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SLHTA Members shine at The Gimies!

Member companies of the SLHTA won big at the inaugural Saint Lucia Tourism Awards The Gimies held on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at Royalton Saint Lucia. The Gimies is a tripartite initiative between the SLHTA, Ministry of Tourism and Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, to reward organizations and employees, establish benchmarks and promote best business practices. The event was held under the theme 'Rethinking Tourism.'

Below are the member companies who came out on top:

-Independent Restaurant of the year: Orlando's Restaurant and Bar

-Wedding/ Events Planner of the year: Awesome Caribbean Weddings

-Destination Management Company of the year: Barefoot Holidays

-Site and Adventure Business of the year: Rainforest Adventures St Lucia

-Small Hotel of the year: Fond Doux Eco Resort

-Medium Hotel of the year: The Landings Resort and Spa

-Large Hotel of the year: Sandals Grande St. Lucian

-Sustainable Tourism Award: Fond Doux Eco Resort

-Destination Stewardship and Resilience: Hotel Chocolat

-Tourism Training and Motivation: Sandals Resorts St. Lucia

-Social Partner in Tourism: Sandals Resorts St. Lucia

-Lifetime Achievement Award- Matthew Beaubrun, Cox and Company Limited

Staff from member companies also copped awards:

-Collection De Pepites Employee of the year: Ernie Beaubrun of Caille Blanc Villa & Hotel

-Medium Hotel Employee of the year: Julian Joseph of Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort

-Large Hotel Employee of the year: Karen Paul of Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort

SLHTA and SLTA begin 'Breakfast Calls'

Last week the SLHTA and Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) began 'Breakfast Calls' with members. This series of one-on-one discussions on property, provides for a clearer exchange of unique member needs and opportunities for collaboration with the SLTA. If you wish to book a *Breakfast Call* with us please send us an email at media@slhta.info

SLHTA President delivers remarks at The Gimies

"...The Gimies are something to which workers in the tourism and hospitality industry should aspire. The Gimies are true reflections of the high service standards that exist in Saint Lucia, and serve to highlight those who deliver such standards through sheer hard work and a deep commitment to excellence."

To view President Paul Collymore's full speech, click here: www.slhta.com/remarks-by-slhta-president-paul-collymore-at-the-inaugural-saint-lucia-tourism-awards-the-gimies/

Berthia Parle recognised

The SLHTA congratulates Mrs. Berthia Parle MBE on receiving a Special Recognition Award at The Gimies. Known as 'Saint Lucia's first lady of tourism' Parle was recognised for her longstanding contribution to the advancement of Saint Lucia's tourism industry.

As President, she provided sterling leadership of the SLHTA from 1999-2003, and was also the first woman to be elected as President of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association, serving from 2004 – 2006.

60th Anniversary Logo and Tagline Competition

The SLHTA is pleased to announce a Logo Design and Tagline Competition to commemorate its Diamond Jubilee (60^th Anniversary). The 60^th Anniversary logo and tagline should capture this key message: “Sixty years of promoting the interests of our members and positively impacting the development of a resilient, sustainable and diverse tourism industry in Saint Lucia.”

For details, click here: www.slhta.com/competition/

SLHTA CEO Praises The Landings at Staff Awards

Chief Executive Officer of the SLHTA Noorani Azeez has congratulated the management and staff of The Landings Resort & Spa for showing a resilient spirit amid trying times.

Azeez’s comments came as he offered remarks at The Landings Resort & Spa's 2022 awards ceremony held at the William Jefferson Ballroom at Sandals Grande St. Lucian Resort & Spa on Saturday, April 29, 2023. He began by praising the management and staff for its big win at the inaugural Gimies -- Saint Lucia Tourism Awards held on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, where the resort won the award for Medium Hotel of the Year.

“This excellence has not only been recognized at a national level, as we saw at our Gimies Awards, but your dedication to service and your exemplary performance is now something to be talked about throughout the length and breadth of Saint Lucia,” Azeez told the audience, which numbered nearly 100.

Various individuals and departments captured a slew of awards up for grabs on the evening, including Employee of the Year, Department of the Year, and awards for long-serving employees. While encouraging staffers to keep up the excellent work, Azeez stated that the celebrations were well deserved.

Read more: www.slhta.com/slhta-ceo-praises-the-landings-at-staff-awards/

WestJet Group completes acquisition of Sunwing

The WestJet Group today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines. The transaction, originally announced in March 2022, combines the two Canadian aviation and leisure travel success stories, and will bring greater choice, competitive airfares and increased direct access to sun destinations to Canadian travellers. In addition, it positions Sunwing to continue its growth across Canada and permits the newly merged company to protect jobs. 

