The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), says it has trained 20 teachers in Kano State, to accelerate tourism development.
Alhaji Nura Kangiwa, Director-General, NIHOTOUR, who spoke at the inauguration of the training exercise on Wednesday in Kano, said the participants would be exposed on new techniques to aid step-down training in their respective schools.
The exercise with the theme: “Train the Trainer for Secondary School Teachers,” was designed to empower teachers to fast track sustainable tourism development in the state.
Kangiwa said: “Tourism has been introduced in the curriculum of secondary schools in Nigeria.
“But it is worrisome that schools do not have competent teachers to teach tourism subjects.
“The training programme is geared towards encouraging teachers to develop interest in tourism.
“Encouraging teachers to develop interest in tourism will help them to encourage students to explore opportunities available in the sub-sector in order to be self-reliant.
“As teachers, you should know that tourism is a multi disciplinary, multi dimensional and multi faceted industry; in which people can make a career.”
He noted that the training exercise was imperative to build teacher and students enentrepreneurial skills, to enable them venture into various fields of tourism.
Kanguwa listed the key ares to include tour guide; tour operation, travel agency operation, cabin crew, cargo handling and garden operation as well as recreational centre and hospitality management among others.
He said that the gesture would encourage youth and women develop their potentials to become self reliant and contribute to social and economic development of the country.
The Director General said the Federal Government had prioritised tourism development as part of its economic diversification programme in view of its contributions to theemployment generation, poverty reduction and wealth creation across the globe.
“In 2017; tourism supported more than 118 million jobs or 3.8 per cent of total employment worldwide.
“Also in 2018, direct employment in travel and tourism rose by 2.4 per cent.
“Research suggests that for every 30 new tourists to a destination, one new job is created,” he said.
According to him, the agency is mandated to provide skills proficiency, technical upgrading programmes and professional knowledge on the hospitality and tourism industry.
Kangiwa reiterated the commitment of the agency to transform tourism industry in line with the international best practices to enable it compete globally.
Mr Muhammad Sadik, one of the participants, commended the gesture, adding that it would go a long way to encourage tourism development in the state.
Sadik said he would use the knowledge learnt to impart relevant skills in the students to enable them key into tourism. (NAN)
