Gambia Tourism Board and Gambia Hotel Association (GHA), in collaboration with PUM Netherlands Senior experts, conducted a four-day training on food and beverage skill service for all member hotels at the SunSwing Hotel in Kololi.
Speaking at the ceremony, Marc Van Maldegem, Chairman of the GHA, said customer service is very important in business, describing it as key in hospitality business and in whatever they do, because when someone visits their hotels those people want quality service that would let them enjoy their stay.
For this reason, he added, providing good service is part of meeting customer satisfaction and improving their business.
“We as Gambian hotels want to be the best of the best, and therefore all stakeholders like GTBoard and GHA want to provide training so that we can be the best,” he stated.
Mamodou Bah, director of Quality Control and License at GTBoard, described the training as quite vital and necessary as populations grow, businesses grow, and the tourism industry grows as well.
“In growth you have challenges which increase but most importantly the dynamics do change and as they change the expectations from us also increase,” he said.
As a result, he noted, they and the industry have to be well prepared so they all increase and improve on the standards and services they have in their hospitality establishments.
“I think there is a lot of room for improvement in the areas of hospitality and customer service because we mostly get laid back,” he remarked.
Robert De Gunst, PUM expert, in his remarks, said the training would touch on various areas of the tourism industry.
He urged the participants to discuss with their colleagues and share information, knowledge and skills with them for all to grow for the good of the industry.
