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Feature Member:
Baron Foods Ltd
Within the West Indian archipelago lies the beautiful Island of St Lucia. This lush, tropical paradise is home to Baron Foods Limited, a dynamic and reputable manufacturing company with a HACCP certified product range of condiments and beverages which includes exotic sauces, spices and drink cocktails. Our authentic and distinctively Caribbean-style products transform each and every culinary endeavor into a gourmet experience. Several of our products have won International awards in North America and Europe and our company has been named Manufacturer of the Year by the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce and the St. Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association for several years in succession. Our Managing Director has won the coveted Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award which is a regional honor. We boast a young, vibrant and motivated staff of highly trained, qualified and experienced personnel whose mission is to meet the ever-changing tastes of both the local and international markets. In keeping with our commitment to World Class Manufacturing, we critically and continuously analyze and improve our standards of performance in our quest for excellence.
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In Other News…
Creole Heritage Month
BARNARD HILL, CASTRIES, Saint Lucia: Programming for the La Marguerite Flower Festival is fully underway, with community séances continuing this weekend, marking the commencement of La Marguerite Flower Festival celebrations in Saint Lucia.
The Cultural Development Foundation, on Friday 20th September, released Saint Lucia’s official 2013 La Marguerite Festival Community Events Calendar. The calendar lists the various events being held in communities around the island to celebrate the La Marguerite Flower Festival. Read Entire Article
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La Haut Resort celebrate “Mange Nou Meme” for the entire month of October.
Room accommodation at affordable rates to include, complimentary Creole drink on arrival, Creole breakfast morning after, Creole gift basket.
Come Sample our Creole lunch and dinner daily. Bouillon available everySaturday.
Complimentary shuttle available from the Soufriere fire station to La Haut at fix times.
For more reservations or more information contact us at
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Training presents a major opportunity to expand the knowledge base and competences of all employees, on the other hand establishments find it expensive to accommodate the cost of these training and development opportunities. Employees also miss out on work time while attending training sessions, which may delay the completion of various tasks.
Despite the potential drawbacks, training and development provides both the company as a whole and the individual employees with benefits that make the cost and time a worthwhile investment.
The Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA) have had a number of training and development workshops and programmes to strengthen the competences of employees within its membership. We continue to lament the importance of these opportunities, especially in a diverse, demanding and competitive industry. We offer these programmes through our Educational and training Institutions:
- Bonne Cachille
- Monroe College
- Gama Investment Inc.
- WUT – School of Business
- Division of Hospitality Studies (SALCC)
- Springboard Training & Consultancy Ltd
- Caribbean Institute of Hospitality Management & Culinary Arts
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Staff Recognition
Treasure Bay Casino
The management team of the Treasure Bay Casino recently paid tribute to all the crewmembers who excelled in performing their various duties and contributed selflessly to the prosperity of the organization and its members.
Our employees continue to be the most valuable resource in any establishment and it is important to show appreciation for their dedicated and quality service.
Tripadvisor comment:
Very Nice Small Casino
“The casino is somewhat small by some standards, but the staff makes everyone seem very welcome. The table games are somewhat limited, but there was not a very big crowd, so that was not an issue.
One difficulty was that there was no food available onsite; so you had to go elsewhere to get a bite to eat. The drink service was not up to par as there were no free drinks for the gamblers, not even water. After I had played for a while, I did get a complimentary bottle of water.
Another problem is the parking, or more acurately, the lack of parking.
I visited there 3 times during my stay on the island and overall; it was an enjoyable experience.”
