Back and Next - Back and NextITTOG open day
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The Institute of Travel and Tourism, The Gambia (ITTOG) held their first ever career day over the weekend at the school premises situated at Off Duga Jak Lane, Kanifing South.
ITTOG was established in January 2008 for the propagation and purpose of tourism development in the Gambia. With their short duration in the field of tourism education, the school has increased in population and in courses that they offer their students. Lamin Bojang, a senior lecturer at the institute, explained that ITTOG offers intermediate certificate and diploma in travel and advance diploma in travel and tourism.
The institute also offers higher professional diploma in travel and tourism. Their latest additional courses include cabin crew. Cabin crew courses involve airline operations, air cabin crew working environment, people skills and sales, health, safety, security and hygiene.
Amadeus ticketing and travel agency training is another new courses in the institute. This is a course that will provide learners with the necessary knowledge and skills required for the use of Amadeus system. The course content is concise and learners can participate from their desktops. Amadeus is a specially developed training web site and telephone.
On this course you will learn the particulars of airline reservations, types of tours and the cruise line industry, travel sales techniques, industry documents among other subjects. Entrepreneurship training with one of the Dutch countries university is another new course. The entrepreneurship training offers an exciting week intensive business start-up training programs for creative professionals seeking to set-up their own business.
On entrepreneurship, there are lot to learn like how to target the right customers and discover some proven selling techniques, how to develop a great business plan, keeping a balance sheet, discover the leader within yourself with some other valuables. Dawda Nyang, Development Manager of Association of Small Scale Enterprises in Tourism (ASSET), was a guest speaker during the career day.
He dilated more on the contribution of tourism industry to the nation. Everyone needs to be trained for effective industry, because it is an ever-changing industry that needs constant update of knowledge mostly in term of competition. He noted that in term of employment, the industry is very lucrative. Dawda Nyang emphasised on the importance of self-employment opportunity to anyone that can study tourism and working together without gender bias.
He therefore ecouraged students and stakeholders to start with by organising cultural excursion through partnership, which is the best of chances. The guest speaker said it is necessary to involve students in all events like conference, seminar and so on. He concluded that domestic tourism need to be promoted, hence many does not have the knowledge of the Gambia as much.
Sheikh Tejan Nyang, Head of school said tourism plays a key role in the Gambia economic growth by providing employment, foreign exchange earnings and investment, and by encouraging regional development. Sheikh T Nyang highlighted that international tourism currently generates approximately $8.3 billion per annum in foreign exchange. It is a global industry and its growth potential is unrivalled.
The school head said that tourism impacts directly upon a range of sectors that include transport; accommodation; retail; and catering. Also, in tourism, many other sectors are benefiting through provision of goods and services that support tourism business. Such businesses are construction; printing and publishing; manufacturing; insurance and agriculture among other sectors.
As tourism industry continue to grow the demand for services and trained personnel continue to be more important, ITTOG has been preoccupied with the trends of tourism developments and working hand in hand with stakeholders in the industry like Gambia Hotel Association; ASSET; Travel and Tourism Association; GTA; NTA; and many other.
The ITTOG career day was brought to an end with questions and answers from the parents; stakeholders; and general participants.
ITTOG was established in January 2008 for the propagation and purpose of tourism development in the Gambia. With their short duration in the field of tourism education, the school has increased in population and in courses that they offer their students. Lamin Bojang, a senior lecturer at the institute, explained that ITTOG offers intermediate certificate and diploma in travel and advance diploma in travel and tourism.
The institute also offers higher professional diploma in travel and tourism. Their latest additional courses include cabin crew. Cabin crew courses involve airline operations, air cabin crew working environment, people skills and sales, health, safety, security and hygiene.
Amadeus ticketing and travel agency training is another new courses in the institute. This is a course that will provide learners with the necessary knowledge and skills required for the use of Amadeus system. The course content is concise and learners can participate from their desktops. Amadeus is a specially developed training web site and telephone.
On this course you will learn the particulars of airline reservations, types of tours and the cruise line industry, travel sales techniques, industry documents among other subjects. Entrepreneurship training with one of the Dutch countries university is another new course. The entrepreneurship training offers an exciting week intensive business start-up training programs for creative professionals seeking to set-up their own business.
On entrepreneurship, there are lot to learn like how to target the right customers and discover some proven selling techniques, how to develop a great business plan, keeping a balance sheet, discover the leader within yourself with some other valuables. Dawda Nyang, Development Manager of Association of Small Scale Enterprises in Tourism (ASSET), was a guest speaker during the career day.
He dilated more on the contribution of tourism industry to the nation. Everyone needs to be trained for effective industry, because it is an ever-changing industry that needs constant update of knowledge mostly in term of competition. He noted that in term of employment, the industry is very lucrative. Dawda Nyang emphasised on the importance of self-employment opportunity to anyone that can study tourism and working together without gender bias.
He therefore ecouraged students and stakeholders to start with by organising cultural excursion through partnership, which is the best of chances. The guest speaker said it is necessary to involve students in all events like conference, seminar and so on. He concluded that domestic tourism need to be promoted, hence many does not have the knowledge of the Gambia as much.
Sheikh Tejan Nyang, Head of school said tourism plays a key role in the Gambia economic growth by providing employment, foreign exchange earnings and investment, and by encouraging regional development. Sheikh T Nyang highlighted that international tourism currently generates approximately $8.3 billion per annum in foreign exchange. It is a global industry and its growth potential is unrivalled.
The school head said that tourism impacts directly upon a range of sectors that include transport; accommodation; retail; and catering. Also, in tourism, many other sectors are benefiting through provision of goods and services that support tourism business. Such businesses are construction; printing and publishing; manufacturing; insurance and agriculture among other sectors.
As tourism industry continue to grow the demand for services and trained personnel continue to be more important, ITTOG has been preoccupied with the trends of tourism developments and working hand in hand with stakeholders in the industry like Gambia Hotel Association; ASSET; Travel and Tourism Association; GTA; NTA; and many other.
The ITTOG career day was brought to an end with questions and answers from the parents; stakeholders; and general participants.
Author: By Yunus Salieu
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