(May 24 2012)
The THTI is first hospitality institute in the Caribbean to be HA certified.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CTO) – The Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute (THTI) has, as part of its vision, to be a catalyst for change and the hub for all tourism training and certification programmes on the island.
It has now taken a major step toward change while obtaining one of the most sort-after tourism and hospitality certifications in the region.
The THTI has demonstrated its commitment to the pursuit of excellence be earning Hospitality Assured (HA) certification, a symbol of service and business excellence in the tourism and hospitality industry, promoted in the region by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). It is the first entity in Trinidad & Tobago and the first hospitality institute in the region to be HA certified.
“We are giving recognition to an institution that has put in place procedures and practices that support the provision of excellent service to its main customers, in this case the students, parents and employers,” said Bonita Morgan, the CTO’s director of human resources, with responsibility for overseeing the programme.
“Its tenacity and determination to attain the Hospitality Assured certification can only augur well for the inner workings of this institution,” Mrs. Morgan added.
The Hospitality Assured certification for the Caribbean seeks to encourage tourism and hospitality businesses in the region, to put in place a service quality framework that meets the requirements for the European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence Model. It is a certification programme promoting service and business excellence in tourism and hospitality companies. It is owned by the Institute of Hospitality in the United Kingdom, and managed by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) in the region.
The THTI joins the ranks of over 3,500 companies and businesses internationally that have achieved the Hospitality Assured standard. The institute’s principal, Mr. Wayne Pierre, described the certification programme as the way forward for tourism in Tobago.
Caribbean supporting institutions include the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, which collects and distributes benchmarking data on the programme, as well as the CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), which is the region’s assessment body for the programme.
For more information on the Hospitality Assured certification programme, visit www.hospitalityassuredcaribbean.com.