Western Hospitality Institute started in 1988 as a practical (skills) training institution, facilitating students through competency based education and training. The institution’s mandate was to provide training in the discipline areas of hospitality and tourism. As a non-government institution, WHI struggled to have its programmes recognized at the local level, as most of the students who atended WHI at the time did not have the relevant qualifications required to pursue studies in the local government-aided tertiary institutions.