At least sixty students have been graduated from Gambia Tourism and Hospitality (GTHI) annex of in Janjangbureh, CRR.
The training for students in the rural Gambia Central came as a results of a collaboration between the GTHI, YEP, ITC and EU.
Sutay Jawo, deputy permanent secretary at MoTC said the institute’s registered successes and achievements as he said what government expects and hopes to realise from the institution.
“The present government will continue to create the enabling environment and varied opportunities for young Gambians to contribute towards the country’s desire in making the Gambia a leading tourism destination in the sub region and all fascist national development,” he said.
He said the strategic objective of MoTC among other things is to increase tourism’s contribution to country’s GDP by 25% and increase the number of tourist arrival to half a million by the year 2021.
As new entrants to the tourism industry, he informed the graduates that they are now entrusted with the challenge of upholding, sustaining, and improving upon the good industry standards that the country envisages to realise as a tourism and hospitality destination.
Sutay Jawo commended the efforts that have gone into establishing and operation of the Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute in CRR and thanked ITC through YEP and by extension the EU for this great partnership and support.
He urged the graduate students to focused, respect authority and dedicated to work as it is their lifetime asset.
Seraphine Wakana, a UN Resident Coordinator congratulated the graduated students, adding that they are making history been the first students to ever graduated from the GTHI training upcountry.
She said they are at the forefront of the game as bringing tourism up country to encourage tourists to visit and appreciate what The Gambia has to offer away from its well-known beaches.
She added that the government and partners like YEP, the EU and the UN as a whole can only help to create the right environment for them to succeed while the government’s national Development Plan and the trainings offered with the support of ITC, EU and GTHI is one step forward.
“But beyond that” she continued “it is in your hands – how far you go in taking a leading role in developing yourselves and your country depends on your attitude and your hard work.”
Daouda Niang, Director General GTHI, Raymond Mouser Project Coordinator YEP, Saikou Jobe representative of the CRR governor among others addressed the graduates at the ceremony.
Author: Yunus S Saliu
