Friday, January 04, 2008 Addressing labor shortage
THE tourism advocate group of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) will spearhead a campaign that will help reduce the labor shortage problem in Cebu’s tourism sector.
This will be the main concern to be tackled by the International Tourism Congress during the Cebu Business Month (CBM) 2008 in May and June.
CCCI tourism committee chairperson Mila Espina noted that the tourism sector in Cebu, particularly hotels and resorts, is experiencing lack of skilled personnel as more workers find better-paying jobs abroad.
She said the problem has reached alarming proportions among managerial positions at hotels, resorts and restaurants.
“You see, we now lack good people in the tourism managerial system, and personnel in the industry. Simultaneously, we are also going to hone the tourist guides to do their job well,” Espina said.
She said the CCCI will also focus on training to produce quality tour guides. The training will focus on improving the English skills as well as the tour guides’ full knowledge of the historic and cultural sites of Cebu, she added.
In an interview with reporters recently, Espina said Cebu should sustain its niche in providing world-class tourism services, like accommodation and high quality hotel management staff.
In previous years, stakeholders in the country’s tourism industry worked on strategies to make Cebu more attractive to international tourists and to become at par with popular destinations in Asia, like Thailand and Vietnam.
“There is a need to find constructive ways to keep tourism skills here, rather than allowing them to serve in international hotels, resorts and cruise ships,” said Espina.
Aside from tourism players, Espina also mentioned the significant role of Cebu’s academe.
She called on academic institutions to actively participate in the International Tourism Congress to find new ways and modern strategies to produce good hoteliers and tourism related skills.
Espina said the 2008 International Tourism Congress will carry the theme “Explore, Excel and Expand.”
She said international tourism manpower experts will be invited to the congress to provide insights on how to keep skilled workers in the tourism sector in Cebu from leaving.
She said CCCI will still hold its international road shows to promote CBM 2008 and to invite tourism stakeholders in other countries to see Cebu’s potentials.
Espina announced that the 2008 Philippine International Tourism Fair (PITF) will also be held in Cebu back-to-back with the CCCI tourism congress. This would make tourism-related events in CBM 2008 a longer one, she added.
The tourism congress will be held on June 18 to 19, while the PITF, which will be organized by the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies, will follow shortly after. (MMM)
