US Virgin Islands Hotel & Tourism Association

Education and Training Committee: Join members of the leadership team and the USVIHTA staff at the Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas for Legendary Service Training April 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This program is designed for service professionals interested in learning how to translate the Ritz-Carlton service philosophy, service values and gold standards into exceptionally high levels of customer engagement and loyalty. Space is limited, so only three participants per company may register. Please contact Nicole Friday at nicole@usvihta.com or call the Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas at 340-775-3333 ext. 8402 to register.

Membership Committee: The association wants YOU to join the Membership Committee! The committee needs your help to achieve its goals in 2015. The mission of this committee is to increase the association’s membership by offering valuable benefits and building community awareness. If you have new and creative ideas to bring to the table, contact Nicole Friday at nicole@usvihta.com or call the HTA office at 340-774-6835!

Environmental Committee: The Environmental Committee met in March and discussed Blue Flag in depth. Valerie Peters offered updates on several Blue Flag beaches and marinas. Emerald Beach and Crown Bay have both been working to update their facilities. The committee is also looking at possible new candidates for next year. They want to continue to encourage outreach and for everyone to participate in activities offered by Blue Flag.

The Board of Directors asked the committee to work on a “Keep Our Islands Clean” initiative. The committee plans to work with the Waste Management Authority as well as schools to get the message out.

Advocacy Committee: The Advocacy Committee met with Gov. Kenneth Mapp and his administration at their March meeting. They had a productive meeting getting to know the new administration and learning about their plans for the territory. Mapp plans to move the government of the Virgin Islands forward through many avenues, one being tourism. They discussed everything from overnight hotel stays to cruise ships visitors. The administration also voiced its support of the Downtown Revitalization Project.

Board members had an opportunity to pose questions as well as discuss concerns and offer suggestions for the new administration. They discussed topics such as infrastructure, transportation, tourism awareness and customer service.