Seven areas need upskilling in Tourism and Hospitality Sector Featured
Industry Training Advisory Committee (ITAC) members during evaluation of the National Certificate in Cookery Level 3 & 4
15 January, 2020. A few years ago, the Ministry of Tourism and members of the industry identified, the need to upskill and provide more training targeting the gaps in the tourism labour force, in order for tourism to realise its full potential.
Tourism expert, former CEO of the Ministry of Tourism but now the Director of Pacific Studies and Relations and Tourism Management Academic Leader at the Auckland Institute of Studies (AIS) Dr Semisi Taumoepeau and his research team examined the situation and recommended areas for upskilling.
They agreed on seven (7) key qualifications in the area of;
i) Customer Service
ii) Front Office Management
iii) Tour Guides
iv) Whale Guides
v) Hospitality Food and Services
vi) Cookery
vii) Commercial Cookery
Tonga Skills was approached for funding and we now have seven (7) new national qualifications processed by Tonga National Qualification Accreditation Board (TNQAB).
The cookery qualifications – Certificate in Level 3 & 4 are being finalized this week and will join a pool of 7 national qualifications to be delivered soon.
It is expected that these new national qualifications will help create new pathways and careers for school leavers and existing industry workers.
The Ministry acknowledges the astounding efforts and tireless work from the relevant counterparts – Dr Semisi and his team from AIS for developing the qualifications, TNQAB for their efforts in assuring the quality standards of the proposed qualifications, ITAC Members for providing sound advice to the developer and to all members of Tonga tourism industry for availing your time and attending the consultations to finalize the seven (7) tourism national qualifications.
With the completion of this milestones, the Ministry is looking forward for a blooming industry with high quality standard of services and products available for tourists and visitors to the Kingdom of Tonga.
2 comments
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Tourism in Tonga. Please allow me to point out what I learned in the past six months from reading and research tourism in the south pacific.
The Cook Islands tourism transformation began since the mid-90s. They now reap the vision and the fruit of their labor while Tonga still trying to figure out what is tourism.
A quick comparison. Tourism websites of Cook Islands looks professional and user friendly. Tonga tourism site appears to be put together by a group of drop out high school kids. You will observe the same result if you compare the two main government portals. If you attempt to get any assistance through the websites, you will never get a reply from Tonga but in less than 24 hours, you will hear from the Cook Islands. This is important because of “Customer Service.”
I have suggested that English should become the first language of the Tonga. That is the start. At the end, open at least three air transportation links to the global tourist economy. Then fix anything in between those two.
Customer service is an important aptitude in the hospitality industry. It is a foreign concept to Tonga but if you want to gain from tourist financial benefits you must change how you serve your customers.
Just think of a tourist wanted to visit Tonga. He did not find the information he needs at the website and that hesitation change his mind to go visit somewhere else. You never let a sale opportunity go because that is money lost. This problem occurred across the whole government enterprises regardless of what potungaue. That is from my personal experiences with the any potungaue I contacted.
It is unequivocal the Cook Islands is the best among the pacific islands in all economic indicators and tourist development is no difference (ADB.org). Note the graph below and compare Tonga to the Cook Islands.
The Tonga graph indicated they do nothing special to attract the tourists to Tonga. But note, Cook Islands, they double their tourist every decade and it does not slowing down.
The icing on the cake. Cook Islands reported surplus at the second quarter of 2015 value at T$4.7M USD; (RNZ). At the end of 2018, $37M; (Cook Islands News), 2019 first quarter $16.32M USD; (RNZ). The biggest contributing factor to the surplus was the tourism industry.
Conclusion. As Lee Kuan Yew would say, I would go to Rarotonga and learn how they implemented tourism then come home and do exactly the same. So, I will avoid the mistakes they already made. Tonga send someone to Rarotonga.
I can’t upload the graph. But you can search the word tourism here to see the data https://www*facebook*com/groups/627664284371306/ -
TOURISM OPERATORS NEED EXTENSIVE ENGLISH TUTORING FOR EMPLOYEES...KING TUPOU VI ADVISED: "LEARN ENGLISH FIRST AND FOREMOST" THAN THE 7 POINTS LISTED HERE.
Effective communication skills dealing with tourists must be first skills possessed by taxi drivers, handicraft vendors, hospitality personnel, tour guides, food service attendants, and entertainers, as well.
They must learn and memorize basic verbiage to tourism important features in history, geography, politics, religious sects, local food supply, answers to basic tourist inquiries, and avoid using Tongan non-verbal communication habits (raising eyebrows and shifting eyes during conversation; looking away or downward while someone is asking a question, etc) .
Most Tongan youngsters brag about their English communication skills learned from computer games and movies. But they have difficulties replying to questions or describing a situation to a tourist. Communication skills are the most important traits a country must have to be tourist friendly.
If Tonga wants her people to be tourist friendly, they must learn effective communication skills to explain what is beautiful about Tonga. Don't allow "street smart talk" to service our tourists. Why brag about 98% literacy but we cannot learn our own history and explain it to our tourists?