A change of venue from a Caribbean venue to a U.S. location for the first time marks this year´s annual Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference (CHIC). Sponsored by the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), CHIC is slated for June 26 through 29 at the Hyatt Regency, Miami.
Past conferences have taken place in locations with large convention centers, such as the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Cancun, Mexico.
Berthia Parle, President of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), says that Caribbean media houses and the regional private sector need to recognize more the important role that tourism plays in the development of Caribbean economies.
However, she added that she was heartened to hear Sir Dwight Venner, Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) recently underscore tourism´s key contribution to the region´s economic growth.
Interval International has made a three-year commitment to the Caribbean Hotel Foundation (CHF), the education arm of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), to sponsor a new scholarship fund for Caribbean students to pursue hospitality and tourism studies.
The Interval International Hospitality and Tourism Scholarship will be endowed with $15,000 per year for a total of $45,000.
The Caribbean Hotel Assn. (CHA) and its publishing arm, Gold Book Publishing (GBP), are investing on the position of strength and optimism where the Caribbean tourism industry finds itself once again, with the second edition of Caribbean Meetings & Events, launched in 2004, and the fourth edition of the Caribbean Travel Planner - two marketing publications to promote travel to the Caribbean.
Pegasus Solutions, a world leading U.S. company in technology services for hotels and travel agencies, has just announced intentions to beef up its historic ties with the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA).
Beginning this year, hotels under the wing of CHA will have access to a broad array of services provided by Pegasus Solutions, including distribution and marketing of its UNIREZ and UTELL affiliates.
Sandals, the Jamaica-based hotel chain, walked out of the 2004 World Travel Awards in Barbados with top honors as the leading hotel group in the Caribbean.
The company has won the prestigious award in the World Leading All-Inclusive category for nine years in a row, while the Beaches Resorts nabbed the prize to the World Leading All-Inclusive Hotel for Family Travel this time around.