On Monday, the President Michel Martelly, accompanied by Stéphanie Balmir Villedrouin, the Minister of Tourism in the presence of several local authorities has proceeded to the inauguration of the Institute of Hotel and Tourism Training of Les Cayes (IFORHT). This is the first school of Tourism, that the Government opens outside the capital as part of its efforts to decentralize the training offer.

This new educational structure of trades of ourism proposes to support young people of the region by giving them the opportunity to train in a trade that will help them obtain a job in a growth sector. It gives also committed to improving the quality of service that provides the hotel and tourism establishments in the South destination.

The 68 students of the first class, will be trained in Tourist Welcoming and Hotel Reception during the inaugural session of the initial training. An academic course is planned at the end of the theoretical training, whose duration is set at fifteen months. The trades of receptionist, waiter/bartenders will be reserved for students in continuing education (professionals already working in the field) in the evening shift.

After this first year, officials will expand the academic curriculum of the IFORHT. New promotions can get diplomas in restaurant and bar, in reception and accommodation, in cooking and baking, in technique of touristic guidance and in hotel management and supervision.

This facility housed over two carreaux of land in the town of Faugasse (ten minutes from the city of Les Cayes) was remodeled by the Ministry of Tourism to the tune of 9 million gourdes, from funds of the Treasury public.

The last phase of the project will involve the construction of a training restaurant, a professional kitchen, the development of an accommodation center for teachers and the transformation of the Hotel Macaya of Port-Salut, in hotel of application for IFORHT.

Ms. Villedrouin, reaffirmed her willingness to continue her policy of training, one of the pillars of the areas of intervention of the Ministry of Tourism, by developing a large network of training centers in priority tourist regions that are : West , North, South and the Southeast.

HL/ HaitiLibre