Tourism personnel: KBSU solving the problem of specialists shortage

Kabardino-Balkaria now hosts more than two million visitors a year. The mountains, healing springs and rich cultural heritage make the region a magnet for travelers, but the rapid rise of the flow has exposed the industry’s main problem — manpower hunger. As specialists in the field of tourism are trained in the Caucasus, TASS agency’s director of the Institute of Management, Tourism and Hospitality Industry of Kabardino-Balkarian State University shared with correspondents of the information and educational portal «It’s the Caucasus» — Ramazan Liguidov.

Experts estimate that there is a 30-40% shortage of specialists in the hotel and entertainment sectors. It is felt most acutely in Baksan Gorge, where the main tourist load is concentrated. The response to this challenge was the Institute of Management, Tourism and Hospitality Industry KBSU. Created in 2023, it has absorbed more than 20 years of training experience, previously dispersed among different faculties, and built it into a single system. Here not only the hoteliers and organizers of recreation, but also future managers of municipal districts are trained, because every corner of the republic is an independent tourist product that requires proper development and modern approaches.

The key principle of learning is maximum practice. Students from the first courses practice skills on the basis of sanatoriums and spa complexes, learn to work with guests and solve real problems. At the same time, the institute is developing a direction of medical tourism: a register and map of medical and health institutions are being created so that guests can combine treatment with rest and acquaintance with local attractions.

Every year, the university produces 120-130 specialists, of which about 75% remain in the industry. To these are added graduates of specialized colleges, but even the aggregate flow of staff is lacking. Therefore, the institute actively implements retraining and upgrading programs: from modern kitchen management and service standards to craftsmanship and decorative arts. This is where active employees of travel agencies and hotels regularly turn to meet new market requirements.

The task is not just to attract a tourist once, but to make it so that he returns and brings his friends, acquaintances. And for this, the service, development of locations are important so that holidaymakers feel there as comfortable as possible , — shared in an interview with the portal «It’s the Caucasus» Ramazan Liguidov.