By Yunus S Saliu
The Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute (GTHI) Wednesday celebrated this year International Hospitality Day at the school campus located in Post Office Road, Kanifing.
The celebration was attended by students, hospitality lecturers, officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Cultures, chefs as well as tourism and tour writers.
Objective of the celebration of the International Hospitality Day initiated on 24th April 2016 worldwide, it is to dedicate one day in the year to the hospitality industry to celebrate, promote and educate in hospitality.
Celebrating it at Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute, speakers delivered speeches and felicitates with students and other participants. Students and lecturers showcased their professional prowess in the hospitality industry as part of the celebration.
Speaking on behalf of the Director General of GTHI, Dawda Baldeh, registrar of GTHI assured the gathering that the Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute will continue to celebrate the day every year.
He disclosed that GTHI joined the rest of the world, for the first time, last year to celebrate it virtually due to Covid-19 but this year gathered together for the celebration.
According to him, the selected theme – Going Local is a Game Changer in Today’s Hospitality Sector, by the GTHI research department really goes with the celebration “it is the best we can do in Africa as we are having a lot of recipes that are underutilized.”
Mr Baldeh thanked everyone for making the day a successful one.
Mr Peter Mendy, Head Research Department of GTHI made a presentation on the theme while he gave a brief background of the International Hospitality Day celebration.
He disclosed that the International Hospitality Day celebration is 24th April “but rescheduled to today because the day coincided with the fasting period in the Holy Month of Ramadan.”
He echoed that this year’s celebration is the second year The Gambia is celebrating it but assured that the next edition will surely celebrate at the same time with the rest of the world.
However, “this year’s celebration is special compared to the one celebrated virtually last year because of Covid-19. This day is meant to celebrate, promote and share all moments of hospitality with everyone as a hospitality professional is concerned.”
Hospitality is a phenomenon industry and very important looking at the Gambia as a destination where tourism generates a lot of revenue to our GMD and economy, he added.
Taking into consideration the theme of the celebration, “as Gambians, it has to start with us to embrace our local produce,” while he wished the gathering a happy celebration.
Chef Saikou Bojang, president of The Gambia Chefs Association and Young Entrepreneur thanked the GTHI for coming up with the initiative by joining the world hospitality industry to celebrate the International Hospitality Day in The Gambia.
He expressed that the theme for the celebration should have been since way back before today.
He expressed that going local means going back to the old past, saying as professional chefs are concerned “we believe in eating food as your medicine, if you don’t, you will eat medicine as your food. Meaning if you don’t eat healthy food your body will tell you to go back to who you are, going local is what we need to take the lead of our health.”