[photopress:hawaii.jpg,full,alignright]The Chinese government is spending $1.3 billion to bring its hotel’s hospitality services up to standards. That’s because the World Tourism Organization says China will be the number one tourist destination by the year 2020. China wants to make sure it’s ready.
Chinese delegates have signed an agreement with University of Hawaii Community Colleges. The agreement will allow UH to train China’s culinary arts teachers in the ways of western hospitality. The point is to get China’s hotels up to par with other international travel destinations for an important event happening in 2008.
‘They’ve built hundreds of new hotels and they need to have these hotels staffed with quality people, especially in Beijing by the year 2008 for the Olympics,’ said Ronald Takahashi, Chairman of Kapiolani Community College’s Culinary Arts program. ‘We’ve come to get experience from the University of Hawaii and the hotels that we visit,’ said Zhang Zhaoyuan, of China Higher Education Training Center. ‘For example, the new concept on how to run a business that provides better service and a more personal touch for all visiting guests.’
The proposed program will bring Chinese educators to Hawaii for eight to 10 week training courses. Students will also intern at local hotels, like the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The road to the agreement began when several culinary arts teachers from Hawaii went to China last August and proposed the idea to the Chinese government.
Source: KGMB9