Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE National College of Tourism (NCT) has been called upon to offer training to women groups on how to process traditional foodstuffs and serve in flights.
NCT has to broaden its services in different parts of the country and see the national carrier – Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) offer such services, instead of banking on foreign modern products. Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner (RC), Ms Anna Mghwira has drummed up for traditional foodstuffs that she said have good taste, and could attract a lot of customers as well as map Tanzania’s name abroad.
RC Mghwira said at a function in Arusha that the initiative could be of great help in tourism promotion for the country that is endowed with many tourism attractions, including the world’s highest freestanding mountain – Kilimanjaro as well as more than 20 national parks and many cultural tourists’ sites.
Ms Mghwira said there is a need to improve production and preparation of the traditional foodstuffs that will be sold to tourists at a higher, but acceptable price. She was speaking while launching training of food processing to 50 women from different groups, the training that took place at NCT Arusha Campus.
She called upon NCT to liaise and cooperate with the Ministry of Works, Transport, so that such foods that are being produced at the college be sold in different planes and trains, so as to reach many people and broaden the traditional foods market in the country.
“Cooperate with the Ministry of Transport so that the goods that you produce – traditional foodstuffs are sold in the flights and even in trains, more people get to know them, admire and promote the name of Tanzania as well as tourism,” said Ms Mghirwa.
NCT Chief Executive, Dr Shogo Sedoyeka, said the training is aimed at improving traditional food value chain as well as broadening its business that should be done in high quality.
“Activities related to processing of traditional foods have not being done in the high and required quality, so we have initiated this training so that more experience and knowledge is instilled in the women,” said Dr Sedoyeka.
The college has initiated courses at certificate and diploma levels in four campuses of the country named as Bustani, Temeke, Mwanza and Arusha. They have a total of 1,087 students. The college teaches, among other things, transportation, hospitality, food preparation, guiding guests, events coordination and receptions facilitation.
Ms Francisca Masika who is the owner of Nature Responsible Safari said there are many challenges in offering essential creative services that lead tourists not to be content. He said the training will boost the tourism sector among women in traditional food preparation and increase the number of tourists in the country each year.