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Saint Lucia hosted
1st Annual
“LOVE ELEVATED”
Wedding Symposium
From September 26 – 29, 2013, Saint Lucia hosted a roster of destination wedding experts during the first annual “LOVE Elevated” Wedding Symposium. Noted speakers include renowned Director of Romance for Sandals Resorts, Marsha-Ann Brown, New York based wedding planner Sarah Pease; Denise Favorule, Executive Vice President of the XO Group; Erika Hueneke, Senior Weddings Editor of Destination Weddings & Honeymoons magazine; Lynne Leger, Vice President of Wedding Solutions at David’s Bridal; Charles Oster, Director of Sales and Marketing for MyWedding.com, along with other on-island wedding planning specialists, including Natalie John owner of Dreamy Weddings. Seminar topics ranged from “Marketing to Brides; Best Practices” to “Creating the Ideal Destination Wedding Experience.” The weekend also included site visits to idyllic locales around the island, a showcase of island wedding vendors hosted at Sandals Grande and attendees received the opportunity to observe a mock wedding in the ruins of the iconic Pigeon Island National Landmark. The intention is that the international delegates get to actually participate in and experience a destination wedding. A sunset cruise cocktail reception and picturesque boat ride to the South of the island to see the natural mud baths of the Sulphur Springs and the UNESCO World Heritage Pitons, rounded out the weekend activities.
“The island’s natural beauty coupled with a number of world-class resorts has made Saint Lucia one of the most sought after wedding destinations in the Caribbean,” said Louis Lewis, Director of Tourism for the Saint Lucia Tourist Board. “Building on our reputation as the most romantic island, we aimed to make this event an industry leader and sought to attract the best minds, talent and innovation in the destination wedding market.”
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SAVE THE DATES
US TRAVEL AGENTS FAM TRIPS
OCTOBER 17TH – 21st
WELCOME RECEPTION: FRIDAY 18TH OCTOBER
AT THE ROYAL BY REX RESORTS- 7:30 PM
OCTOBER 24TH – 28th
WELCOME RECEPTION: FRIDAY 25TH OCTOBER, 2013
AT THE BAY GARDENS HOTEL- 7:30PM
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SLHTA Tourism Enhancement Fund
“Together for a better Saint Lucia”
While many considered the impact of the Value Added Tax (VAT) on Saint Lucia’s economy on the first year anniversary of its implementation, 1st October 2013, the SLHTA was hosting a press conference at Sandals La Toc Golf Resort & Spa to launch another major initiative to once again signal its absolute commitment to the development of the people and island of Saint Lucia. The SLHTA, with support from its member hotels, was pleased to announce the commencement of the Tourism Enhancement Fund, to be funded by a voluntary contribution of $2 USD per night from visitors to the various hotels on island. The Tourism Enhancement Fund was created to allow the SLHTA to play an integral part in the sustainable development of our destination. Through the Tourism Enhancement Fund, the SLHTA will be able to direct development efforts where they are most needed. We will be able to support projects specific to ensuring that our island is clean and safe for visitors and residents alike, including the beautification of specific areas of our island.
Through The Tourism Enhancement Fund, we will be able to make greater contributions towards community development initiatives in rural areas and support efforts to preserve our environment and expose other stakeholders to environmentally sustainable tourism practices. There also will be strong focus on education and hands-on training initiatives for our young people to give them a better chance of finding employment in our industry. We would also like to spearhead programs for our work force to achieve higher standards to be able to strengthen our island’s presence in an ever more competitive international tourism marketplace.
Our hotels are proud to be part of this exciting initiative in light of the many challenges we are facing as a country. Together, we recognize the importance of tourism to the livelihood of Saint Lucia’s future generations. The success of this fund will serve as another sign of our industry’s commitment to the island and willingness to sustain the viability of our product.
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Marketing Techniques for Small Hotels in Saint Lucia
The Caribbean Development Bank, through its Caribbean Technological Consultancy Services (CTCS) network, in collaboration with the St Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association and GAMA Learning Institute will be hosting a five-day training workshop on Marketing Techniques for Small Hotels in Saint Lucia. The workshop will assist small hotels to build capacity to more effectively promote and market their products and services and improve business performance. Areas to be covered include:
- Overview of status of the industry in the region;
- Benefits and importance of marketing;
- Developing a marketing strategy;
- Main sources of marketing portals and costs and benefits;
- Brand development and new trends in brand management;
- Marketing your business through social media;
- Gaining market share through marketing;
- Difference between sales and marketing; and
- Developing a marketing action plan.
