Nassau,
The Bahamas - On July 29, the Ministry of Tourism &
Aviation will host a grand virtual ceremony to mark the graduation of a
total of 760 tourism professionals from BahamaHost, its signature
industry training program. Held under the theme, "The People's
BahamaHost: Heart, Community, Empowerment," the ceremony will be aired
via Zoom and Facebook at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 29, from the Ballroom of
the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, West Bay Street. BahamaHost Graduates
hail from six islands: New Providence, Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Andros,
Exuma and Long Island, The Minister of Tourism & Aviation, the
Honourable Dionisio D'Aguilar, will be the keynote speaker, and remarks
will also be brought by Captain Shonedel Pinder, Deputy Commander of the
Royal Bahamas Defence Force.
During the months following the
outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, staff of the Ministry’s Industry
Training Department, which administers the Bahamahost Program, conducted
a comprehensive review of the industry training program, adapting the
content of the program’s modules to meet the demands of the nation’s
tourism industry in recovery.
Director of Industry Training, Mr.
Kirkland Pratt, said, “Hospitality and service delivery have always been
key components of The Bahamas tourism product. As we seek to recover
our industry from the impact of the pandemic, hospitality and service
delivery will become even more critical. Training is the tool that
ensures that hospitality and service delivery meet the standard of
excellence.”
“Between March and June of 2021,” continued Director
Pratt, “we facilitated BahamaHost training sessions across six islands,
registering a broad spectrum of tourism ambassadors, from hair braiders
on the beaches, to hotel boardroom executives. We have seen an
overwhelming enthusiasm among participants to go back to the industry
with sharpened customer service skills.”
The graduation theme, "The
People's BahamaHost: Heart, Community, Empowerment" was selected to
convey the Industry Training’s Department’s recognition of the need to
empathize with and connect to the hearts of its customers.
More -
Director
Pratt noted, “In our constant desire to empower our community, we have
offered a number of sessions at no cost to participants to ensure that
the entire industry is prepared for the long-awaited return of our
guests and the rebound of our nation’s number one industry.”
The
number of graduates by island are as follows: New Providence (143
participants), Grand Bahama (266), Eleuthera (229), Andros (65), Exuma
(22) and Long Island (35). The virtual graduation ceremony will be
streamed live from the ballroom at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel on July
29 at 7 pm and will include a limited audience, with a virtual telecast.
This will be the third inter-island BahamaHost Graduation Ceremony
since the sessions would have started being facilitated virtually.
BahamaHost
sessions typically run for 4 – 6 weeks. Sessions are now open. Tourism
industry professionals from all sectors are invited to register for
courses. Visit our website
https://www.tourismtoday.com/industry-training or call us at
1(242)397-2441 for more information. You may also email us at
dbalfour@bahamas.com with your inquiries.
About Bahamahost
BahamaHost
is a certified course designed to establish a culture of service
excellence and professionalism which results in delightful guest
experiences, repeat business and global recognition. BahamaHost is a
national training program facilitated by the Industry Training
Department within the Industry Facilitation Division which falls under
the umbrella of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation. The
program was established in 1978 and has, over the past 40 plus years,
graduated over 50,000 tourism professionals throughout The Bahamas.
