This Week at the SLHTA, January 24th, 2014

Friday, January 24th, 2014   In This Week’s Edition Ministry of Tourism to Host Culture Satellite Accounts Workshop Caribbean Tourism Grew by 1% in 2013 CHTA to Launch New Hospitality, Tourism Conference Chef Nina Compton-Miller “Another Proud Moment for all of Saint Lucia” And the Green Globe Award goes to East Winds Inn Coco Palm Wins 2013 ‘Top Partner Of The Year’ Award From Expedia Carpentry Training Facility for Soufriere Comprehensive School CHTA President on LGBT Travel “The World is Ahead of Us” Quick Links… SLHTA Website SLTB Website Creative Industries Visitor Channel St. Lucia’s Sexy Appeal 8th Wonder of the World World Travel Awards CHTA Website CTO Website Caribbean360 CaribbeanTravel UNWTO Ministry of Tourism to Host Culture Satellite Accounts Workshop     The Government of Saint Lucia has partnered with Secretaria de Informacion Cultural de Argentina (SInCA) on a technical assistance project to strengthen co-operation and knowledge exchange among OAS member states in the area of culture.   The project aims to build capacity towards the development of a Culture Satellite Account for Saint Lucia. It is also expected to facilitate increased awareness of the economic contribution of culture and improve the quality of data used in policy making. SinCA’s project team, headed by Mr. Juan Manuel Zanabria, will provide training to statisticians and cultural practitioners in methodologies, procedures and modeling techniques utilized in the development of this system.   The Ministry of Tourism, Heritage and Creative Industries welcomes this initiative and is working closely with the Department of Statistics in recognition of the need for enhanced collaboration among agencies in the development process of the cultural and creative industries.   The training programme runs from Monday January 27 to Tuesday 28, 2014 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at Auberge Seraphine and will commence with brief remarks delivered by representatives from the OAS, Argentinean Embassy and the Ministry of Tourism. Caribbean Tourism Grew by 1% in 2013   International tourist arrivals grew by 5% in 2013, reaching a record 1,087 million arrivals, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Despite global economic challenges, international tourism results were well above expectations, with an additional 52 million international tourists travelling the world in 2013. For 2014, UNWTO forecasts 4% to 4.5% growth – again, above the long term projections.   “2013 was an excellent year for international tourism” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “The tourism sector has shown a remarkable capacity to adjust to the changing market conditions, fuelling growth and job creation around the world, despite the lingering economic and geopolitical challenges. Indeed, tourism has been among the few sectors generating positive news for many economies”, he added.   The Americas (+4%) saw an increase of six million arrivals, reaching a total of 169 million. Leading growth were destinations in North and Central America (+4% each), while South America (+2%) and the Caribbean (+1%) showed some slowdown as compared to 2012.   Source: United Nations WTO CHTA to Launch New Hospitality, Tourism Conference   The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA)recently announced that it will conduct its first hospitality and tourism conference since 2007 under the banner of the Caribbean Hospitality Industry Education Forum (CHIEF). “The time is right to have a forum that brings together hoteliers and our allied members. It will be an educational and sales setting with a strong focus on the use of technology to improve revenue, yield and efficiency,” said Richard Doumeng, president of CHTA, in a written release. CHIEF will provide a crucial opportunity for hoteliers, hotel association executives and an impressive array of hospitality product and service providers as well as industry experts to network, brainstorm and learn how to be a successful part of the future in the Caribbean tourism industry. “If you want to make more money or save money, you can’t afford not to attend,” said Emil Lee, president-elect of CHTA… Full Story Here Chef Nina Compton-Miller “Another Proud Moment for all of Saint Lucia” Over the past 14 weeks Saint Lucians have been supporting our very own St Lucian born Chef Nina Compton-Miller, daughter of the “Father of the Nation” Sir John Melvin Compton.  This year we have many reasons to celebrate since we are days away from our 35th year of independence. EveryWednesday, St Lucia looks forward to the Top Chef on Bravo TV and on Wednesday 22nd January, the day of the Quarter-Finals, our anxiety grew stronger as we monitored the competition to see who would emerge victorious.   The first challenge was Gail’s and it was about her professional life. According to her, She eats for a living and is always looking for the perfect bite, so the chefs were suppose to create the perfect bite for her on a cocktail fork. Nina Compton serves shrimp escabeche with potato aioli and pickled fennel but it did not turn out to be one of Gail’s favorites, on the other hand Carlos and Nick won her taste buds.   Later, Emeril Lagasse enters (Chefs were surprised) and explained the elimination challenge. They were to take everything they had learned in the city and create a dish that leaves their mark on New Orleans. Emeril and Tom stopped at the chef’s stations to ask them about their experience and what they were going to prepare.  Nina explained that she was creating a dish inspired by Emeril’s barbecue shrimp and biscuit from the previous night’s dinner, though she would be using fish instead of shrimp, and making Italian ricotta dumplings instead of a biscuit.   Nina was up to serve first, and soon after her plates left, realized she had forgotten to add the dumplings. She presents her dish, which is pan seared speckled trout and roasted vegetables.   Then Tom asked her about the dumplings, she admitted that she had forgotten to put them on the plate. Moments later, the judges told her how much they loved the dish as it was, and thought that ricotta dumplings would have been too much.   At 11:55pm Eastern Caribbean Time, the moment we were all waiting for as the judges made the announcement  that Nina and Shirley created the best dishes of the evening. They will definitely be going to the finale in Maui.   