For further information, please contact Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association at 453-1811, info@slhta.com or Angelina Jn-Francois at GAMA Learning Institute at 453-7719, gamainstitute@yahoo.com.
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Clean Up Campaign
Invitation to Participate
The Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Solid Waste Management Authorityis pleased to announce efforts to spearhead a Clean-Up Campaign in the North of the island. This initiative forms part of the Association’s efforts to encourage a cleaner environment for visitors and residents alike.
The Clean-Up Campaign will take place on Saturday 12th October 2013 from 6:00am to 10:30am and the areas selected for this clean up initiative are the vicinity of Pigeon Island, the Gros Islet Highway and Rodney Bay. The SLHTA has created various zones which will be assigned to participating members to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of the Clean-Up Campaign.
The zones are as follows:
- Zone 1 – The Landings to Pigeon Island Junction
- v Zone 2 – The Pigeon Island Junction to Gros Islet Junction
- v Zone 3 – The Gros Islet Junction to the SLHTA/Super J Junction
- v Zone 4 – The SLHTA/Super J Junction to Naval Base Junction
- v Zone 5 – The Rodney Bay Junction to Rituals
- v Zone 6 – The Naval Base/Vegan Restaurant to Rituals
- v Zone 7 – Rituals to Happy Day Bar
Participants will be provided with the following:
- T shirts
- Water throughout the clean up
- Breakfast at the end of the clean up
Therefore, The SLHTA would like your participation in this very important initiative. Please confirm your participation by emailing Wendel George at info@slhta.com by Tuesday 8th October 2013. Thank you.
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Saint Lucia Celebrates Chocolate Heritage Month
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| This October with Sweet Deals for Travelers |
SAINT LUCIA (October 1, 2013) This October, Saint Lucia will once again celebrate Chocolate Heritage Month recognizing the role cacao and its beloved byproduct chocolate has played in its history. With a number of on-island experiences, the month-long festivities will delve into Saint Lucia’s cacao roots, offering travelers unbeatable island-wide hotel and resort promotions for plenty of chocolaty fun.
Visitors can indulge in the island’s rich heritage through specialized plantation tours, available at a variety of locations including the Marquis Estate, Anse Mamin Plantation, Emerald Estate, Morne Coubaril Estate and La Dauphine Estate. The Chocolate Decadence Tour by Island Routes Tours takes guests on a luxury catamaran from Castries port to the Rabot Estate for an all-day tour that includes chocolate making from scratch, and a chocolate infused gourmet meal followed by a leisurely afternoon at the Sulphur Springs’ mud bath.
Travelers can dine on cocoa-inspired dishes dreamed up by leading island chefs and partake in exclusive chocolate spa treatments. Island visitors can follow Saint Lucia’s Chocolate Heritage Trail map at www.facebook.com/SaintLuciaTouristBoard, which highlights the island’s sweet spots, including history, key sites and special offers.
“Travelers are in for a sweet surprise when they visit Saint Lucia during Chocolate Heritage Month,” says Tracey Warner-Arnold, deputy director of tourism. “Saint Lucia’s cacao culture begins with the plantation tours where visitors can actually harvest the beans and follow the process through to experience our creative cuisine, infused spa treatments and even delicious local traditions like cocoa tea.”
Chocolate Heritage Month promotions offered by island hotels and resorts this fall include:
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SLHTA Honorary Member: Mrs Eileen Paul
Eileen Paul has had a long and varied career spanning over fifty years. She has been a teacher, employed in Commerce, at a Statutory Board and the St. Lucia Civil Service. She later qualified as a Certified Teacher of Speedwriting Shorthand, and between 1984 and 1989 taught Secretarial Practice part time at the National Secretarial Institute, which turned out a cadre of secretaries who have moved on to higher positions in the commercial and corporate sectors and even their own businesses.