Initially, the airlines will continue independent operations, maintaining a sharp focus on providing an exceptional guest experience and ensuring safe operations. As the two entities transition from competitors to collaborators, the combination of these businesses will be planned in a way that positions Sunwing as an instrumental pillar of the WestJet Group, and prioritizes the experience of a growing number of guests. 

“As we have set out on our new strategic trajectory for the WestJet Group, investing further in leisure and sun flying across Canada is a critical driver for growth,” said Alexis von Hoensbroech, Chief Executive Officer of the WestJet Group. “It brings me great pleasure to welcome Sunwing to the group, adding 18 Boeing 737s, 2,000 employees and Canada’s largest vacation tour operator and significantly expanding our footprint in Eastern Canada. Together, we will strategically enhance our sun and leisure offerings to bring even more affordable and accessible travel opportunities to Canadians.” 

Stephen Hunter, formerly the CEO of Sunwing Vacations, has been appointed CEO of the WestJet Group’s Vacations Business, responsible for all tour operating and vacation package businesses of both the Sunwing Vacations and WestJet Vacations brands. 

“The combination of our complementary businesses marks an important milestone that will enable us to fast-track our growth plans and provide Canadians with more affordable vacations to more destinations than ever before,” said Stephen Hunter, CEO of the WestJet Group’s Vacations Business. “I am thrilled to join forces with WestJet and, in doing so, create even more opportunities for our people and deliver greater value for Canadian travellers.”

As previously announced, the WestJet Group’s newly combined tour operator businesses, comprised of WestJet Vacations and Sunwing Vacations, will be headquartered in Toronto, Ontario and will continue to operate a Montreal office. In the coming years, the Vacations Business expects to facilitate new flying and new employment opportunities by retaining Sunwing’s aircraft in Canada year-round, among other sources of anticipated growth. 



“We are excited to welcome Sunwing’s employees to the WestJet Group of Companies; throughout the planning of this transaction, we have been continually impressed by their expertise and experience in the vacations industry,” concluded von Hoensbroech.” We look forward to working alongside them to deliver memorable services to an expanding number of Canadians.”

Why it’s so pricey to fly out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport

(AXIOS Charlotte)- If you’ve tried booking flights out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport recently, you probably know they are not cheap.

What’s happening: CLT is American Airlines’ second-largest hub behind Dallas. The airline operates 92% of daily flights at CLT.

Why it matters: If you’re flying out of Charlotte, you have relatively few options when it comes to which airline to fly.

American has little incentive to lower ticket prices if customers show a willingness to pay for them, says Scott Mayerowitz, executive news director of The Points Guy, an airline-focused publication owned by Red Ventures.

American executives have said that Dallas and Charlotte are the airline’s most profitable hubs. Charlotte has long been dominated by business travel. Banks, tech and other sectors rely on the proximity of CLT to fly employees in and out of the city — and this group of travelers is less sensitive to prices than the average leisure traveler.

These days, however, leisure travel is starting to catch up, Mayerowitz adds. Travelers are, in a sense, making up for the travel they didn’t take during the pandemic.

“Leisure passengers are also more willing to pay more for tickets now. There’s a sense still of lost time and buying up to make that experience better,” Mayerowitz tells Axios.

As of January, traveler traffic at CLT had almost returned to its pre-pandemic levels, according to data from airport officials.

Zoom out: CLT is in the midst of a major expansion of its terminal lobby, a $608 million project that will transform the airport’s entrance. An overhaul is necessary to accommodate the growing number of daily passengers, airport officials have said.

Much of the cost of airport improvements comes from the airlines, which pay a price per passenger, as WFAE reported a few years ago.

Yes, but: Airfare nationwide has surged. American Airlines ticket prices rose 28.1% year over year, Mayerowitz says, citing data from Airlines for America, an industry trade group.

What they’re saying: “American’s fares out of CLT are competitive for the market and we cannot comment on future pricing plans on specific markets or routes,” American spokesperson Gianna Urgo told Axios.

Community Tourism

For over thirty years, the Mathurin family has been selling mouth-watering local bread from their bakery in Vieux Sucrieux. The bakery is a must stop for commuters and has been gaining traction from visitors on excursions. The family has their eyes set on an expansion and on Thursday, April 27, 2023 the SLHTA Secretariat visited the establishment to gain insight and provide guidance.

Sectoral engagements

The SLHTA Secretariat recently met with members of our Duty Free Retail Sector to discuss sectoral updates and explore ideas to support the Tourism Enhancement Fund.

SLHTA Welcomes New Member- Samuel Consultancy Services

We offer modernized HR solutions to increase productivity, efficiency & profitability

Tel: +1 (758) 285-8944

Email: juliana@samuelconsultancy.com

Samuel Consultancy Services is the brainchild of Juliana Samuel - MBA, CHT, CIPD, a highly accomplished professional with 33 years of professional experience in various industries; twenty-six years in management, and ten years in Human Resources. Samuel Consultancy Services is poised to perform and manage all your business’s human resources, training, and management needs at a reasonable and affordable cost.

