JEDDAH: Tourism development authorities are considering a plan to help taxi drivers improve their customer relation skills, according to a report in the Arabic daily Al-Madina. Abdullah Bin Suliman Al-Wachail, director of the National Project for the Development Of Human Resources for Tourism, said the first stage of the project will target 8,000 taxi drivers and let them know how important it is to be courteous and professional to customers now that non-religious tourism has been approved.
In addition, he said the project will also carry out a series of training courses for craftsmen and women in different regions to teach traditional crafts like carpet weaving and basket making. "By virtue of these courses, we aim to instill in their minds that such craft works are essential elements for promoting domestic tourism," Al-Wachail said. Al-Wachail said Saudization of tourism jobs will play a significant role in the Labor Ministry's plan to secure 2,600 job opportunities for the national job seekers. The plan, he said, provides training to four groups of job seekers: tourist guides, accountants for travel agencies, travel reservation and ticketing clerks, and tourist program designers.
Each course is eight months long, with the first four months dedicated to general training and the remaining four months for professional training in the area of the specialization, Al-Wachail said. Trainees will also take a crash-course in English.
The project is currently working with an international company specialized in hotel training, operation and hospitality to increase the number of Saudi nationals who can operate and manage hotels, he added.
© The Saudi Gazette 2006
