A six-member team from the tourism industry will travel to Guadeloupe on Sunday to kick start a two-week pilot exchange programme.
The delegation will be led by Anthea Watkins of the Antigua Hotels and Tourist Association (AHTA) with the other members being Vellie Rayne and Dajah Roberts of Jolly Beach Resort and Spa, Alana Michael of Jumby Bay, a Rosewood Resort and Shequela James and Latisha Edwards of the Antigua and Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute (ABHTI).
During the two-week exercise, the six will be taught French by professors from the renowned university of La Sorbonne in Paris, France and will tour the territory in addition to interacting with local students.
Watkins said simulations will be conducted as part of the intensive training that has been tailored to suit those taking part in the initiative.
“We are receiving a lot of French guests from Martinique, Guadeloupe and now that the Canadian market is booming we expect a lot of French-Canadians to be coming to hotels so it’s always nice to have persons at the front desk or even in Food and Beverage who have a basic knowledge of speaking French,” the AHTA representative said.
The programme is organised by the Institut de Cooperation Franco Caraїbe (ICFC) managed by Madame Patricia Terriere, Le Club France and the AHTA.
ICFC representative here Christiane Hansen said the course will be offered yearly with consideration being given to the introduction of “a programme in 2014 to train hotel employees in Antigua and Barbuda”. That initiative will be channeled though the ABHTI.”
The team from Guadeloupe is tentatively scheduled to visit the state in January next year.
The exchange programme aims to strengthen cooperation, not only between Antigua and Barbuda and Guadeloupe but with Caricom as well.