NEW TOURISM SCHOOL BUILDING OPENS IN HONIARA
Minister for Culture and Tourism Samuel Manetoali handed the keys during a ceremony yesterday to the Chairman of the SINU Council, Sir Nathaniel Waena. Photo: in.com
The National Government has officially handed over the keys to a new double-story complex that will be the School of Tourism and Hospitality at the Solomon Islands National University.
Minister for Culture and Tourism Samuel Manetoali handed the keys during a ceremony yesterday to the Chairman of the SINU Council, Sir Nathaniel Waena.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Manetoali says there is a lot of potential for tourism in the Solomon Islands, and human resource development in that area is very important.
“We need to wake up to the fact that our tourism work force is one of the main factors of competitiveness in the global tourism market. The development of the tourism sector is not possible without the sufficient pull of appropriately skilled labour. Travel and tourism requires a broad range of skills ranging from business management to hotel specific hospitality management and operations.”
The new complex is worth around 12-million-dollars, and boasts two conference rooms, two practical rooms, two tutorial rooms, a lecture theatre, a kitchen and office rooms for staff.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Solomon Islands National University, Sir Nathaniel Waena has hailed the new school of Tourism and Hospitality as a solution to the country’s unemployment issue.
Speaking at the handover of the school’s new building, Sir Nathaniel says the ceremony records a new chapter in the development of the National University, and that the new school is a solution to addressing unemployment.
Sir Nathaniel also urged the Ministry of Tourism and Development to be serious in developing and flourishing the tourism industry with the effective engagement of the country’s youths.
“The Ministry for Tourism Development must from this day forward become serious in the whole matter of making sure the tourism industry is appropriately directed towards the operators who would make the industry fully develop and flourish to its holistic potential by effectively engaging the underutilized productive youths of this nation”, he said.