US Virgin Islands Hotel & Tourism Association
Tourism Experts Confirmed for CHIEF Hospitality Conference in Miami
An impressive roster of speakers, including a top executive from Virgin Atlantic, a leading authority on tourism intelligence and a host of respected hoteliers, will address delegates attending the annual Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum, slated to take place from June 2 to 4 at the Hyatt Regency Miami.
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association reports that Britain’s Mark Anderson, executive vice president at Virgin Atlantic, and Trinidadian Dr. Auliana Poon, managing director of Tourism Intelligence International, are among the list of speakers for the high-level forum, which features a number of educational sessions. At CHIEF, the region’s hospitality industry assembles to network, learn, share ideas and collectively brainstorm creative solutions to current challenges.
Respected Caribbean hotelier Sir Royston Hopkin, KCMG, will keynote the conference, addressing the importance of excellence in Caribbean tourism when he delivers his presentation at this year’s event.
Accomplished tourism executive and former CHTA President Simón Suárez, vice president of Institutional Relations and Projects of Grupo Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, will also address conference-goers, along with Bonita Morgan, director of resource mobilization and development of the public sector Caribbean Tourism Organization.
Ewald Beimans, owner and managing director of Aruba’s award-winning and environmentally friendly Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort; Sandro Fabris, general manager of the acclaimed Half Moon in Montego Bay in Jamaica; and sustainable tourism specialist Denaye Hinds, director of sustainability of OBM International, will participate in the conference.
This year’s CHIEF offers attendees the chance to be part of intimate professional development sessions on June 2, produced by Springboard Caribbean and Forbes Travel Guide. The sessions will focus on a “Measure of Success” and “Foundations of Service Leadership” respectively.
During the CHIEF conference, attendees get to customize their experience with a choice of 16 industry-relevant topics throughout the conference. General session tracks focus on leveraging marketing potential, embedding sustainability into tourism offerings and LGBTQ travel.
Other more specialized sessions will highlight areas such as branding strategies, cost management, customer service, local sourcing and upselling.
CHIEF will also recognize Caribbean businesses that masterfully implement best practices in the categories of operations, sales and marketing, environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
Caribbean Hospitality Forum to Offer Unique Solutions to Industry Challenges
Caribbean hoteliers and industry stakeholders will gather in Miami for the third installment of the Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum, slated to take place from June 2-4 at the Hyatt Regency Miami.
Produced by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, CHIEF is a high-level forum, which features a number of educational sessions, where the region’s hospitality industry assembles to network, learn, share ideas and collectively brainstorm creative solutions to current challenges.
“There’s not another forum where you get to meet all these persons talking about energy efficiency, technology, social media and online marketing,” said Sanovnik Destang, President of the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association and Executive Director of Bay Gardens Resorts in St. Lucia.
“You get a chance to interact with regional hospitality professionals and figure out what they’re doing,” Destang added. “Then you realize that you’re not alone. You think that there’s a problem that you’re facing and you’re the only one. You realize that we face all the same challenges. What’s interesting is how people in different islands are dealing with it.”
A rich learning experience, CHIEF has been invaluable to past participants David Moore and Jessica Peguero. The husband-and-wife team runs Hostal Casa Culebra in Puerto Rico, and attended last year’s event in Puerto Rico for the first time.
“We really came here looking for educational opportunities to learn more about the industry … to learn more from other people, and all that so far has been successful,” Moore said.
Particularly beneficial for the pair was connecting with hotel supply vendors, a key component of CHIEF 2017 as well. The latest, most innovative products on offer for the hospitality industry will be presented at the CHIEF tradeshow.
“One of my favorite parts of this has been meeting people in the industry, which is a little bit difficult for us to do in Culebra when we just have our heads down working all the time,” Peguero said. “This is a good break from that during the slow season to make new friends and new partnerships.”
“CHIEF offers a priceless educational opportunity for hoteliers to create a customized plan of success,” said Frank Comito, CHTA’s CEO and Director General.
This year’s CHIEF offers attendees the chance to be part of intimate professional development sessions and customize their experience with a choice of 16 industry-relevant topics. General session tracks focus on leveraging marketing potential, embedding sustainability into tourism offerings and the purchasing power of the LGBTQ community.
Other more specialized sessions will highlight areas such as branding strategies, cost management, customer service, local sourcing and upselling.
“In a nutshell, CHIEF’s educational sessions encourage discourse and inspire hospitality professionals to embrace change and pursue new opportunities,” Comito said.
Attendees will be able to mix and mingle with peers, industry leaders and experts, and will benefit from the expertise of respected Caribbean hotelier Sir Royston Hopkin, KCMG, who will address the importance of excellence in Caribbean tourism when he delivers the keynote presentation at this year’s event.
