A validation and sensitization workshop on Hotel, Tourism and Catering Training Institute’s (HOTCATT) draft sustainable strategy and action plan has been held today at the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre in Accra.
Participants included leadership of the Ghana Tourism Federation, representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and Ghana Tourism Authority, HOTCATT instructors and private tourism and hospitality stakeholders.
The workshop was to bring stakeholders up to speed on work done so far on incorporating sustainability into the HOTCATT courses.
The facilitator, Dr. Joseph Mensah-Ansah, a lecturer of the Ghana Institute of Public Administration (GIMPA) said it was necessary to introduce students to issues concerning sustainability adding that “over time we will deplete all the resources we have and there will be nothing to use.”
He stated that the ultimate plan is to incorporate sustainability into the larger Council for Technical and Vocational Educational Training (COTVET) programme for a national roll out.
Another key objective of the workshop was for participants to look at what actions are necessary within HOTCATT’s strategy, organizational structure and curricula and teaching strategies to achieve this. They also assessed, reviewed and updated the existing curriculum of HOTCATT to reflect sustainable tourism practices.
Dr. Mensah-Ansah who is also the Chairman for the Association of Hospitality and Tourism Schools in Africa iterating the importance of sustainability maintained that, “Hospitality and Tourism draws all of its resources from the environment,” and there was the need to “sustain the environment in terms of its social, cultural and economic values so that we can make inroads into production.”
The workshop forms part of government’s effort to lift the image of HOTCATT and elevate it to play a more relevant role in producing professionals for the tourism and hospitality industry both locally and across borders.
