Solomon Islands focuses on tourism education

Solomon Islands’ Ministry of Culture and Tourism had spent more than USD$62,000.00 to develop the curriculum of the proposed tourism and hospitality course at the country’s highest tertiary institute, the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education.

Tourism Minister Seth Gukuna revealed to the Parliament recently when he answered a question on whether the development of the tourism training course has been finalized and offered at the collage this year. Mr. Gukuna said the certificate course, which will be offered September next year, will be offering 10 units, five electives and the other five, core tourism and hospitality units.

Mr. Gukuna also told the Parliament of the seven training sessions held last year for waiters and bartenders. He said trainings were short and were held to sharpen the service delivery of waitresses and bartenders because no such training was held in the past 20 years.

Mr. Gukuna said five more trainings are planned for this year but have not taken place yet because of the difficulty in meeting needs to implement them.

On whether or not certain functions of the tourism development can be devolved to the country’s nine provinces, Mr. Gukuna said that it would not be appropriate to devolve functions of the ministry to provinces when there is currently nothing in place.

According to the tourism minister, only five provinces have tourism officers, paid for by their own provincial governments, while the other four provinces are without tourism officers.

Mr. Gukuna said officers from the ministry occasionally visit provinces on matters related to tourism.