An investigation into tourism training needs in the Newcastle local council areas
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Date
1999
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Abstract
The investigation has sought to establish if the people already involved in the tourism industry have undergone any training. If not in which areas do they feel they need training. These areas or aspects in which they fed they need to be trained in, constitute Tourism Training Needs. The investigation has also sought to establish the focus of Tourism Training Programmes in the two institutions, Damelin and Manpower Services Commission Private Colleges, found in the Newcastle Local Council Areas. It has further purported to establish whether these Tourism Training Programmes adequately equip students with all the skills and expertise valuable to the tourism industry job market.
A descriptive survey has been chosen for use in this investigation. Data has been gathered through the use of questionnaires and interview schedules. Two sets of questionnaires with structured questions have been designed for the Frontline Staff and Tourism Students. Three sets of interview schedules have been designed containing semi-structured questions by which the interviewer has probed the interviewees.
Tourism establishments and facilities from which respondents have been drawn have been selected on the basis that they have been within a ten kilometre radius from the Newcastle Central Business District (CBD) and have been accommodating five tourists and more.
This investigation has established that the majority of the Frontline already in the industry are lacking in training and as such they have recommended the establishment of Department of Education and Training for Tourism, Tourism Training Needs have been found to exist and amongst others are communication skills, conflict resolution skills, hospitality skills, hygiene skills, public relations skills and serving skills. The investigation has further established that training (of whichever form/kind) so long as it is related to tourism, has great impact on the Marketing and Service Quality of the tourism establishment and facilities.
Management has been found to have been trained in Non-Tourism management and consequently they feel they need contextualized management training, that is, Tourism Training Management.
The researcher has discovered that Tourism Training Programmes of the two institutions (Damelin and MSC College) focus on Travel Tourism and train students to be employees in the Travel Agencies and Tour Operation Companies.
Description
A dissertation of limited scope submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial of
the requirements for course-work Master of Arts degree in the Centre for Recreation and Tourism at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 1999.
Keywords
Tourism industry -- training needs, Tourism Training Programmes