Nevis’ Premier and Minister of Tourism – Joseph Parry
Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
June 26, 2011 (CUOPM)
Taiwan is assisting St. Kitts and Nevis in tourism training in line with government’s efforts to maintain and sharpen its competitive edge.
Speaking at his monthly Press Conference on Wednesday, Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas said as a result of an official tourism-related Accord with the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), some 10 to 15 persons, below the age of 40 and currently employed in the tourism industry, will be sent to Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism a semester-long program that will provide precisely the type of training that is key to the Federation maintaining and sharpening its competitive edge.
“Tourism is a competitive and multifaceted industry. We in the Caribbean have a competitive advantage due to our weather, location, history and so on, yes. However, these features plus our physical plant still have to be constantly enhanced by another key dimension – and that is our human capital,” said Dr. Douglas.
He said during his Official Visit to Taipei in March, he shared his Government’s intention to constantly seek and secure opportunities for training in this sector.
During the visit, Prime Minister Douglas told the institution’s President Dr. Chi-Yeh Yung that if the hospitality and tourism industry is to be sustained in St. Kitts and Nevis, nationals must be professionally trained.
Dr. Douglas said that St. Kitts and Nevis during the period of transition, adjustment and setting new sights in terms of its economic and social development, “want to make sure that we can use and rely on the experiences of others, the best practices that have been established, that have borne tremendous fruits for your own development and see what can be applied in our situations to help us in this regard.”
Pointing out that tourism has become the mainstay of the national economy in recent years, the country has relied on the creation of a services economy led in particular by tourism and hospitality services.
“It became absolutely necessary for us to come to your country and to the South of your country to visit this institution to explore the possibilities as to how we can ensure that institutionally, St. Kitts and Nevis can boast of being a tourist country, having the requisite human resource appropriately trained to ensure that this continues for a very long time to be the leading sector in our country,” said Prime Minister Douglas.
National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism President, Dr. Chi-Yeh Yung, who led top university officials and scores of students in welcoming Prime Minister Douglas and his delegation, encouraged by the words of Prime Minister Douglas, pledged to collaborate with the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis in professionalising the tourism human resources in the twin-island Federation.
The National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism has three different schools. The School of Culinary Arts, the School of Travel Tourism and the School of Hospitality with a total of 4,700 students.