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that Raise the Bar for Caribbean Hospitality - Eustace Guishard, GM of Cap Juluca Resort in Anguilla Named �Caribbean Hotelier of the Year� |
| During the Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference (CHIC 2005) held June
26-29 at the Hyatt Regency in Miami, Florida, the Caribbean Hotel Association
(CHA) recognized, as every year, those individuals that raise the bar for
Caribbean hospitality. CHA and American Express were proud to present the
2005 Salute to the Stars of the Caribbean.
And the 2005 winners are... Anguilla's Eustace Guishard receives highest honors of Caribbean hotel industry Anguillian hotelier Eustace Guishard, General Manager of the exclusive Cap Juluca Resort in Anguilla, received the highest honors of the Caribbean tourism industry on Wednesday, June 29th, when he was presented with the Golden Conch Award, thus becoming the 28th �Caribbean Hotelier of the Year.� Presented by the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), and co-sponsored by Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell and American Express, the award was conferred at the closing Gala of the Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference (CHIC 2005), at the Hyatt Regency, in Miami. The 2005 Caribbean Hotelier of the Year joins the ranks of outstanding executives, whose accomplishments and leadership have created a new standard in resort hospitality within the region. In addition to recognizing superior hotel management, CHA also sought to honor a professional who demonstrates commitment to the training and development of staff, to the community, and is an active participant in both national and regional issues affecting Caribbean tourism. Bahamas and Saint Lucia hospitality Stars shine CHA and American Express were proud to present well-deserved recognition to two outstanding individuals who exemplify excellence in the Caribbean hospitality service with the presentation of the 2004 �Employee of the Year� and �Supervisor of the Year� awards at the �Salute to the Stars of the Caribbean.� There were many nominees � each an industry star in their own right � which made the selection a difficult process. �Time and again studies have shown that superior service is a major factor in a guest's decision to return to a property,� says Dee Rodriguez, American Express. �It also becomes an integral part of a hotel's unique image and identity, an importance the winners certainly understand.�
The Caribbean hospitality industry�s growth continues to have a major impact on the environment. Sensitizing hotels and fostering a way for them to integrate better social and environmental practices into day-to-day business decisions is a critical first step to preserve the tropical paradise. Working towards that goal each year, CHA and American Express recognize those Caribbean hotels that have positioned themselves at the cutting edge of social and environmental responsibility. �Being environmentally conscious is not only important to the community, but it also makes good business sense,� says Dee Rodriguez, Vice President Establishment Services, American Express Latin America and Caribbean Division. The 2005 CHA Green Hotel of the Year Award winners obtained the highest combined scores, based on their performance in the following five criteria: Environmental Management & Stewardship, Infrastructure, Awareness, Conservation, and Health & Safety:
As a regional federation of associations, CHA finds its local voice in its 36 member national hotel associations. These national hotel associations, and the professional executives that lead them, are the eyes and ears of CHA, and allow CHA to act locally. For this very reason, CHA recognized professionalism in association
management of two outstanding hotel association executives - one in the
small association category and one in the large association category -
with the presentation of the 2005 �Association Executive of the Year Award�
As one of the key supporters of the Caribbean tourism industry and CHA for many, many years, Pat Ecke, Managing Sales Director for The New York Times, was presented with the CHA/American Express Allied Member of the Year Award. Patricia Ecke, The New York Times Information is empowerment For the third consecutive year, CHA and American Express are honored to recognize an important stakeholder in this industry of ours: the Caribbean press. Through objective, timely and abundant information, the regional media becomes a force for understanding tourism, raising the questions that must be asked, to stimulate its sustainable and socially-responsible development. The selection process for the 3rd Annual Caribbean Tourism Media Awards was as difficult as it was encouraging, due to the large number of first-rate submissions from across the region. There were two finalists: in the print category, the award goes to the business writer for El Financiero newspaper in Mexico, Norma Anaya Rojas, who stands out for her continuous reporting of travel and tourism issues in the Mexican Caribbean, from a business perspective. Norma covers the various �and diverse - sectors of the tourism industry in the Mexican Caribbean, and their sometimes conflicting positions, often drawing on a regional perspective. The second finalist award recognizes the body of work of a Bajan journalist born in Trinidad, Bevan Springer, who has doggedly led the movement for continued collaboration between media operatives and Caribbean tourism representatives, and for advancing in depth knowledge of the benefits and the drawbacks among the media of the world's greatest industry - tourism. Among his accomplishments stands out the establishment in 2001 of the Caribbean Media Exchange for Sustainable Tourism (CMEx), which CHA and American Express have proudly supported. Bevan is a model of determination, rallying public and private sector organizations to forge partnerships, helping to sharpen skills in tourism reporting, and encouraging the implementation of sustainable tourism initiatives that safeguard the environment and enrich Caribbean communities. The Overall Award for Excellence in Tourism Reporting went to one of last year�s finalists, Mark Meredith. Meredith plays �devil�s advocate� in a weekly column in the Sunday Express where he deftly argues both sides of an argument in comprehensive investigative reports that address social and economic linkages, as well as environmental impacts of practices and developments in his adopted country of Trinidad and Tobago. Finalists:
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| Contact:
Caribbean Hotel Association
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