More than 1,000 professionals in the tourism industry are now enrolled in a foreign language training programme which industry experts insist will put all Bahamians working in the tourism sector on the competitive edge.

The Bahamas Hotel Association (BHA) on Tuesday announced that over 1,200 hotel and tourism industry professionals are now enrolled in Live Mocha – the world’s largest provider of online foreign language training, with hundreds more tourism professionals now able to enrol as well.

The programme, now in its second phase, comes following feedback from Latin American passengers, which in the last year, has not been all good.

In fact, Tourism General Manager of Foreign Affairs Shena Newton told members of the press yesterday that a survey of Copa Airlines passengers last August revealed that overall, passengers enjoyed the destination.

However, The Bahamas got low marks for the language barrier that exists.

Ms. Newton said customers who were surveyed said they felt their vacation experience could have been enhanced if that language barrier did not exist.

Well in response to that, the ministry of tourism later partnered with the BHA and the BHA of Human Resource Professionals to begin training industry professionals to speak a second language, primarily Spanish, through Live Mocha.

“Our aim right now is to be able to maintain our growth in this market,” Ms. Newton said.

“Customer service is important. And key to good customer service to the Latin American visitor is being able to communicate with them in their own language.”

BHA Human Resources Professionals President Tameka Forbes said her membership jumped at the opportunity to participate.

“We thought that the timing of the tools was excellent and in keeping with workforce development especially within a second language,” Mrs. Forbes said.

“And in terms of the flexibility of the tool and usage of the tool as a group of HR professionals, we realise that the tool would assist our employees in not only learning a second language, but also coming into contact with language speakers across the world. This really is a global solution.”
BHA members are able to access the programme now in its second phase free of charge.

Non-members will pay $20.