BahamaHost’s Got Heart: Virtual Graduation of 760 Participants Nationwide

Tue, Jul 27th 2021, 05:59 PM

On July 29, the Ministry of Tourism & Aviation will host a grand virtual ceremony to mark the graduation of a total of 760 tourism professionals from BahamaHost, its signature industry training program. Held under the theme, "The People's BahamaHost: Heart, Community, Empowerment," the ceremony will be aired via Zoom and Facebook at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 29, from the Ballroom of the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, West Bay Street. BahamaHost Graduates hail from six islands: New Providence, Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Andros, Exuma and Long Island, The Minister of Tourism & Aviation, the Honourable Dionisio D'Aguilar, will be the keynote speaker, and remarks will also be brought by Captain Shonedel Pinder, Deputy Commander of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.

During the months following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, staff of the Ministry’s Industry Training Department, which administers the Bahamahost Program, conducted a comprehensive review of the industry training program, adapting the content of the program’s modules to meet the demands of the nation’s tourism industry in recovery.

Director of Industry Training, Mr. Kirkland Pratt, said, “Hospitality and service delivery have always been key components of The Bahamas tourism product. As we seek to recover our industry from the impact of the pandemic, hospitality and service delivery will become even more critical. Training is the tool that ensures that hospitality and service delivery meet the standard of excellence.”

“Between March and June of 2021,” continued Director Pratt, “we facilitated BahamaHost training sessions across six islands, registering a broad spectrum of tourism ambassadors, from hair braiders on the beaches, to hotel boardroom executives. We have seen an overwhelming enthusiasm among participants to go back to the industry with sharpened customer service skills.”

The graduation theme, "The People's BahamaHost: Heart, Community, Empowerment" was selected to convey the Industry Training’s Department’s recognition of the need to empathize with and connect to the hearts of its customers. 

Director Pratt noted, “In our constant desire to empower our community, we have offered a number of sessions at no cost to participants to ensure that the entire industry is prepared for the long-awaited return of our guests and the rebound of our nation’s number one industry.” The number of graduates by island are as follows: New Providence (143 participants), Grand Bahama (266), Eleuthera (229), Andros (65), Exuma (22) and Long Island (35). The virtual graduation ceremony will be streamed live from the ballroom at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel on July 29 at 7 pm and will include a limited audience, with a virtual telecast. This will be the third inter-island BahamaHost Graduation Ceremony since the sessions would have started being facilitated virtually.

BahamaHost sessions typically run for 4 – 6 weeks. Sessions are now open. Tourism industry professionals from all sectors are invited to register for courses. Visit our website https://www.tourismtoday.com/industry-training or call us at 1(242)397-2441 for more information. You may also email us at dbalfour@bahamas.com with your inquiries.

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