Spreading the word

SOME concern has been expressed at the lack of awareness of VSPY ’95 on a regional level during the TCSP’s annual general meeting and the South Pacific Tourism Conference in Tonga earlier this year.

In response to that concern which was

repeated during subsequent meetings of

the regional planning committee, the

TCSP’s head of education and training, Jese Sikivou, has devised a training session that is being done as part of the ho tel and cater

ing training programme in the region.

“This has been a very real concern because we have found that there is a great lack of awareness in the region,”

Sikivou said. “The service providers should be the ones to know what is happening but they do not.” These, Sikivou said, included the airport work ers from the custom officials to the taxi

drivers.

“l t i s essential that all those involved in the programme are aware of the expectations of the visitor in order for VSPY ’95 to be a success,” Sikivou said.

He said it was a good opportunity for the host communities to make a contri-

bution to the way they wanted the

industry to develop. “The whole premise

of the TCSP is being done for the benefit of our member countries which have maintained that tourism is the best sustainable development alternative for the region,” Sikivou said.

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