The Catering and Tourism Training Institute (CTTI) under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MoCT) is to organise a tourism and hospitality week for the first time. Officials of the institute indicated that the event that will be held for three days from May 21 will include several events and an exhibition promoting the sector. Dawit Haile, director of CTTI, said that the event will also help promote the quality of the service that the institute is capable to offer. According to the organisers, CTTI students and other stakeholders, including tour and travel companies and hotels, will play a crucial role during the event. Regional tourism offices, governmental and non-governmental organisations are also taking part in the event. “The main aim of organising this event is to create awareness among the public at large about the growing ‘Conference Tourism’ that our country is attracting and get our students to meet with their future employers,†Dawit said. Sustainable tourism development that is related with environment conservation is one of the major issues that will get emphasized on the three-day event. A panel discussion with the tour operators on ‘The challenges of the tourism sector’ is also scheduled to take place on the premises of Genet Hotel, which is part of the institute, located around Mexico Square, in the heart of Addis Ababa. “This event will also be used as part of their training for the CTTI students on effective event organizing, an area that is still very new in our country,†the management of the institute explained. The organisers said that the tourism and hospitality day will take place every year. Established 44 years ago, CTTI has trained professionals in the hospitality sector. It has given training for 10,200 students in the past years and has currently 1,700 students that are being trained in different fields. CTTI plans to introduce degree level training in the coming academic year. The institute also undertakes various studies and offers consultancy services in the sector. It is currently planning to open four branches in regional cities to expand its performance. The number of professionals in the hospitality industry does not effectively reflect the growth of the hotel and tourism sector in the country. The industry actors are strongly complaining about the shortage of professionals in the job market. To resolve the problem, the government has introduced several policies and directives, including expanding the capacity of the institution.