Tourism Minister's Advisor for Training: A plan for intensive one-year programs for employees and representatives of tourism companies
By Akram Medhat
The training course launched by the Chamber of Tourism Companies at Al Masa Hotel in the New Administrative Capital concluded today with the participation of 220 companies. The chamber organized tours for all participants to visit the Ministries District, Al-Fattah Al-Aleem Mosque and the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ. The course featured rich lectures and discussions supporting the comprehensive development of the tourism sector within the structural reform plan adopted by the Ministry of Tourism, attended by the chamber's board and Dr. Soha Bahgat, Advisor to the Minister of Tourism for Training.
In this context, Hossam El-Shaer, Chairman of the Board of the Chamber of Tourism Companies, praised the success of the first training course in attracting this large number of companies and the participants' keenness to attend all lectures and sessions, which confirms company owners' awareness and appreciation of the importance of training courses in developing and advancing the tourism sector.
El-Shaer noted that this course was held in coordination between the chamber and the Ministry of Tourism, pointing out that holding it in the New Administrative Capital reflects the tourism sector's confidence in what this city represents as a strong addition to Egypt and the tourism industry, and seeks to put it on the map of international conference tourism given its promising potential in this field.
He added that company owners are also interested in having workers and employees take part in training programs, realizing that their success is linked to how much employees' performance develops, stressing that the sector will see great development in the coming period as a result of the training programs. He noted that the board is providing all possible budgets to develop and train the tourism sector, covering all tourism specializations, with training courses held weekly inside and outside the chamber's headquarters.
El-Shaer said training had been neglected in tourism companies in past years, with hotels getting the larger share of all forms of support provided to the sector, adding that the chamber is paying attention to the tourist transport file and aims to train 15,000 drivers in the coming period.
El-Shaer explained that the chamber is currently seeking to issue tourism licenses titled Tourist Vehicle Driver as an alternative to professional and private licenses, and any driver who does not carry the companies chamber's ID card will be held accountable, especially as this license confirms that the driver has undergone all the training courses and tests set by the chamber.
On the other hand, El-Shaer stressed the importance of e-tourism and of setting rules to maintain respect for contracts with foreign tourists who booked online, and called on tourism companies to specialize in a particular type of tourism, as that helps development and creates real competition, transparency and integration among companies.
For her part, Dr. Soha Bahgat, Advisor to the Minister of Tourism for Training, said the ministry's plan was set after sessions and workshops with experts and a study of all the problems limiting the efficiency of the human element, so regular and continuous training courses were prepared that do not depend on specific individuals.
She added that the training plan aims to raise the efficiency of the human element, starting with the Chamber of Tourism Companies because they are the first to deal with tourists, and the attendance of 220 companies confirms owners' sufficient awareness of the importance of training, noting that the ministry brought in a specialized company to implement the training programs.
She announced a short-term one-year plan with the chamber's training committee through intensive programs with employees, representatives, managers and company owners, including actively training the tourist transport fleet, stressing that the Ministry of Tourism's role is to prepare a legislative system that regulates and ensures the efficient continuation of training programs.
