Accra, Oct 14, GNA - Dr Thelma Thompson, the President of the University of Maryland, US, arrived in Accra on Friday night to present certificates to nine senior staff of the Golden Beach Hotels in Ghana, who were successful in Hotel Administration Programme organised by the university.

The senior staff, made up of five General Managers and four frontline managers went through five weeks of classroom work and one week attachment in a top-notch hotel in the US.

Dr Thompson told Journalists at the airport that the programme was to enhance the capacity of the staff to the international level. ''The tourism industry in Ghana is fast growing and there is the need to step up the hospitality industry in Ghana.'' She will also hold discussions with the Vice Chancellor and some officials of the University of Cape Coast on the establishment of a hotel and Tourism Management Institute at the university that will award certificates from Diploma to Master's level.

Dr Thompson said the Institute is expected to train personnel from the ECOWAS to acquire the skills to enhance the hospitality industry. She said the University of Maryland has an exchange program with the UCC and 12 students from the University of Maryland are in Cape Coast and in January 2006, 10 from the UCC will leave for Maryland.