But Eileen Paul is best known for her work in the field of Tourism and Hospitality. She entered this field at a time when tourism was neither understood nor accepted by the general public nevertheless she worked tirelessly at the St. Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association to facilitate its acceptance contributing in no small part to the high profile which it enjoys today.
She recalls that in 1973 when she joined the Hotel Association (as it was known then) membership consisted of six hotels and seven restaurants. The Association had no functioning office and her office accommodation consisted of a desk at the St. Lucia Tourist Bureau on Jeremie Street.
She is currently the Chairperson of the Fundraising Committee of the Le Pavillon Royal Museum, Treasurer of the St. Lucia Floral Cooperative Society, a member of the Events Advisory Committee of the SLHTA, and sits on the Advisory Committee of the Caribbean Institute of International Hospitality Management & Culinary Arts. She also finds the time to attend rehearsals and sing with the Evergreen Singers.
She is gratified that today the St Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association with a membership of over 200 members has become the voice of the hospitality industry, particularly in the area of advocacy and in 2010 the Board of Directors unanimously agreed to name the Boardroom in her honour.
Eileen Paul has received Awards and Citations and been presented with the following:
Professional Service Award 1994
Professional Secretaries Association
Lifetime Achievement Award 1997
Ministry of Tourism
Certificate of Appreciation 2004
Mount Saint Vincent University/Commonwealth of Learning
Dedicated Service Award 2005
Saint Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association
Member of the British Empire 2007
Queen’s Birthday Honours
Honorary Member of the SLHTA 2010
Saint Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal 2012
Office of the Governor General
Mrs. Eileen Paul is an inspiration and a true gem to the Association!!
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Saint Lucia Health & Wellness Retreat
Join us at the Saint Lucia Health and Wellness Retreat, where you can reconnect with the one that matters most – Yourself. Enjoy yoga, nutrition and weight loss seminars, fitness training, general wellness and spiritual awakening taught by foremost experts, in a setting that’s nothing short of extraordinary.
At Saint Lucia’s Health and Wellness Retreat, learn how to lighten body, mind and spirit in seminars with some of the world’s foremost experts on health and wellness. Take inspiration from Saint Lucia’s natural beauty and augment that with an active and varied itinerary for a truly transformative holistic experience.
The tropical island paradise of Saint Lucia is the perfect haven for rejuvenation, restoration and renewal. Home to some of nature’s most precious natural attractions, coupled with world class spas in a number of island resorts, Saint Lucia is a natural fit for spiritual and physical awakening.
With ample time for relaxation, the three-day retreat will feature seminars, activities such as beachside massage therapy, Tai Chi and yoga instruction, and healthy cooking demonstrations. Also included are daily spa treatments at participating resorts as well as the opportunity to indulge in the natural therapeutic benefits of Soufriere’s mineral and mud baths.
The various activities will take place in locales across the picturesque island, from Pigeon Island National Landmark in the north of the island to the UNESCO World Heritage Pitons at the southern town of Soufriere.
Check out the programme of activities here.
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Letter to Allied Members – SOTIC
Dear Caribbean Tourism Business Partners:
The CTO’s State of the Industry Conference to be held in Martinique, October 16-18 is just over two weeks away and we look forward to seeing you there.
This year, as part of the program, the Caribbean Tourism Organization has, by popular request, scheduled another networking session between Ministers, Commissioners and Directors of Tourism and our Allied Members, but we are adding a new twist to make the experience more meaningful for you. To make the session a success, we need your help. Please let us know what expertise you bring to the region, which country you are particularly interested in working with or the opportunities you are looking for in the region.
We will ask our member countries to identify the expertise they are looking for to assist with the development of their destination’s tourism. We will then match your interest with the destinations’ desire so that the session is a win-win for both of you.
Please note that this opportunity is available to financial members of the Organization only, so please ensure that your membership dues are current if you want to participate in this session.
We look forward to hearing if we can be of additional service and to a rewarding experience in Martinique for you.
Very best regards.
Sylma Brown Bramble
Director, CTO-USA, Inc.
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