The Ministry of Tourism will be implementing a National Host Programme to improve the knowledge base of citizens about the island???s product offerings.

Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Richard Sealy, made this disclosure on Monday, while addressing the 26th Annual General Meeting of the Tourism Development Corporation at the Accra Beach Resort and Spa, Rockley, Christ Church.

The Tourism Minister said that while there was nothing wrong with saying tourism is our business let???s play our part or using personalities to get the message across about being nice to tourists, citizens needed to see themselves as hosts.

??????As citizens, you need to be empowered with basic bits of information and it fits in perfectly with what the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association is doing with respect to its tourism tools programme as an orientation arrangement for all persons coming into the sector, and to reorient those who may be in the sector and I think that is important,??? Mr. Sealy said.

He also expressed the hope that the day would come when all Barbadians would have a basic knowledge about the destination and the industry as a whole. ???We are taking tourism awareness to another level???so we can reaffirm the vital role that each Barbadian has to play in the success of our tourism industry,??? Mr. Sealy underlined.

The Tourism Minister said while the island could boast of quality hotels, restaurants, attractions and cutting edge technology, if there were no welcoming hosts, ???all of the gains would amount to nothing???.

julie.carrington@barbados.gov.bb

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