Tourism players get equipped with unparalleled skills

The Lamu County Government in partnership with the Tourism Fund has commenced training of various tourism stakeholders in a move intended to boost the sector which has been performing averagely in recent days.

As at early July 2024, the Lamu Tourism Industry performance was at 51 per cent. A total of 1,090 international tourists visited the archipelago in the month of June.

Lamu County Tourism Executive, Ms Aisha Miraj has said the 8-day hospitality training program targets hoteliers, including waiters and waitresses, staff involved in preparation of food and beverages, front desk teams, hotel proprietors and managers and the general staff.

They are trained on the best practices to attract tourists to their facilities.

The training is also expected to enable players in the tourism industry to up their game and help them improve on standards expected of them matters tourism.

Ms Miraj said over 100 local youths in the sector are set to benefit from the free training whose climax will see to it bona fide individuals awarded with certificates.

“As a county, we’ve partnered with the Tourism Fund in undertaking this initiative where the latter is the financier of the training. Hotel staff members and owners are being trained in finance and human resource management, statutory compliance, food and beverage production and service, pastry and bakery, housekeeping, laundry, front office, barista, mixology, and bar operations,” said Ms Miraj.

The training, which commenced mid last week, is being undertaken at the Lamu Vocational Centre with facilitators coming from the Coast National Polytechnic. The exercise is expected to end next week. 

“So far we’re okay on how the sector is performing now that it is low season. We’re at 51 percent but we expect the sector to hit over 80 percent mark with the incoming high tourist season. We also have events lined up in this place, including the Governor’s Dhow Race (August), Maulid Festival (September), Yoga Festival in October and the renowned Lamu Cultural Festival in November, all of which are key tourist attractions,” said Ms Miraj.

Tourism Fund Chairperson Samson Some said the ongoing training program in the Lamu circuit is meant to upscale hospitality workers and to address the critical need for skilled professionals in the industry.

Mr Some stressed that their main objective is filling the skills gap in the hotel industry, and building capacity of existing employees who have not received formal training.

“This will in turn help reduce the challenges faced by the hospitality workers in modern establishments in Lamu by equipping them with the right skills required for the tourism industry. And that’s why we’re partnering with the Lamu Vocational Centre to provide such skills,” said Mr Some.

Mr Mohamed Omar, one of the beneficiaries of the training, said he was confident the industry shall not remain the same again following such training.

“We consider the training as crucial because as tourists come to Lamu, there's a need for them to find the standards of hospitality that the service providers are expected to offer whether in the big hotels or the small ones,” said Mr Omar.

Such training is also set to ensure that local and international tourists take Lamu as their preferred destination globally.