CHIEF will also recognize Caribbean businesses that masterfully implement best practices in the categories of operations, sales and marketing, environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
Miami Sizzles in Run-up to Caribbean305 Celebration
Nationally recognized culinary leader Allen Susser eagerly anticipates the debut of Caribbean305, the region’s newest gourmet culinary and cultural celebration happening at Miami’s Jungle Island on June 3 at 8 p.m.
Allen believes South Florida is the perfect location to showcase the culinary creativity of the region, represented by professional chefs from 16 Caribbean nations and territories, including Anguilla, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Martin, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“The diversity of the Caribbean is not only in the Caribbean, but it reflects here in Miami,” said Allen, speaking at the media launch of Caribbean305 at Jungle Island earlier this month.
The award-winning, Brooklyn-born chef chose Miami to blaze his own distinctive path and develop his career, not least because he recognizes that the Caribbean inspires so much of the city’s cuisine. “Its culture is Caribbean in its nature. It really is, it’s another land mass that just didn’t become an island. The rest of the Caribbean became (islands). Florida here and especially Miami, we’re Caribbean, believe it or not.”
“Having different countries and (their chefs) cooking here is very exciting for them, but (it’s) actually more exciting for us here in Miami,” he continued, “because we’re getting to taste the authenticity, the love (and) the passion that these chefs (demonstrate) on a daily basis in their homes, in their restaurants (and) in their hotels in the Caribbean.”
He described seeing Caribbean305 come together, with Miami and Caribbean chefs and patrons combined in one place, as “very, very exciting.”
Award-winning Bahamian bartender Marv Cunningham also expressed his enthusiasm for the event, while invoking the importance of the region’s bartenders and mixologists.
“We are about showcasing the best of our islands,” he observed. “We welcome each and every one that comes off of a plane; we want to show and give everyone the best island experience ever. That’s what (me) and my compadres in the mixology world are all about.”
“Caribbean mixologists and bartenders alike, we are more than just cocktail servers. We are psychiatrists, we are comedians,” joked Cunningham, who has twice won the Caribbean Bartender of the Year award during the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s Taste of the Caribbean culinary competition.
Karolin Troubetzkoy, President of CHTA, highlighted the inherent uniqueness of the region’s food. Caribbean cuisine, she observed, is described online as a fusion of African, Creole, Cajun, Amerindian, European, Portuguese, Spanish, Latin American, East Indian, South Asian, Arab, Chinese, Jewish and Javanese/Indonesian cuisine. “Isn’t that interesting … I think maybe we just need to claim this to be Caribbean, right?”
Troubetzkoy believes the event demonstrates that the region has much more to offer than sun, sand and sea. “We have developed amazing Caribbean cuisine, served to you by Caribbean-born chefs with amazing talent.”
Caribbean305 tickets are $95 for general admission, which includes access to the event from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. for an all-inclusive experience of unlimited drinks, food and entertainment. VIP tickets are $140, featuring early entry to the event at 7 p.m. and a VIP lounge area with an exclusive bar, food station and additional seating. The VIP Reception is presented by Cane Run Rum.
Caribbean305, produced by CHTA, is supported by host sponsor Sandals Resorts. Sazerac Company has signed on as a platinum sponsor, serving Cane Run Rum, Black Magic Black Spiced Rum, FRÏS Vodka, Tuaca Originale Italiano and Paddy Irish Whiskey; while gold sponsors include Visit Barbados, the Jamaica Tourist Board and the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism.
TripAdvisor Update to CHTA Members
In response to concerns from members about an escalation of fees and challenges with services from TripAdvisor, CHTA consulted with members to better understand the extent of the problem. Following this, CHTA has met with TripAdvisor representatives to share those concerns and look at how they might be addressed. Members have reported experiencing significant increases in TripAdvisor Business Advantage fees and questioned the method for assessing those increases. TripAdvisor recognized the importance of the Caribbean’s business and expressed a desire to work with our members and CHTA to address concerns.
TripAdvisor has now put in place new protocols for addressing concerns which cannot be resolved at the initial point of contact.
Going forward, hoteliers presented with situations which are not resolved through the existing TripAdvisor management center tools or through discussions with their sales rep on pricing can instead be escalated through CHTA to TripAdvisor’s Global Industry Relations team for an internal review and expedited response. Members should bring an unresolved matter to our attention at: matt@caribbeanhotelandtourism.com
TripAdvisor has also put in place additional resources and information for hotels. Here are two recent articles which they have provided:
For more information on Business Advantage, visit TripAdvisor Insights at https://www.tripadvisor.com/TripAdvisorInsights/n2756/introducing-tripadvisor-business-advantage.
To see how TripAdvisor popularity rankings are determined, visit https://www.tripadvisor.com/TripAdvisorInsights/n2701/changes-tripadvisor-popularity-ranking-algorithm.
TripAdvisor has advised us that they will increase communications with CHTA and clients on new product updates and other industry specific news and relevant research, and looks forward to a productive working relationship.