Ho, Nov. 01, GNA - Madam Esther Appaw-Agbola, Head of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management of Ho Polytechnic, on Saturday called for the establishment of Hotel Schools in the polytechnics to prepare students adequately for the hospitality industry.

She said currently, due to the absence of such Schools, students lacked practical experience and skills needed for the sector especially for the front office and accommodation operations. Madam Appaw-Agbola said this at a ceremony for final year students of the Department to exhibit practical skills acquired at the Polytechnic during their study. She said departments of hospitality and tourism management at all polytechnics could only function at an optimal level with the establishment of Hotel Schools.

Madam Appaw-Agbola said the Department could not offer "real life hotel" experience in the absence of a Hotel Training School and called on the authorities to work on it in view of the tourism potentials of the hospitality industry.

"If the focus on polytechnic education is the acquisition of practical skills for the country's industries, then we have to rise up and put the necessary facilities in place to impart the relevant skills in a practical way," She said.

Ms Irene Akpene Buamah, a Secretary, said students mostly acquired some practical skills while on attachment with hospitality industries but admitted that such skills were inadequate.