The Ministry of TourismCivil Aviation, Transportation and Investment Antigua and Barbuda and the National Institute of Vocational Technical Training (Infotep) of the Dominican Republic signed a agreement with the aim of strengthening training and collaboration in hospitality education and tourism.
The agreement was signed by Minister Charles Fernández and Rafael Santos Badía, director of the Infotep.
“This association will benefit both nations through the experienceshared resources and knowledge,” is highlighted in a press release.
Present at the event were Raquel Jacobo, ambassador of the Dominican Republic in Ancient and Barbudaas well as members of the delegation of the Infotep and representatives of the Hotel Training Institute of Ancient and Barbuda.
He agreement was signed by both owners in the conference room of the Ministry of Tourism of Ancient and Barbuda and will directly benefit those seeking to improve their skills in the sectors of tourism and hospitality, including students from the Institute of Training in Hospitality Ancient and Barbuda (ABHTI).
- Technical training will equip them with the skills necessary to thrive in the industry. tourism rapidly growing.
Support to sector
“Ancient and Barbuda will celebrate in a few weeks a milestone of 1.5 million of visitor arrivals by air, cruises and yachts for the year 2024. To put this into perspective, this represents our population multiplied by 15. In addition to this, a number of new property developments will be introduced in 2025, and this means more rooms and the need for more skilled workers to accommodate the influx of visitors,” he said the minister of the Caribbean nation Charles Fernández.
Rafael Santos Badía, general director of the Infotephighlighted: “This is a agreement which is born from the understanding that the sector Tourism not only requires infrastructure and promotion, but also a highly trained human resource capable of offering experiences memorable to tourists“.
He said it is a sector which is constantly evolving, requiring innovation and a professional approach to ensure that tourist destinations remain attractive and competitive in a market globalized.
The memorandum of understanding is designed to improve human resource training and institutional development for both Ancient and Barbuda as for the Dominican Republic.
- He agreement includes strengthening the training of facilitators to improve their skills, the intern exchange and offer bilingual training in English and Spanish to improve technical and communication skills.
The MoU will have a direct and positive impact on ABHTI, which will play a central role in the delivery of the training programmes.
They indicated in a statement that this agreement aligns with commitment of the Ministry of Tourism to improve the skills of the local workforce, “ensuring that Ancient and Barbuda remain a destination competitive for tourists.”
