MIT/GIZ in tourism training pact

The Malawi Institute of Tourism (MIT) and GIZ, a German organisation have underscored the need for skills development of human resource in the travel and tourism industry.

Tourism, which is regarded as a potential area for improved forex generation in Malawi—needs well trained human resource to help attract more clients.

This follows a training MIT and GIZ held in Blantyre, to update each other on how to deal with both local and international travellers to tourism attraction areas.

MIT Training Manager, Happy Kalongonda, said skills development is vital in the sector because it is still an industry which has not been utilised fully.

She said MIT is poised to providing special and improved courses befitting the local and international market.

“This meeting with GIZ is one such training that aims at equipping the industry with improved skills,” she said.

The meeting drew participants from tourism and travel spheres. This was in view of the fact that a well equipped human resource is vital towards profit making.

GIZ Development Advisor in Malawi, Norah Eichkorn, said training is one of the many projects that the organisation is doing jointly with MIT.

“We recently developed a new curriculum for the industry and through this we expect more results,” she said.

During the training participants held various group discussions so as to understand how the tourism and travel business is supposed to operate.

Two weeks ago Berlin told Lilongwe to take tourism as a priority during budget allocations because the sector has the potential to end economic challenges that come with poor forex generation.

Captains of industry and economists say that Malawi no longer generates more forex—as it used to do—because of the bleak future surrounding tobacco, the country’s green gold.

MIT was established to offer training in hospitality and food and beverages to Malawians who have the Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) and those willing to upgrade.

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