HOTEL ASSESSORS GRADUATE
17 course participants graduated during the week from a two month training exercise aimed to equip them with knowledge and skills how to rate and grade hotels, resorts, safari lodges and other hospitality businesses. The East African Communitys effort to harmonize the standards of the hospitality industry in the region is gradually getting into gear, and across East Africa is training underway to provide the manpower needed to start this Herculean task.
An extensive catalogue of criteria was developed several years ago already to finally embark on a regionwide grading and classification of hospitality businesses aimed to uplift standards and give visitors from abroad the certainty that star ratings are applied in a uniform, transparent and logical way. The Director of Tourism in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, who was present at the occasion of the graduation, was reported to have said: The best way to realize the objectives [to promote the industry] is through continued training for capacity building. The 17 finalists receiving certificates today have a significant contribution to the growth of the [tourism] industry.
Tanzanias tourist board is presently rebranding the destination and set to launch a major PR and marketing initiative to coincide with the forthcoming celebrations of Tanzanias 50th year of independence from Britain, hoping to bring tens of thousands of additional tourists to the country.
