Grenada Today - The National Newspaper of Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique

"Tourism is the number one industry in the world". This was told to 60 graduates of a Hospitality Training Course last Thursday at the Grand View Inn by the Chairman of the Grenada Board of Tourism (GBT), Joslyn Sylvester-Gairy.

The course was sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and organised by the Grenada Hotel and Tourism Association (GHTA). Of the 60 graduates, twenty-nine (29) under went the House Keeping Operations course while the others did the Food and Beverage Operations course, both of which lasted six weeks.

In emphasising the importance of tourism to Grenada, Sylvester-Gairy pointed out that immediately after Hurricane Ivan struck the island last September, the tourism industry was the only sector that was able to bring money into the country via the cruise ship industry. She told the graduates that one of the hallmarks of the industry is that the service providers have to be always smiling to visitors, adding that what these people are delivering to visitors is "service and pleasantries."

She was confident that these two components will make tourists come back to Grenada. "No matter what field you are in the industry, your knowledge is important. Keep yourself informed and educated," Sylvester-Gairy advised the graduates. USAID's Regional Director, George Vincent encouraged the graduates to have pride in themselves, their job and their country.

Vincent made an appeal to hoteliers in Grenada to give consideration first to the graduates of the courses when seeking new employees. The two courses were the last two of its kind to be completed in the Hospitality Training Course facilitated by USAID and GHTA. The first three were the taxi drivers course, tour guiding techniques course and front desk operations.