Stéphanie Balmir Villedrouin, the Minister of Tourism has proceeded earlier this week to the officially inauguration of new premises of the Institute of Hotel and Tourism Training of Haiti (Institut de Formation Hôtelière et Touristique d'Haïti - IFORHTH) [#14 Impasse Lavaud]. In her statement the Minister of Tourism declared "...it is with great emotion that I proceed today to the reopening of our school of Hotel and Tourism. It is indeed for the Ministry of Tourism, a major act of reconstruction, as it is to wear our stone to the formation of our human resources. We begin this new year with the construction and opening of new hotels, created by both foreign and domestic groups among the most prestigious, who represent the confidence placed in the tourism industry in Haiti.

Every time I announced as a battle won, the signing of a new memorandum of understanding, I knew that the victory was incomplete. Because the most important remained to be done, have the appropriate training conditions for the establishment of an Institute of Hotel and Tourism Training, capable of responding to a request for qualified personnel. Finally we arrived safely, with the reopening of our Institute, everyone could understand, while listeningthose who preceded me in this pulpit, that it was a collective work, of an exemplary partnership between the public and the private sector and international partners.



This synergy of wills obtained, testifies of the approach that we must resolutely take to rebuild our country, knowing exactly what we want in a planned, programmed manner, to finally generate the project management and achieve, as today, our goal. It will be necessary that you ensure the essential requirements, firstly a training of quality with a curriculum and diplomas who are constantly adapting to market changes, considering that our domestic market is already in the selection criteria, a component of the international market. A second challenge is to have a training that meets the needs of businesses, with new courses targeted that will be implemented from March 2012 to accommodate the existing staff in tourist establishments. You will need also, to bring a new educational approach that will make of the student, an actor of his training in a constant interplay of teaching and learning where the emphasis will be placed on the transition of the knowledge toward the know-how.

We will make every effort to facilitate internships and training abroad to ensure their direct contact with the change of the world and updating their knowledge..."