US Virgin Islands Hotel & Tourism Association
Applications Available for 2016 CHTA Education Foundation Scholarships: Is a member of your team pursuing higher education in hospitality? Do you see your employees as the future leaders of the Caribbean tourism industry? Help us spread the word about the CHTA Education Foundation (CHTAEF). CHTAEF is now accepting applications for its scholarship program through March 31. CHTAEF provides academic, professional development, tourism and hospitality teacher, work experience placements and internship awards to Caribbean nationals who demonstrate a strong commitment to the industry. CHTAEF scholarships range, on average, from $500 – $5,000 and are exclusively used towards tuition costs. For the guidelines and application, click here.
CHTA’s Best Practices for Creating a Successful Year: CHTA shared five New Year business resolutions you should keep in 2016 to create a more successful business: Sell the Experience; Keep it Mobile; Video Marketing; Human Capital; and Food. Click here to read the full article.
CHTA Marketplace Attracts Over 1,100: Hundreds of Caribbean tourism vendors from around the world gathered at the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s Caribbean Travel Marketplace 2016 held at the Atlantis, Paradise Island from Jan. 21-23.
The event brings together tour operators, hoteliers and tourist boards, and is instrumental in creating a buzz in the international marketplace as hundreds of journalists, bloggers and media personalities are also in attendance. Some attending countries included Russia, Denmark, Sweden, France, Italy, Brazil, Columbia and Mexico.
Director General of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism Joy Jibrilu said they were delighted to host the event again for the fifth year.
“Throughout the region, all of our tour operators, hoteliers and even airlines descend on the [sic] island and we attract the world. They have the opportunity to meet the region [sic] in one place,” she said.
“We are taking the opportunity to take our travel agents and tour operators to a myriad of family islands… Planes are coming in and the hotels are full. Atlantis is smiling and saying that this is a great January for them aided by the fact we have this conference. This has really boosted our economy in ways that we cannot even begin to imagine,” added Jibrilu.
A number of exhibitors also spoke about the conference.
“It’s a great opportunity to meet with suppliers in one place and in one spot. The goal is to sign as many contracts as you possibly can to increase business and it has been very well represented,” said Vice President of Marketing for Breezes Zein Issa.
Randia Coakley, creative director of Bahamas Boutique Hotels, said she grabbed the opportunity to be a part of the marketplace.
“We decided to come because we wanted to meet with the media. This is phase one where we are attracting different media so that, when we launch officially, we would already have an audience,” she said. “This has been beneficial for us and we are going to do it again.”