlined Jean-Michel Abimbola. From now on, he continues, you are an integral part of the value chain as actors in direct contact with tourists and other visitors and, therefore, you are the guarantors of the image of the destination.
He thanked and praised the availability of the World Bank to support the program, and the SFERE firm for the professionalism that led the whole process with the local support of technicians. The Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts is counting on the commitment of recipients to “succeeding in the bet of an attractive and competitive destination”.
The spokesperson for the recipients thanked the Talon government for the global vision it has for the development of Benin, particularly with regard to the tourism sector. ” Through these trainings that we had received, we guarantee you a clear improvement in the level of our services and benefits within the hotel and tourist establishments”, said Mohamed Alidjinou. They pledged to do more work to reduce complaints from tourists.
It is planned to organize a session with a view to developing a system for evaluating the added value of capacity building for tourist guides as well as VHR professionals in connection with the umbrella organizations (FOPATH, CTM ).
Dine Bouraïma, president of the Consortium Tourists per Million in Benin and Albin Fèliho of the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism Employers’ Organizations (FOPAHT-BENIN) thanked the government for the successful completion of the tourism sector professionalization program. They want actions to be continued to achieve the objectives set by the government in the sector.
Akpédjé A.Ayosso
Some pictures of the ceremony
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April 25, 2023 by ,
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