We offer HRHelper, a cloud-based HR software that performs all HR functions from recruitment to termination. HRHelper was designed in 2021 to embrace the newnormal for post-covid-19 HR operation, which requires limited in-person interaction and exchange of physical documents. With this platform, the process starts from recruitment to separation with the company. In addition, this new platform provides an e-signature option to facilitate all required signatures.

The HRHelper is engineered to:

1. Facilitate access to HR/staff information anytime and anywhere in the world.

2. Reduces costs in many areas, such as data storage and acquisition of additional

equipment and furniture, such as filing cabinets and time-clock machines.

3. Limits the transmission of viruses and germs via the exchange of physical documents and using one clocking device for all staff.

4. Enables faster data extraction and reporting.

5. Provide training and development options for growth

Most importantly, HR Helper saves time, reduces stress, and increases efficiency and productivity.

Cap Maison Resort & Spa is seeking to recruit a suitably qualified person to fill the post of Accounts Clerk.

𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬, 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: www.slhta.com/vacancy-accounts-clerk/

Get your tickets now for Jazz @ Artisan now!

Artisan Restaurant comes alive on Saturday, May 6 2023 at 5pm with Jazz @ Artisan 🎷🎸🎹🎼

Performances by:

Michael Robinson

Augustin "Jab" Duplessis

Melodies Duo

Wendell Richards Band

A Dining and Entertainment Experience like no other.

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐍𝐨𝐰!

+1 (758) 730 22 00 - 720 17 34

Email: Events@fayegastronomie.fr

A domino competition is one of the many planned activities under a calendar of events to observe the SLHTA's 60th anniversary. Member companies with sports teams who are interested in participating in this competition are asked to indicate your interest by emailing shltainfo@gmail.com.

 CHTA Education Foundation Scholarship

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida – Applications are now being accepted for the CHTA Education Foundation hospitality scholarship. 

Since its inception in 1986, the Education Foundation has disbursed more than USD 2.5 million in scholarships to hospitality professionals across the Caribbean. Between 2013 and 2022, 145 scholarships were awarded to Caribbean nationals to study abroad or online at universities in the United States and Europe. 

“We encourage students from all Caribbean nations to apply. We want to ensure that as many students as possible access this opportunity to improve their knowledge as it helps to build our regional hospitality industry,” stated Karolin Troubetzkoy, Chair of the CHTA Education Foundation. 

Scholarships are awarded for tuition only and funds will be sent directly to the University or College to pay for or subsidize tuition. No money will be sent to students. 

Applicants must: 

• Have a Minimum GPA of 3.0 or equivalent. 
• Submit an endorsement letter from the National Hotel Association 
• Three (3) letters of reference/recommendation, if possible, one of which should be from a tourism industry professional. If applicable, an endorsement letter from your current employer should be submitted. 
• Transcripts from most recent academic institution or academic course. 
• A recent photo of the applicant in jpeg or similar format. (Photos may be used as part of the CHTA Education Foundation promotion and social media campaigns and so should be a positive, cheerful reflection of who you are and your hospitality aspirations.) 
• A maximum 400-word statement or a three-minute video explaining your goals and aspirations in the tourism sector. 

All Scholarship Applications must be received no later than May 31, 2023. 

CHTAEF is a green organization, and the Scholarship Application process is paperless. Please complete the application and email to Foundation@CaribbeanHotelandTourism.com. 

If you have any questions, please call 305-443-3040. 

CLICK HERE TO APPLY: https://chtaef.com/index.php/apply-for-a-scholarship/

Less than two weeks left to apply for the 2023 CHTA Education Foundation / Les Roches Professional Development Program

Les Roches has joined forces with The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association Education Foundation (CHTAEF) to provide educational scholarship opportunities to Caribbean hospitality industry professionals.

This initiative aims to support the recovery of the region’s tourism industry through knowledge development and upskilling. As such, we are offering selective, merit-based scholarship grants for our Executive Professional Postgraduate Diploma (PGD)/Professional Development Diploma (PDD) in International Hotel Management.

Our 6-month Executive PGD/PDD is fully remote and flexible, designed to be studied alongside your current job commitments so you can accelerate your career without interrupting it. 

The deadline for applications is May 15, 2023, with a program start date of June 23, 2023.

Visit https://info.lesroches.edu/caribbean-executive-scholarship to learn more and apply.

Career Opportunities at Sunswept Resorts

To apply, click here: https://sunswept.candidtracker.com/jobs

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