She definitely kicked it up a notch! And the Green Globe Award goes to  East Winds Inn East Winds wins important award from Green Globe at Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) annual meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica 12 – 15 – January 2014. The only recipient of this award in the Caribbean ‘Sustainable Leader’ translated means East Winds Inn has set new standards in the field of sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism is attempting to make as low an impact on the environment and local culture as possible, while helping to generate future employment for local people. The aim of sustainable tourism is to ensure that development brings a positive experience for local people, tourism companies and the tourists themselves. The entire “Green Team” at East Winds deserves our Congratulations. East Winds Inn has also won numerous awards including Travellers Choice Award six years in a row from 2008 to 2013. Gareth Leach GM receiving award from Guido Bauer (CEO Green Globle) flanked by Hon. Lorne Theophilus ( St.Lucia Minister of Tourism) and Louis Lewis ( Director of St.Lucia Tourist Board) Learn more about East Winds Inn…CLICK HERE  COCO PALM WINS 2013 ‘TOP PARTNER OF THE YEAR’ AWARD FROM EXPEDIA Top award from leading travel operator received at CHTA   Coco Palm has been lauded with the 2013 “Top Partner of the Year” award at the recent Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) by Expedia Inc., the American-based parent company to several global online travel brands includingExpedia.com, Hotels.com,Hotwire.com, Egencia, Venere, Expedia Local Expert, Classic Vacations and eLong.   “This award is testament that we have embraced technology and worked with our partners in managing our distribution channels. It confirms we have understood our product and use the internet to service the demand of today’s traveler” says Managing Director, Allen Chastanet. He went on to say, “our Revenue and Reservations Manager, Claudine Gilbert, has single handedly managed our partnership and executed our strategies which has earned us this top award. It is a credit to her and the Revenue & Reservations department who manage these channels on behalf of Coco Palm”.   “Starting the year with such an accolade and endorsement by a leading partner such as Expedia is truly an honour and reward for all our hard work over the years” says Feolla Chastanet, Director of Sales & Marketing. “We have focused our energy on our key partners and receiving such a top award means the world to us and our team,” Feolla went on to say.   Presented at CHTA in Jamaica at the Expedia Annual Appreciation Awards, Ernie George, Assistant General Manager / Food & Beverage Manger, received the ‘Top Partner Of the Year’ award from Expedia’s Ana Mota, TravelAds Account Executive Latin America and Caribbean, Expedia MediaSolutions which was clearly the most coveted prize of the night. “It was quite clear this was the most coveted prize of the night. Our Coco Palm Team has put in their time and are reaping the rewards from our partner which makes us a recognized player in the hotel industry” Gerogre went on to say. Expedia represents over 60 hotel partners in Saint Lucia. Carpentry Training Facility for  Soufriere Comprehensive School    The Soufriere Comprehensive Secondary School will soon have a Carpentry Training Facility thanks to a Small Grants Scheme of the German Embassy based in Trinidad and represented in Saint Lucia by their Honorary Consul, Mrs. Karolin Troubetzkoy. A dedication ceremony to open the Soufriere Comprehensive School’s carpentry building was held at the school Thursday afternoon, January 23.   On hand for the ceremony were Mr. Ulrich Kinne, the Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy, Honorary Consul Mrs. Troubetzkoy, Joan Hippolyte, Principal of the Soufriere Comprehensive Secondary School, Mrs. Valencia Charlery, Education Officer for District Eight along with faculty members and students from the school.   “The Carpentry Training Facility comes at a time when the school is confronted with a growing student population interested in adding practical applications and skills to their school experience”, said  Principal Joan Hippolyte. Carl Hunter, Property Manager at Anse Chastanet Resort, who volunteered technical assistance to the school throughout the construction phase in collaboration with retired teacher, Innocent Aimable, added: “The carpentry centre  will assist greatly in bringing the community of Soufriere the required facility to teach and refine the skills of carpentry.  Carpentry is a diverse and strongly needed skill for this region of Saint Lucia with many extended opportunities becoming possible either through new construction, hotel/resort employment and also self employed entrepreneurial endeavours.”   The Carpentry Training Facility will create another avenue for students’ preparedness for the workplace and adds vocational training to the opportunities offered at the Soufriere Comprehensive School.   The new carpentry building was also constructed in such a way as to facilitate future expansion with an additional level if desired.   Mrs. Hippolyte, the principal of the school, noted that this collaborative undertaking not only reduced overall costs via the use of sweat equity but also gave a stronger sense of ownership to all involved as personal commitment was required and given. More than 600 students ages 11 – 16 attending the school will benefit from the Carpentry Training Centre. It is expected that approximately 60 students will graduate annually with the Carpentry Qualification prepared to enter the workplace.   The school has now initiated a fund drive to raise money for the purchase of carpentry equipment and tools for the facility, which is scheduled to be in operation and part of the curriculum by the opening of the new school year in September.  CHTA President on LGBT Travel:  “The World is Ahead of Us”   Travel Agent Central chatted with Richard Doumeng and learned that the current president of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) is pretty passionate about theCaribbean marketing to same-sex couples.   “The gay and lesbian market is a market that found us,” he says. “They come here in numbers and are treated very well when they do come here and yet we are still not targeting them. The Caribbean is truly missing out on a significant segment that is popular year after year and has incredible disposable income and wants to travel.”   “I think the traditional Caribbean islands have perhaps let it be known that they don’t want the market and while that needs to be respected, I wish that it would change,” he says. “I hope someday, sooner than later, we as a region embrace marriage equality because we are missing a golden opportunity for great business. More and more of the world is  …READ MORE