Students and other persons interested in a career in tourism were in for a treat last Friday at the Tourism and Hospitality Career Expo at the Methodist Hall.

The event, hosted for the second time by the Ministry of Tourism, Sports and Culture, under the theme ‘Endless Opportunities discover your possibilities’, saw the participation of many industry players within the various sectors.{{more}}

Students from primary schools up to college level were exposed to inner workings of the industry, given displays and demonstrations and had their questions and queries answered by industry experts, including the Division of Technical Education, Hospitality Department of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College.

Lecturer Sharon Francis and her team gave practical demonstrations of table setting and offered information on the various table wares and cutlery involved, along with serving practices and techniques. Francis told SEARCHLIGHT that she is pleased to see the high level of student interest and that she has marked a number of faces that would be in her programme next year. Francis also said that the Hospitality Division has really taken off at her institution, as there are over 210 students in the first and second year enrolled in the programme.

With the coming on stream of the Hospitality and Maritime Training Institute located at Diamond by the end of this year, Francis is optimistic that students will be better equipped to work in the industry locally and abroad. The institute at Diamond will have hotel rooms, conference rooms, its own spa and will be host to real guests, giving students real time training in real life situations, according to Francis.(AC)