Members of the North American Travel Journalists Association recently selected the USVI as the "Best Domestic Destination" in their 2003 NATJA Awards. In addition, Sweeny Toussaint of St. Croix Safari Tours was selected as the "Best Tour Operator." Nominations for the awards include travel destinations and promotional efforts throughout the entire United States. For additional information, visit www.natja.org.
The latest issue of Travel & Leisure magazine lists the world’s top-500 hotels and the Caribbean holds its own in the ranking. The Buccaneer Hotel in St. Croix, the Caneel Bay Beach Resort of St. John and the Ritz Carlton in St. Thomas are all there. And the three of them are on the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Santa Lucia will play host to the sixth edition of the Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism scheduled for next June.
The Caribbean Hotels Association (CHA) cut a deal with digital manager Skyauction.Com that would ease members of this organization to trade room reservations for membership fees defrayed by CHA. The new agreement provisions marketing support for a hotel joining the plan by providing better online visibility at no extra charge.
The world’s largest travel magazine will feature Caribbean Sections in the April 2004 and November 2004 issues. Our two annual vacation guides to the Caribbean are designed exclusively for advertisers who want to promote their island properties and destinations. Custom designed package includes direct mailing to 50,000 AMEX card members, internet exposure and advertorial synergy. Deadline for the April issue is Jan 14, 2004. Please call Deborah Turner-Russell at 305-461-0800, dtrussell@publicitas.com.
Simon Suarez, President of the Caribbean Hotels Association (CHA), called on the region’s countries to keep tourism high on their lists of top political priorities. As Mr. Suarez put it, the industry is “in many cases the only way out to achieve the needed economic growth for our own survival and future prosperity.”